Webinar: Health Literacy and Young Adults

Emporia State University  presents a free webinar, Health Literacy and Young Adults, on 19 November 2024 at 13.00 US Central time (which is 19.00 UK time). Speakers are:  Lesley Farmer, Jill R. Kavanaugh, Shawn Steidinger, Deborah H. Charbonneau and Emily Vardell.
"This webinar will explore opportunities for public and school librarians to support the health literacy of young adults. A panel of experts will seek to equip librarians with the information and tools they need to be responsive to the varied health information needs and literacy levels of individuals in their communities. By understanding the health information needs and behaviors of adolescents and young adults (AYA), librarians can be more effective in supporting AYA’s health. Librarians are uniquely positioned to advocate for easy-to-read materials, design and deliver information literacy instruction about combating online misinformation, and optimize their effectiveness by partnering with community experts to provide appropriate health-related resources, services, and programs. The evidence-based, practical approaches discussed in this webinar are designed to help build capacity for health literacy work in public libraries, with a focus on supporting young adults’ health information needs."
Register at: https://emporiastate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcpcO6rpjIsHdIQaU4slI37HipzwDiway8N#/registration

Photo by Sheila Webber: autumn leaf on car, November 2024

News: Libguides; STEM students

The latest Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) Instruction Section newsletter is available (volume 41 number 2). The 7-page newsletter includes useful news and links and also some (very) short articles:
- No more slide decks!: A case study on using LibGuides as active learning materials in the library classroom by Liana Bayne-Lin (Science & Math Librarian, James Madison University, USA)
- From Guidelines to Rubrics: Evaluating LibGuides Towards Sustainable Maintenance by Emily Espanol (Research and Learning Librarian, Roseman University of Health Sciences, USA)
- Creating Holistic Research Mapping Exercise for STEM Students by Kathryn E. Shenk (Science & Math Librarian, James Madison University, USA)
- Summary of the Applied AI in Information Literacy Webinar by Mallory Jallas on behalf of the Virtual Engagement IS Committee
Go to https://acrl.ala.org/IS/wp-content/uploads/ISFall2024Newsletter.pdf
Photo by Sheila Webber: 2 red devil apples from my tree, October 2024

Institute for Research Design in Librarianship Online Research Conference

This conference, taking place online 18-19 November 2024 is free, but you need to register as there is an attendance cap of 300 people per day. You need to register for both days, if you want to attend both days. The Institute for Research Design in Librarianship Online Research Conference is at 9.00-14.00 (US Pacific time) which is e.g. 17.00-midnight GMT (UK time).  "The conference is the first research methods-focused conference of its kind in the United States and will offer a friendly and inclusive environment to increase participants' understanding of methodologies and research in practice. During an engaging two days, participants will have opportunities to share their current research, reflect on research challenges and enjoy a variety of seminars and hands on practice sessions with some of the most inventive researchers in the field."
Day 1: https://lmula.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIqceiupjwoGtLwLclf0EzOEYWsR5xv3AbR
Day 2: https://lmula.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwucOyrpzkqHtRXXvvAq5oWUGyNrHTaKICn 
The conference website with the full programme is here: https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/irdlconference/2024/
Photo by Sheila Webber: remembering Halloween, November 2024

#LILAC2025 conference bursaries

Applications are open for bursaries for the LILAC 2025 (information literacy) conference taking place in-person 14–16 April 2025 at Cardiff University, Wales. To apply for a bursary, you must be a librarian, volunteer, or information professional working in the UK. Applications close on 22 November 2024 at 17.00 GMT. There are two kinds of bursary.
- LILAC Bursaries. There are 5 free places for people in the following under-represented groups in the UK: Ethnic minority backgrounds; School libraries; Further Education; Public libraries; Health libraries (e.g. NHS – please note; librarians working in Higher Education who support health subjects are not eligible to apply). The bursary includes three days at the conference and social events. They also include up to £250 in expenses for reasonable travel and accommodation.
- Local to LILAC Bursaries. There are 6 bursaries. "These bursaries are day delegate places, and we are offering two places for each day of the three-day conference. ... intended for people who live or work near to the LILAC venue, to have the chance to attend a day at LILAC and experience what the conference offers. Each of the six bursaries will involve a free day place to one day of the conference and £50 for reasonable travel expenses. " They include food/refreshments on the day, but not social events.
For more details go to https://www.lilacconference.com/lilac-2025/bursaries-1

Webinar 7 November: Transforming Our Teaching and Research Practices through Epistemic Justice

The Meaningful Inquiry team at Ohio State, USA has organised a free webinar Reconstructing the Academy: Transforming Our Teaching and Research Practices through Epistemic Justice on 7 November 2024, at 12:00-1:00 pm (US Eastern time, which is e.g. 17.00-18.00 UK time  GMT). 
Speakers are: Heather Campbell and Ashley McKeown. "This workshop invites faculty and librarians to explore the concept of epistemic justice, a practice that demands equal respect for diverse knowledge systems, decentering Euro-westernized academic research. While many diversity and inclusion initiatives focus on representation, epistemic justice goes deeper, asking us to rethink who we consider knowledgeable and why. Together, we will explore pragmatic tools for embedding an epistemic justice lens into undergraduate and graduate curricula, and how we might redefine approaches to knowledge creation."
To register & to get more details on speakers: https://go.osu.edu/miepistemicjustice
Photo by Sheila Webber: Autumn colours in the Botanic Gardens, October 2024

Call for proposals: LOEX 2025: Crafting a Future for Information Literacy

There is a call for breakout session proposals for the USA's major information literacy conference, LOEX, taking place 15-17 May 2025 in Pasadena, California, USA. The theme is Crafting a Future for Information Literacy. Deadline for proposals is 2 December 2024.
"How does library instruction intersect with creativity, design, and futurism?... We invite you to join fellow practitioners in sharing your designs, collaborations, innovations, and inspirations. This year's LOEX proposal tracks are:
- "Collaboration and Outreach: Stitching Us Together
- "Research and Assessment: Shaping Our Practice
- "Advocacy and Justice: Paving Our Path
- "Frontiers and Innovation: Forging Our Future
- "Teaching and Learning: Honing Our Craft
- "Stewardship and Leadership: Weaving Our Strengths"
You can propose 50-minute presentations and interactive workshops.
More info at https://www.loexconference.org/breakout-proposals/

Amman declaration on strengthening media and information literacy #GlobalMILweek

The Global Media and Information Literacy week feature conference, which took place in Jordam 30-31 October 2024, produced the Amman declaration on strengthening media and information literacy to advance public-interest information in the digital age which claims to be currently available in Arabic and English, but at the moment both links lead to the English version. The English version is here. The page with the links is here, and hopefully the faulty Arabic link will be corrected shortly.
After a 2 page preamble there are commitments and recommendations for governments, for UNESCO and other intergovernmental organizations, for Digital platforms and technology companies, and for Civil society, media, youth, academic institutions and researchers.
The recommendations for governments include "ENACT robust national and regional media and information literacy policies and strategies to sustain media and information literacy for all; allocate resources to advance implementation, ensuring inclusive and multistakeholder engagement; and integrate media and information literacy in upskilling programmes, national development priorities, governance processes;" "SUPPORT the integration of media and information literacy into formal and non-formal education systems and life-long learning, empowering learners and educators to critically assess digital content;"
The recommendations for UNESCO etc. include "PROMOTE cooperation on media and information literacy among United Nations Agencies/Funds/Programmes and regional and international intergovernmental bodies in line with Para 35 of the Global Digital Compact of the Pact for the Future;"
The recommendations for digital platforms include: "PROVIDE users and content creators with tools and resources, developed in partnership with multistakeholder groups and based on established standards, to enhance media and information literacy as critical thinking skills, including flagging AIgenerated content, and implementing content moderation systems that are inclusive and free from bias;"
The recommendations for Civil Society organisations include "LAUNCH initiatives that promote media and information literacy beyond formal education systems, and specifically among youth, marginalized communities and elderly persons, empowering them with the skills to be informed creators and discerning consumers of digital content"
There are also recommendations specifically to do with MIL in crisis situations, as well as ones to do with MIL cities.

Recording of Media and Information Literacy for Public Interest Information through Libraries

There is a recording of IFLA MIL Week Webinar The New Digital Frontiers of Information: Media and Information Literacy for Public Interest Information through Libraries held on October 28 2024. There were speakers from Belgium, Italy and the USA.
Find it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qbf8jjnR7OM
Image created by Sheila Webber using Midjourney AI, October 2024