New articles: Students' infolit; Online teaching; First-year writing courses; Zines

The latest issue of open access journal College and Research Libraries (Vol 86 Issue 2 2025) includes:
- Assessing Students’ Information Literacy: Attitudes and Perceptions of College Students Across Generations by Heather A. Dalal, Arthur Taylor, Sharon Whitfield
- Ongoing Changes in Virtual Reference and Online Instruction in Academic Libraries by Caterina Reed, Paria Aria, Guinsly Mondésir, Harvey Long
- Speaking the Same Language: A Phenomenological Study Investigating Librarian and Writing Instructor Shared Frameworks in First-Year Writing Courses by Amy C. Rice, Dennis D. Cartwright, Lauren Hays, Grace Veach
- The Role of Academic Libraries in the Shifting Landscape of Zines by Evan Bobrow
- Assessing the Impact of Consultations with Librarians on Faculty Research: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Study by Rachel A. Koenig, John W. Cyrus (not so much about information literacy, but sheds light on faculty's perceptions of librarians)
Go to https://crl.acrl.org/index.php/crl/issue/view/1673/showToc
Photo by Sheila Webber: On the Heath, February 2025

Chatting Info Lit: International Schools

Latest podcast episode (27 Jan 2025) from Chatting Info Lit is about International Schools (featuring two Sheffield iSchool alumni!). "In this episode, we talk to two school librarians: Jacob Lusk (International School of London) and Eleni Karakosta (Raha International School, Khalifa City Campus). Jacob and Eleni share their experiences of taking on a school library role, teaching information literacy for children, interacting with students and teachers, and getting involved in larger projects as a new professional. Jacob talks through the logistics of a library move, while Eleni shares her work on a student volunteer programme."
Go to https://open.spotify.com/episode/2TJ5zhoqSCojFE0GxYUmYb

Call for papers: LIANZA 2025

Taking place in Wellington, New Zealand in-person 23-24 September 2025, the call for papers is open for LIANZA 2025, with the theme: Ko au te taiao, ko te taiao ko au - Sustaining and Changing. The call closes on 28 April 2025.
"Taiao is a Māori word that can mean 'the natural world' or the 'environment'. It can also refer to the land, water, climate, and living beings that make up the natural world. "Ko au te taiao, ko te taiao ko au" can take on new meanings. I am the natural world, and the natural world is me, so too, I am the land, water and so forth. In the Māori worldview, the environment is part of the collective and collective thinking. In this conference, te taiao is central to our planning and implementation."
The threads of the conference are:
- He puna kōrero horopū – Information today (Libraries ensure that people have access to the information they need when they need it. How can we ensure our communities and users have access to trusted information resources in times of challenges and change?)
- Toitū te Taiao, Toitū Te Tiriti. (Upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi in an ever-changing environment. How can library, information, culture and heritage services ensure they uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi?)
- He kete matatau, he kete matatini – Libraries and literacies (Libraries are essential to connecting people with literature and information and to facilitate reading for pleasure. What can you share that has made a difference in this area?)
- Te kuneroa – The future (What does the future hold for our sector? How can we support our communities to respond to climate change? How do we approach the continual shift to digital?)
- Kia whai wāhi te hapori kia whanake – Community engagement and transformation (Libraries work to promote community engagement and transformation. What are the innovations, strategies and actions we can take to ensure connectivity, community transformation and inter-generational activity and learning?)
Proposals can be for: Lightning talk (10 mins incl Q&A); Paper (30 mins incl Q&A); Panel (60 mins incl Q&A); Workshop (60 or 90 mins); Kōrero (30 or 60 mins: A less formal opportunity for people to come together to discuss an area of interest. Presented in person with the proposer facilitating the discussion.) or Other (Have a great idea for another presentation type? Tell us your idea)
More information at: https://www.lianza.org.nz/conference-2025/
Photo by Sheila Webber: tree against the dusk sky, February 2025

Bursary to attend LILAC

The Health Libraries Group (HLG) Committee is offering a bursary for a HLG member to attend the LILAC Conference (14-16 April 2025, in person in Cardiff, Wales). Closing date is 7 March 2025.
"The bursary covers the cost for a Full Conference (including networking and conference dinner) ticket (cost £435.00). Please note that the bursary does not include accommodation or travel. To submit your application for the bursary place, please complete the online application form. Applications should demonstrate why you would like to attend this specific conference and what benefits you would gain from attending; it should also show your interest in Health Libraries and Information."
Apply here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HLGbursary_LILAC2024

New media and Information Literacy toolkit from UNESCO

UNESCO just launched a publication aimed organisations supporting young people - Journey through the MILtiverse: media and information literacy toolkit for youth organizations.
It is partly quizzes and partly self-auditing questions, and starts by asking the leaders/staff in the organisation to identify their organisation's mission, definition of MIL etc. It is divided into "missions" concerning different aspacts of MIL.
"this toolkit is for all youth organizations seeking to make MIL a central part of their approach. It includes model policies and strategies, checklists, educational tips, and other resources needed to bring MIL to life within your organization."
It looks to me like something that would be well-suited to making into an online version, but I don't know whether they have that in mind.
Acero Pulgarin, S., Martinovic, M., González-Gil, N. & Santamaría Virviescas, A. (2024). Journey through the MILtiverse: media and information literacy toolkit for youth organizations. UNESCO https://doi.org/10.58338/APOC5995

Book: A Slow Approach to Visual Literacy

This book has three sections "Slow looking" "Slow creating" and "Slow using", and within each section there are lesson plans for novice, intermediate and advanced learners.
Statton Thompson, D. & Beene Statton, S. (2024). A Slow Approach to Visual Literacy in Higher Education: Lesson Plans for Critical Discernment. ALA. ISBN 979-8892555685. Information at https://alastore.ala.org/slowlearn
Photo by Sheila Webber: nice, slow potatoes, February 2025

Upcoming power hours: AI Search; AI tools; AI chatbots

- 21 March 2025, 12:00-13:00 GMT. AI search: the end of traditional search – a Power Hour with Phil Bradley. Book at https://tinyurl.com/2etnc45w "In this Power Hour, we’ll look at over a dozen cutting-edge AI search engines"
- 28 March 2025, 12:00-13:00 GMT. AI Tools for Information Professionals: supercharging your work – a Power Hour with Phil Bradley. Book at https://tinyurl.com/3em4wvxa
- 4 April 2025, 12:00-13:00 GMT. ChatGPT and the next wave of AI chatbots - a Power Hour with Phil Bradley. Book at https://tinyurl.com/7jzfejv3 "This session cuts through the hype, covering the latest tools, best practices, and hands-on strategies."
Online events. Tickets for each event cost £35. Delegates receive a recording of the Power Hour along with other relevant materials after the session.
Photo by Sheila Webber: Schefflera flowering for the first time in about 30 years, February 2025

Voices: European Festival of Journalism and Media Literacy

If you are able to drop everything and go to Zagreb, Croatia, (or if you live near Zagreb) from 27 February to March 1st, then you could attend the free conference, Voices. "We want to celebrate the pivotal roles journalism and the informed public play in societies while fostering critical thinking around disinformation." Lots of speakers and events.
The programme is here https://voicesfestival.eu/event-new/ and the homepage is here https://voicesfestival.eu/

Center for Information Literacy to be founded

Simmons University, USA, has received a $250,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation to establish the Center for Information Literacy (CIL). Dr. Laura Saunders will be the CIL’s director and CIL is a collaboration between Simmons’ School of Library and Information Science (SLIS), The Gwen Ifill School of Media, Humanities and Social Sciences and the Simmons University Library.
"The CIL will focus on cultivating competencies related to locating, accessing, evaluating, and using information. " "The CIL’s agenda will include curriculum-building efforts, faculty professional development, and student-driven programming."
More information at https://www.simmons.edu/news/simmons-receives-mellon-grant-information-literacy

Pedagodzilla: the book

The Pedagodzilla podcast explains pedagogy via pop culture, and there is a book-of-the-podcast that is available free online (or priced for the print copy).
It includes chapters like How do spooky Muppets guide Scrooge through transformative learning? and How does Julie Andrews escape the Nazis with active learning?
Childs, M., Ferguson, R., Collins, M. & Ellis, E. (2024). Pedagodzilla: Exploring the Realm of Pedagogy.
Free OER version at https://www.pedagodzilla.com/the-book/

Webinar: The Four Futures of Digital Education

A free webinar from the Centre for Research in Digital Education, Edinburgh University on 20 March 2025 at 14.00-15.00 GMT (note that in the UK, the clocks don't change until 30 March): Killing Us Softly? The Four Futures of Digital Education. The speaker is Dr Ivana Milojevic, and the chair Professor Sian Bayne.
"This seminar explores four competing scenarios for digital education, drawing on futures thinking, critical pedagogy, and socio-technological imaginaries. These are: (1) Wild West Web: Corporate Digital Predation Disguised as Freedom, (2) Don’t Rock the Virtual Boat: Governmental Compliance Over Choice and Creativity, (3) The Spinning Wheel of User Death: Digitalisation for Incompetence and Laziness, and (4) Algorithms of Liberation: Digital Heterotopias and Participatory Futures."
More info and registration at https://www.de.ed.ac.uk/event/killing-us-softly-four-futures-digital-education?Image by Sheila Webber using Midjourney AI with prompt: Algorithms of Liberation: Digital Heterotopias and Participatory Futures

New articles: Intercultural Competencies; Library workshops; Signature pedagogies

The latest issue of portal: libraries and the academy (priced journal) is vol. 25 issue 1, 2025. Articles include:
- Incorporating Signature Pedagogies into Library Instruction Through Reflective Pedagogy by Karleigh Riesen (open access)
- If You Build It, They Will Get a Tote Bag: Reimagining a University Library's Workshops Through a Collaborative Incentive Program by Kelly Marie Blanchat, Tess Colwell, Jennifer Snow (open access)
- Integrating Intercultural Competencies in an Introductory Business Information Literacy Course by Annette Bochenek, Heather Howard, Zoeanna Mayhook (open access)
Go to https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/issue/54150
Photo by Sheila Webber: more snow crystals, January 2025

New book: Finding and using information

Bedford, David. (2025). Finding and Using Information: A guide for nursing, health and social care. Price: £16.99 ($25.49, €20.39). Published by Lantern Publishing. ISBN: 9781914962264.
The chapters are: 1. Seeking information – knowing what you’re looking for; 2 Locating information – tracking down sources; 3 Browsing information – understanding the web; 4 Selecting information – evaluating sources; 5 Navigating information – the anatomy of a research article; 6 Organising information – keeping track; 7 Acknowledging information – citing and referencing; 8 Sifting information – academic databases; 9 Scoping information – planning an advanced literature search; 10 Exploring information – doing an advanced literature search; 11 Sharing information – getting yourself known.
Go to https://lanternpublishing.com/product/finding-and-using-information/

NORDIS: AI Guide for teachers

NORDIS is the the Nordic Observatory for Digital Media and Information Disorder "an independent non-partisan multidisciplinary hub" and part of the European observatory EDMO. They have produced an AI Guide for Teachers which is available in English, Swedish and Finnish. Go to https://faktabaari.fi/edu/oppaat/
The website also includes a recording of the Digital Information Literacy Forum (Generative AI, media literacy and ethics – Navigating authenticity in learning), which they held in January 2025 - this is the page with programme and links

A happy bookish Valentine's day

1. Lonely book Club. An activity in the ACRL Information Literacy Framework sandbox from Sarah Hood (learners identify a book they think might be lonely, and then the task is to match the lonely book up with its ideal book pairing). https://sandbox.acrl.org/resources/lonely-book-club 

2. Blind dates with books seems a popular idea (you wrap the book up, so you can't see what the author or title are, and you may add some information about what type of book it is, and encourage people to go on a blind date with one of the books). See e.g. here or here (it's also a thing for those selling books e.g. here). 

3. Take your favourite book on a date (including making it a Valentine card) https://www.brockport.edu/live/news/6216-book-lovers-unite-at-a-book-lovers-valentines-day
Image created by Sheila Webber on Midjourney AI

Webinar: Browser-based Crawling of News Websites Behind Paywalls

On 13 February 2025 (at 15:00-17:00 UTC/GMT; 16:00-18:00 CET) is a free IFLA News Media Section & International Internet Preservation Consortium (IIPC) Workshop: Browser-based Crawling of News Websites Behind Paywalls.
"The main goal of our workshops is to examine and compare how organizations of varying sizes tackle this topic and to learn from their collective experiences. Through presentations and informal discussions, we will showcase diverse organizational approaches to archiving news media, including audiovisual content and social media, highlight key challenges, and explore innovative solutions." 

Speakers are Anders Klindt Myrvoll (Royal Danish Library), Antares Reich (Austrian National Library), László Tóth (National Library of Luxembourg), Joel Nieminen and Samuli Sairanen (National Library of Finland).
Register at https://events.zoom.us/ev/AqxofM08sSmKRk5ifQC70JqVymmmt5nEuglOmaLkqjT4lKIkavLQ~AhKBYtm3-Ji4g0_nD2Hbe_oyLjomqL-5wxkjI9Q_m1JaK867uyqQSE0_fw
Photo by Sheila Webber: Squirrel on stump (again) - spot the 2nd squirrel, November 2024

Philippines fact checking

tsek.ph is a "collaborative fact-checking project for the 2025 Philippines’ elections. It is an initiative of academe, media and civil society to counter disinformation and provide the public with verified information."
They check " Platforms and campaign promises of candidates; Election-related statements and remarks made by candidates, personalities, government agencies, and other entities; and Election-related posts on social media, blogs and other platforms."
There is an example from 11 February 20205 here - showing how a photo had been edited.
Go to  https://www.tsek.ph/ and you can also follow on social media e.g. on Bluesky

New articles: Data literacy; Academics' information needs; Peer review; Academic success; #infolit & composition

Volume 51 issue 1 (2025) of the priced Journal of Academic Librarianship (a priced publication) includes the following:
- What makes students tick? Exploring factors that affect learner motivations and challenges when engaging with optional library workshops on data literacy by Michelle Kelly Schultz (open access)
- From grades to growth: Understanding undergraduate perceptions of academic success by Jung Mi Scoulas, Kimberly Shotick, Sandra L. De Groote, Nestor L. Osorio (open access)
- Empowering future researchers: Designing an information literacy-centric introductory composition course by Kristin Leaman, E.C. McGregor Boyle, Dave Zwicky
- Academics' information needs from the librarians' perspective: A study of the research community of practice by Anna Mierzecka (open access)
- Feedback literacy and peer review experiences within library and information science journals by LeEtta M. Schmidt, Jessica N. Szempruch
Go to https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/the-journal-of-academic-librarianship/vol/51/issue/1
Photo by Sheila Webber: snow, January 2025; it is just cold and damp at the moment

The notion of Cognitive Authority

An great open-access review article:
Hirvonen, N., Multas, A-M., Nygård, T. & Huotari, M.L. (2024). Cognitive authority: A scoping review of empirical research: An Annual Review of Information Science and Technology (ARIST) paper. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 76(1), 155–192. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.24942
"This article provides a scoping review of 25 years of research on the notion of cognitive authority (CA), examining its conceptualization and empirical examination. ... In total, 40 articles were included in the review, extracted, and analyzed with qualitative content analysis focusing on the conceptualization of CA, the methodological approach taken to examine it, and the different spheres of knowledge and levels of activity the research addressed. Based on this analysis, four parallel lines of research were identified including studies conceptualizing CA: (1) as an indicator of information source quality, (2) as discursively constructed, (3) as situated in social mechanisms and settings, and (4) as institutional legitimacy of science and professions. ... "
Image created by Sheila Webber using Midjourney AI, using the prompt: The notion of Cognitive Authority, watercolour, abstract, warm

Call for proposals: RAILS

There is a call for papers for the RAILS (Research Applications in Information and Library Studies) in-person conference taking place in Sydney, Australia, 3-5 November 2025. It is organised by Charles Sturt University's School of Information and Communication Studies. The theme is: Reflecting on the Past, Shaping the Future and it will include the Australasian Information Educators’ Symposium (AIES), a Doctoral Consortium, and keynote sessions.
The Submission Deadline is 18 May 2025.
More info on the conference website at https://railsconference.wordpress.com/
Photo by Sheila Webber: approaching Sydney, July 2019

New articles: ChatGPT; Librarian-Faculty mentorship

The latest issue of open-access College & Research Libraries News (volume 86, no. 2) includes:
- Pierce, M. (2025). Academic Librarians, Information Literacy, and ChatGPT: Sounding the Alarm on a New Type of Misinformation. College & Research Libraries News, 86(2). https://doi.org/10.5860/crln.86.2.68
- Grenier, M., & Premji, Z. (2025). Librarian-Faculty Mentorship: The Missing Link to Departmental Culture. College & Research Libraries News, 86(2). https://doi.org/10.5860/crln.86.2.53
Photo by Sheila Webber: through the smudged bus window, Blackheath and Greenwich Park, January 2025

Call for papers: 17th Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries International Conference #QQML2025

The submission deadline for the 17th Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries International Conference (QQML2025), taking place in Lison, Portugal, and online, 27-30 May 2025, has been extended to 20 February 2025.
The conference theme is Transformation and Innovation in Archives and Libraries in the Digital Age: Management, Preservation, Sustainability and Technological Impact. Conference Languages are English and Portuguese.
More information at http://www.qqml.org

Rubbish books allegedly about information literacy - and one real book

Whilst searching Amazon for blog fodder, sorting by most-recent, I came across a whole clutch of books which have "Information Literacy" in the title, and which look (from the samples I read) to be AI-generated patchworks, not even stitched together properly. I know that this isn't is a new thing, but I hadn't realised quite how many there were on IL. There is a distinctive look to the covers, and, bizarrely, the "authors" are mostly photogenic US-born women who, after a glittering academic/professional career, settle in the UK. Obviously I won't link to the books, but I can't resist giving one title i.e. Information Literacy: An Interesting Guide for Librarians. Perhaps I should write that book, as a counter to all the (evidently) uninteresting books about information literacy. 

Anyway, I thought I should also feature one of the real books I came across (it has structured chapters! paragraphs! sentences that make sense! was written by someone who knows about the subject!):
DeJong, M. (2024). Information Literacy for Science and Engineering Students: Concepts and Skills. Bloomsbury Libraries Unlimited. ISBN 9781440878763. https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/information-literacy-for-science-and-engineering-students-9781440878763/
Image by Sheila Webber using Midjourney AI: prompt was: women in a field of flowers, chasing flying books, whimsical --ar 9:16

Media Literacy research and policy reports commissioned by Google

Via EDMO Ireland (a hub of the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO), links to reports which Google commissioned from Ecorys (a Dutch research consultancy) and which were published September-November 2024
- Research report 1: Putting media literacy on the map – a snapshot of policies and practices in Europe (it looks at 8 European countries, and highlights media literacy, or media and information literacy, initiatives - specifically information literacy is not a focus): https://www.ecorys.com/app/uploads/2019/02/Ecorys-ML-policy-study-report-1.pdf
- Research report 2: Google’s media literacy initiatives and partnerships in Europe – a learning review (this includes research summaries and recommendations - the focus is on the Prebunking; Be Internet Awesome; and Super Serachers projects): https://www.ecorys.com/app/uploads/2019/02/Ecorys-ML-policy-study-report-2.pdf
- Plus a summary aimed at young people: https://www.ecorys.com/app/uploads/2019/02/Media-literacy-study-CYP-summary.pdf 

A set of policy briefs (about 10 pages each) on priority media literacy topics, produced by ECORYS with the LSE:
- Policy brief #1: Generative AI and Media Literacy Education: https://www.ecorys.com/app/uploads/2019/02/Policy-brief-1-Generative-AI-and-Media-Literacy-Education-1.pdf
- Policy brief #2: Enabling civil society to combat disinformation https://www.ecorys.com/app/uploads/2019/02/Policy-brief-2-Enabling-civil-society-to-combat-disinformation-1.pdf
Policy brief #3: Engaging and meeting the needs of underserved populations: https://www.ecorys.com/app/uploads/2019/02/Policy-brief-3-Engaging-and-meeting-the-needs-of-underserved-populations-1.pdf

I tracked down the home page for the reports at https://www.ecorys.com/case-studies/medialiteracyeducation/.
Photo by Sheila Webber: snow crystals, January 2025

Webinar: Artificial Intelligence: Which skills do I need?

EAVI (European Association for Viewers Interests) offers a free webinar on 4 February 2025 at 15.00-16.30 CET (14.00-15.30 GMT) Artificial Intelligence: Which skills do I need? as part of its E-engAGEd (Intergenerational Digital Engagement ) Media Literacy Trainers’ Network. The speaker is Dr. Letiția Pârcălăbescu in conversation with Paolo Celot.
"We will explain (i) how contemporary AIs are trained on vast data produced by us, humans, in our entire written history, (ii) how AI learns from—or rather does not truly learn live from—the information we share during our live interactions, and (iii) the evolving skills needed to use AI effectively while safeguarding against those who misuse it."
The E-engAGEd project aims to train young people to teach older people (which sounds a bit ageist to me, but anyway). Register at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdzI0xIkhaAIGd-7eC8M1TfmRplBkLBY-gonwqN1Ny6rPLxEQ/viewform
Image created by Sheila Webber using Midjourney, with the prompt a flowery meadow with older and younger cats chasing data, cute and dreamy. There must be a shortage of data-pursuing cat pictures for the AI to train on, as they appear to be chasing daisies and butterflies, though I suppose they are data too.