GenderEd Coalition MOOC: Towards a gender sensitive Media and Information Literacy

The GenderEd Coalition has funding from the European Union to increase awareness of gender-sensitive Media and Information Literacy. They have a MOOC running between 1 April 2025 and 31 May 2025 Towards a gender sensitive Media and Information Literacy. It runs for 5 weeks, taking 10 hours a week of commitment and is in English
"This free online course is tailored for journalists, artists, media and information literacy (MIL) educators, activists, media professionals, gender experts, and researchers aiming to develop expertise in gender-sensitive practices, media analysis, and inclusive communication"
Presumably library and information professionals are also welcome!! There are four modules on topics such as "gender-sensitive communication, inclusive media practices, and combating gender bias."
Go to https://www.genderedcoalition.net/mooc
The main GenderEd website is at https://www.genderedcoalition.net/ and has some resources, and a Community of Practice that you can join.
Photo by Sheila Webber: yet more magnolia blossom, March 2025

Recent articles: media & digital literacy; podcasting

An open access journal I don't think I've covered before, Media and Communication. Each annual volume consists of a number of special issues, and this latest one (volume 13 issue 467 2025) is on Balancing Intimacy and Trust: Opportunities and Risks in Audio Journalism including, for example
- Trust in Pod: Listener Trust of News Content Heard on Different Genre Podcasts by Kristine Johnson and Michael McCall
- Intimacy in Podcast Journalism: Ethical Challenges and Opportunities in Daily News Podcasts and Documentaries by Elvira García de Torres, José M. Legorburu, David Parra-Valcarce, Concha Edo and Lilly Escobar-Artola
Go to https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/issue/view/467 

Even more relevant to this blog is an issue of volume 13 (issue 466, January 2025) on Evaluating and Enhancing Media Literacy and Digital Skills including
- Fostering Media Literacy: A Systematic Evidence Review of Intervention Effectiveness for Diverse Target Groups by Leen d'Haenens et al. (I shall pause here just to sigh and point out that this is yet another sysytematic review that does not even notice - despite there being 23 authors involved - that they failed to search for INFORMATION literacy, although they searched for online, internet and media literacy and variations thereof. I assume that none of the 23 was a librarian, who might have pointed this out. It's a shame, as this is otherwise an OK review of quantitative studies)
- Effects of a News Literacy Video on News Literacy Perceptions and Misinformation Evaluation by Rita Tang, Melissa Tully, Leticia Bode and Emily K. Vraga
- Exploring Media Literacy Formation at the Intersection of Family, School, and Peers by Nika Šušterič, Katja Koren Ošljak and Veronika Tašner
- The Effectiveness of an Educational Intervention on Countering Disinformation Moderated by Intellectual Humility by Eduard-Claudiu Gross and Delia Cristina Balaban
Go to https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/issue/view/466
Photo by Sheila Webber: blossoms almost faded, April 2025

Survey for review of the ACRL Information Literacy Framework

The ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education Review and Revision Task Force has a survey open to consult on the Framework and consider revisions. It has been open for a few weeks (apologies!), so probably a good idea to respond promptly. It asks you about how you use different bits of the framework, whether you think anything is missing, whether you find it straightforward to understand etc. The survey is here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PRT5FMX
Photo by Sheila Webber: more magnolia, March 2025

Registration open for #WILU2025

Canada's information literacy conference, WILU, takes place in person in Hamilton, ON, Canada, 9-12 June 2025, and registration is now open. I would recommend this conference:  I really enjoyed attending WILU last year.
More information at https://macblog.mcmaster.ca/wilu2025/

Information Literacy cakes

An information literacy cake-baking competition was organised by the Australian organisation CAVAL in October 2024, to celebrate 50 years of Information Literacy, and coinciding with the CAVAL Research and Information Group's (CRIG) annual event. You can find pictures and information about all the inventive cakes here https://www.caval.edu.au/activity/crig-seminar-2024-cake-competition/
If you are not interested in cakes, there are pdfs of some presentations from the actual event (Information Literacy is Turning 50: Advocacy, Inclusion, Empowerment) here and here
Winning cake: The Lighthouse, created by Sarah Charing, Sophie Kollo, and Jane Jilbert (The University of Melbourne)

Generative Artificial Intelligence Skills in Schools

On 18 June 2025 at 13.30-15.30 BST there is a free in-person workshop Generative Artificial Intelligence Skills in Schools (GenAISiS) in Glasgow, Scotland. "The workshop will report on the results of GenAISiS, a project funded by Responsible AI and delivered by a team of researchers at Robert Gordon University in partnership with CILIPS (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland) and school library professionals across Scotland." 
More information at https://www.cilips.org.uk/events/genaisis/
Photo by Sheila Webber: narcissi, April 2025

Webinar: Think like a teacher: pedagogical skills for librarians

This webinar, free to CILIP members and £22.38 to non-members, is on 24 April 2025 at 12noon-13.00 BST: Think like a teacher: pedagogical skills for librarians.
"Does your job involve teaching? Is that not part of what you imagined librarianship to be? Do you ever feel under skilled and overwhelmed by this aspect of your role? Then this session is for you. In this webinar, Neena Shukla Morris, Information Resources Librarian for University Hospitals Sussex NHS Trust, uses her knowledge and experience of working in a variety of roles within education to provide you with pragmatic, easily-implementable, no-cost tips and tricks to elevate your taught sessions."
Register at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/think-like-a-teacher-pedagogical-skills-for-librarians-tickets-1295578432969
Photo by Sheila Webber: lost item series: lost dog plushie, March 2025

Call for proposals: Inclusive Digital Literacy for All

The IFLA Information Literacy Section has a call for proposals for a satellite (to the WLIC) meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan, to be held in person on 15 August 2025. The theme is: Inclusive Digital Literacy for All: Bridging Communities for a United Future. Deadline for proposals is 24 April 2025.
"This topic highlights inclusive digital literacy strategies that bridge the digital divide and promote equitable access. Aligned with WLIC 2025’s theme, it shows how digital empowerment fosters a more connected, fair, and knowledge-driven world. We welcome submissions from educators, librarians, and researchers advancing inclusive digital literacy and innovative technologies, such as AI, within the library and information field. Your insights can help shape a more equitable, connected, and knowledge-driven global society."
More information at: https://www.ifla.org/news/information-literacy-section-call-for-papers-wlic-2025-satellite-meeting-inclusive-digital-literacy-for-all-bridging-communities-for-a-united-future/.
Photo by Sheila Webber: a host of dancing daffodils, March 2025

April Fool's adjacent

Here are some links to posts with April Fool's day as an inspiration:
- Cox, S. (2016, April 2). April Fool's! https://librarydisplays.org/2016/04/01/april-fools/ (April Fool pranks done by, and to, a school library)
- Flanagan, E. (2023, February 13). Teaching Information Literacy in the Classroom. https://www.erintegration.com/2023/02/13/teaching-information-literacy-in-the-classroom/ (nb it is selling priced items "The posters are included in both color and blackline and can be used in an April Fool’s Day theme or as a digital citizenship bulletin board all year round.")
- geoztinker. (2024, December 14). infuriating ai generated “bird” calendar i found… they’re all horribly wrong…which one is your favorite. https://www.reddit.com/r/birding/comments/1hdsorz/infuriating_ai_generated_bird_calendar_i_found/ You can do a "how many mistakes can I spot" exercise.
- Winick, S. (2026, March 28). April Fools: The Roots of an International Tradition. https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2016/03/april-fools/ (Detailed history about April Fool's Day, from the Library of Congress)
Photo by Sheila Webber: All the blossoms fell off this tree into a circle below! (No, April Fool, it's yet another photo of crocuses)