A Guide to Publishing Open Access

From Lancaster University Library, UK, a A Guide to Publishing Open Access Monographs, Books, Book Chapters and Long-form Outputs. As well as being a useful guide for you, or those you work with, it has a lot of useful links to other resources and examples. https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/articulate/OA_Books/#/
Photo by Sheila Webber: dandelion flowers and clocks, May 2025

Keeping up with ... zines

The latest in the ACRL "Keeping up with" series is on zines and has the usual format of a couple of pages with some references/links. It looks at academic libraries & zines and student success & zines.
Go to https://www.ala.org/acrl/publications/keeping_up_with/zines
Photo: Barnard Library Zine Collection. (2014, March 30). Zine Workshop - Making Zines. https://flic.kr/p/mzbfMa CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Webinar: Celebrating 30 Years of Information Research

Following on from announcing the latest issue of open access journal Information Research, there is a free webinar on 10 June 2025 at 13.00 BST (UK time)  Celebrating 30 Years of Information Research
"This event will include a keynote address by Professor Tom Wilson about his perspective about his role as an early innovator in scholarly publication, and his research generally. In addition, we will have a round table discussion about the papers in this issue, covering Professor Tom Wilson’s contributions to the field of information science, and 30 years of our unique journal, Information Research.
Registration closes on 4 June - go to https://www.hb.se/en/the-swedish-school-of-library-and-information-science-sslis/about-the-swedish-school-of-library-and-information-science/news-and-events/events1/webinar-celebrating-30-years-of-information-research/Photo by Sheila Webber: blossom and tree, April 2025

30 years of Information Research

The open access journal Information Research is celebrating 30 years of high quality publication with a special issue (Vol 30 no. 2, 2025). Information Research has maintained this quality without charging author fees. The issue includes:
- A Reflection on 30 Years of Information Research with Professor Tom Wilson (Crystal Fulton interviews founder and researcher, Professor Tom Wilson)
- Information Research at 30: its role as a diamond open access journal supporting scholarly communication in library and information science by JungWon Yoon, James E. Andrews, EunKyung Chung
- An examination of Wilson’s Concept of Information Need: implications by Charles Cole
- Expanding Wilson’s information behaviour model using social cognitive theory: A case study by Peymon Montazeri
- 30 years of Information Research papers citing Professor Tom D. Wilson: a bibliometric analysis by Tanja Svarre, Birger Larsen
- A 24-Year Bibliometric Analysis of the Journal Information Research: Insights from CiteSpace by Lin Wang, Yiyu Chen
- Searching for Information Research: A bibliometric analysis celebrating 30 years of a pioneering open access journal (1995-2024) by Gustaf Nelhans, Camilla Lindelöw, Pablo Lillo Cea, Marco Scirone, Rui José António , Björn Hammarfelt
- Tom Wilson and Information Research: Pioneers of the diamond open access by Jose-Vicente Rodriguez-Munoz, Francisco Javier Martinez Mendez, Pedro-Manuel Diaz-Ortuno, Gregorio Moya-Martinez, Rosana Lopez-Carreno
- Information Research comes to Borås by Karen Nowé Hedvall et al.
Go to https://publicera.kb.se/ir/issue/view/3787
Photo by Sheila Webber: young chestnut leaves, April 2025

Unpacking the truth

There is a teachers' kit for Unpacking the Truth, an EU/ European Commission publication. It is (to quote the site) "a new educational game designed to tackle disinformation head-on." "this interactive classroom activity empowers students aged 16 to 18 with critical thinking and fact-checking skills. Dive into a fictional social media post and navigate the world of false claims with the guidance of captivating EU-themed characters. Through engaging gameplay, students will learn to use EU resources to debunk disinformation effectively." There are professionally designed materials and a lesson plan.

They include one scenario and some social media posts that aim to lead students to very specific official EU sites. So, to be honest, this could end up being a bit tedious if the students don't pick up on the clues about which sites they are SUPPOSED to visit to combat the disinformation: I think you'd need to decide whether you were going to accept other types of disproof as well.
Also I would say calling the characters "capivating" is a bit of a stretch since all they get each is a short social media post. However, it is worth checking out for the learning design and teaching materials.
Download from https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/b955acdc-2999-11f0-8a44-01aa75ed71a1/

Information Behaviour research review

A useful, scholaly open access review:
Huvila, I & Gorichanaz, T. (2025). Trends in information behavior research, 2016–2022: An Annual Review of Information Science and Technology (ARIST) paper. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 76(1), 216–237. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.24943
"We reviewed 1270 articles in the field published in the years 2016–2022 and identified seven emerging trends: The CoVID-19 Pandemic, Diversity and Inclusion, Embodiment, Misinformation and Trust, Social Q&A Websites, Collaboration, and Information Creation. The reviewed literature and trends are discussed in relation to their significance for information, earlier review of information behavior research, and the long-debated issue of theory-driven versus atheoretical research in the field."
Photo by Sheila Webber: yellow peonies, April 2025

New articles: AI overviews; ACRL Framework; AI resistance

The latest issue of open-access College & Research Libraries News (Vol 86, No 5, 2025) includes
- Google AI Overviews Are Here to Stay: A Call to Teach AI Literacy by Tessa Withorn
- AI in Academic Libraries, Part Two: Resistance and the Search for Ethical Uses by Ruth Monnier, Matthew Noe, Ella Gibson
- ACCentuating Epistemology in the ACC Frame: A Case for Integrating Personal and Discipline-Specific Epistemologies into the ACRL Framework by Brynne Campbell Rice, Nicole Helregel
Go to https://crln.acrl.org/index.php/crlnews/issue/view/1677/showToc
Photo by Sheila Webber: Hellebores (I think) at Sheffield Botanics, May 2025

Knowledge in Crisis conference on Misinformation and Disinformation

If you read this today (15th May) there is time to register to follow online the Knowledge in Crisis conference on Misinformation and Disinformation, 19-20 May 2025 (hosted by Central European University in Vienna, Austria: it's mainly an in-person conference but they are streaming it). In fact it looks like you can still register today in-person, but that's probably not an option iunless you happen to live in Vienna. Note that it will be in Central European Time.
Go to https://philevents.org/event/show/135437
Photo by Sheila Webber: coffee and cake in Cardiff, April 2025

Media Literacy research

There is a new batch of research studies from Ofcom, the United Kingdom's communications watchdog that also has responsibility for Media Literacy. These are high quality quantative and qualitative research reports that are published annually. The participants are all UK residents.
- Adults media literacy research (quantative data on use of digital media, there is a dashboard that you can use) https://www.ofcom.org.uk/media-use-and-attitudes/media-habits-adults/adults-media-use-and-attitudes
- Adults Media Lives (qualitative study: they interview "a panel of 20 people who represent a broad cross-section of the UK population" most of whom have been participating in this annual study for 15 years) https://www.ofcom.org.uk/media-use-and-attitudes/media-habits-adults/media-lives
- Children's media literacy research (children = below 18 years: quantative data on use of digital media, there is a dashboard that you can use) https://www.ofcom.org.uk/media-use-and-attitudes/media-habits-children/children-and-parents-media-use-and-attitudes-report-2025
- Children's Media Lives (qualitative study: started in 2014 "a longitudinal study tracking the media behaviours, experiences and attitudes of a group of children aged between eight and 17, from all over the UK and with a variety of backgrounds.) One snippet about the type of media they consume "Children's feeds were dominated by short, loud, fastpaced and contextless videos." https://www.ofcom.org.uk/media-use-and-attitudes/media-habits-children/childrens-media-lives
Photo by Sheila Webber: crab apple blossom, April 2025

Journal of creative research methods

An interesting new journal is the Journal of Creative Research Methods. As well as submitting conventional articles they also welcome contributions in other forms and formats. It "it publishes critical and engaged work on creative research methods and welcomes contributions from authors across all disciplines and sectors." Unfortunately, contributions not open-access unless the author pays an article fee (with archiving of the original submitted version available immediately free to the author).
Call for papers at https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/journals/journal-of-creative-research-methods/author-instructions
Photo by Sheila Webber: I think this is giant rhubarb, Sheffield Botanics, April 2025

Call for proposals: ISIC: The Information Behaviour Conference

There is a call for papers for the ISIC: The Information Behaviour Conference which will be held 1-4 June 2026, in Montréal, Canada. The deadline for proposals is 8 October 2025. You can submit for Full Papers, Short Papers, Posters, Panels, Workshops and the Doctoral Consortium. The scope of the conference includes most aspects of information behaviour e.g. "Theoretical conceptualisations of the cultural, social, cognitive, affective, and situational aspects of information creation, needs, seeking, searching, use, and sharing." and practical applications.
More information at https://www.mcgill.ca/isic2026/call-papers
Photo by Sheila Webber: cherry blossom starting to fall, early April 2025

Webinar: Enhancing Library Instruction Videos with AI-voiceover Software

Alert! This has been rescheduled to 11 June 10am US Pacific time. The same Zoom link will work. There is a LiLi Show & Tell session on 14 May at 10:00 US Pacific time (which is 18.00 BST/UK time): Enhancing Library Instruction Videos with AI-voiceover Software. It is presented by Cynthia Soll (Research Librarian at McLennan Community College, USA)
"This session will focus on integrating AI-voiceover software into library instruction videos. Specifically, it will highlight the presenter's use of ElevenLabs' software ".The session includes a "sample video created by combining an AI voiceover and instructional material in Camtasia" an "overview of ElevenLabs' interface" and tips for using the AI voiceover with Camtasia and Canva.
Register at https://northampton-edu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0tfuigrT8sGdTXZxVT2xRs95jjleQByiwP#/registration
Photo by Sheila Webber: earlier in the spring, April 2025

Decoding Misinformation: Why we fall for fake news

A report published last month:
Ye, S., Balso, D. & Marchese, O. (2025). Decoding Misinformation: Why we fall for fake news. Ipsos. https://www.ipsos.com/en/decoding-misinformation-why-we-fall-for-fake-news
"Drawing on data from our large-scale study across four countries (France, India, the UK and the US), we explore the psychological and societal factors that make people prone to believing fake news."
Photo by Sheila Webber: crab apple blossom, April 2025

Theory in information behaviour

The 2013 book edited by Professor Tom Wilson, Theory in information behaviour research, is free of charge from Draft2digital. It has chapters on various relevant theoretical frameworks including activity theory, critical theory, personal construct theory, personality theory, practice theory, social cognitive theory and social phenomenology.
Go to https://www.draft2digital.com/book/1546489#ebook
Photo by Sheila Webber: Tower Bridge and cherry trees, April 2025

Webinar: Health Literacy

The Special Libraries Association Academic & Education Community and ACRL's EBSS Education Committee host a free webinar on health literacy instruction on 9 May 2025 at 12:30 EST (which is 17.30 BST (UK time).
"It will feature Boston children’s Hospital librarian Jill Kavanaugh, who will share her expertise on health literacy instruction. Jill R. Kavanaugh, MLIS, AHIP, serves as an embedded librarian at Boston Children's Hospital's Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine and Harvard's Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders (STRIPED). Her expertise focuses on health literacy, social media literacy, and adolescent health misinformation."
Register at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMvceqtpzwsHtDYWS_rchrX5m7G3s7BG3DS
Photo by Sheila Webber: cluster of cherry blossoms, April 2025.

Recent articles: health information; Vaccine Literacy; Older people's literacies

- Goncalves, R., Faisal, W., Stebbins, T. & Blackberry, I. (2025). Tailoring Information for Adults over 50 living with Cancer in the Age of Social Media: A Systematic Review. Journal of Cancer Policy, Article 100589. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcpo.2025.100589 (open access) (Patients are most informed by health care providers (rather than social media). Some interesting conclusions about what is needed from health care providers, identifying diversity of needs, and also interestingly identifying that there seems to be a gap in research about the information needs of those with high health literacy)
- Olorunsaiye, C.Z., Degge, H.M., Osborne, A. et al. (2025). COVID-19 Vaccine Literacy Among Black Pregnant and Postpartum Women in the USA. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-025-02430-9 (not open access) (This includes the recommendations from the participants in this qualitative stdy for improving Vaccine Literacy)
- Vieira da Silva, C. et al. (2025). Bridging the digital divide: insights from an umbrella review of older adults’ digital competencies for gerontological social work research. European Social Work Research. https://doi.org/10.1332/27551768Y2025D000000038 (not open access)
(This is "an umbrella review that integrates and synthesises research on the digital competencies of older adults from six systematic literature reviews". Part of the conclusion says "As Fang et al (2019) emphasised, co-creating policies and interventions with older adults is essential. Co-creation leads to more relevant and practical interventions that are culturally sensitive, locally anchored and tailored to the diverse realities of older adults. By involving user participation in decision making (Nykänen et al, 2023), social workers ensure a better approach to creating more inclusive and sustainable solutions that empower older adults and foster greater digital equity. Future research in GSW should employ mixed-methods approaches, with a strong emphasis on qualitative methodologies to capture older adults’ digital experiences. Studies should examine how technological advancements foster autonomy, address individual needs and enhance social work practices. Prioritising participatory methods ensures that policies and interventions are informed by the diverse experiences of older adults across gender, disability and socio-economic contexts.")
Photo by Sheila Webber: cherry blossom and leaf, April 2025

Applying the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm to Library Instruction

This article applies the elements of the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm (which are: context, experience, reflection, action, and evaluation) to discuss an information literacy teaching intervention:
Tardiff, A. (2021). Ignatian Information Literacy: Applying the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm to Library Instruction. Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal, 10(1), Article 8. https://repository.gonzaga.edu/foleyschol/33/ or https://epublications.regis.edu/jhe/vol10/iss1/8/
Photo by Sheila Webber: reflection with marsh marigolds in the Botanics, April 2025

Webinar: Reimagining Course Design with AI: Practical Strategies for Global Learning

Thomas Mackey (of Metaliteracy fame) is giving a free online workshop on 14 May 2025 9am US EDT (which is 14.00 BST (UK time) Reimagining Course Design with AI: Practical Strategies for Global Learning "as part of the SDL Collaborative Corner on Multimodal Learning and OER at North-West University / Noordwes-Universiteit" he will "share some of the techniques [he has] developed for course redesign in the Digital Media Arts Program at Empire State University" Register at https://zoom.us/j/95917731273

Call for proposals: ISIC: The Information Behaviour Conference

There is a call for proposals for the ISIC: The Information Behaviour Conference, taking place 1-4 June 2026 in Montréal, Canada. Deadline for submissions is 8 October 2025. You can submit full papers; short papers (complete text required for papers); posters; panels; workshops, and there will be a doctoral forum.
"The central theme revolves around people's situational, contextualized interactions with information and engagements in information activities, expressed in forms such as 'information behaviour', 'information practice', 'information seeking', and 'information experience'. The conference is a platform for research exploring information seeking as a rich site of study, going beyond a sole focus on technological aspects and exploring a wide variety of contexts."
There is an information webinar on 13 May 2025 at 16.00 BST (UK time) / 11:00 US Eastern time for people considering submitting proposals at https://mcgill.zoom.us/j/81352217046
More information at http://www.mcgill.ca/isic2026/call-papers
Photo by Sheila Webber: fallen blossom on a hedge, April 2025