The CILIP Information Literacy Group (CILIP is the UK's association for library and information professionals) is revising its definition and elaboration of Information Literacy.
The last official CILIP definition of Information Literacy that the Information Literacy Group created dates from 2018.
They have published an anonymous survey that "aims to gather feedback, suggestions, and thoughts from our community on what you would find beneficial in an updated definition of Information Literacy." They are seeking input from all sectors, but this is obviously particularly relevant if you are based in the United Kingdom.
The survey is here https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc43WWLm82sApUvLViHFHP094lFfTpHcrjEyN1lpSDx_CwXEg/viewform?pli=1
Photo by Sheila Webber: autumn reflected in a car window, October 2026
The latest issue of College & Research Libraries News (Vol 87, No 9) (open access) includes:
- Toward Inclusive Library Instruction: Guidelines for Integrating Inclusive Practices by Kanu A. Nagra
- Finding the Power in Mini: Rethinking Library Tutorials with Microlearning by Kathryn Senn, Samantha Peter, Shannon M. Smith, Elena Payne, Aralynn Juarez
- The Ten Treasures: Structuring a Course Using Ten Primary Sources from Special Collections by Pamela A. Jackson
- Adapting to How Students Learn: Rethinking Information Literacy Instruction in the Age of Short-Form Content by Katie Heeren
- Rank, Promotion, and Tenure in the Library: How Criteria and Process (Still) Favor Reference and Instruction Work by Nina McHale
- From the Classroom to the Field: A Year of Exploring Why We Choose Librarianship by Tia Phillip, Caitlin Perkins, Daniel Burnett
Go to https://crln.acrl.org/index.php/crlnews/issue/view/1703/showToc
The winners of UNESCO's 2026 Youth Hackathon on Media and Information Literacy have been announced during Global MIL Week. The teams had to pitch designs for "practical solutions to strengthen critical thinking and media and information literacy" (they didn't have to implement them). The winning teams were:
- From a team from Benin – Lucide "an intergenerational platform helping older adults identify disinformation, AI-generated content and online scams."
- From a team from Indonesia – PEKA "an educational toolkit designed to help children aged 6 to 12 develop critical thinking skills."
- From a team from India – Beyond the Bubble "an interactive platform helping young people understand how social media algorithms influence the information they encounter online. "
- From an international team (Germany, Guatemala, Japan and Ecuador) – I Thought I Knew You "an interactive mystery game that helps teenagers recognize AI-manipulated content and prevent cyberbullying.|"
More information here: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/meet-winners-unescos-2026-youth-hackathon-media-and-information-literacy
This is an initiative to document notable librarians who have died, mostly North American. It includes people who contributed to information literacy or information behaviour e.g. Ross Todd, Hannelore Busch Rader, Ilene F. Rockman, Patricia Senn Breivik and Elfreda Chatman. Patricia Senn Breivik is pictured (in the pink jacket) in the blurred photo I took at the Creating Knowledge conference in 2006. 
Another Global Media and Information Literacy Week event (also celebrating International School Library Month) is on 29 October 2026 10.00-12.00 GMT, organised by IFLA’s Information Literacy Section & School Library Section: Think Critically, Act Sustainably: School Libraries at the Intersection of MIL and Climate Literacy. Speakers are:
- Hafijull Mondal (Library and Information Science, Netaji Subhas Open University, India) From Local Problems to Informed Action: Climate Information Literacy through School Libraries
- Dmitry Erokhin (International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Austria) Culture Matters: Culturally Responsive Approaches to Climate Misinformation Literacy in School Libraries
- Peng Xiao (School of Information Management, Sun Yat-sen University, China) After the Book Closes: How Reading Shapes Greener Everyday Habits
- Antonija Lujanac (IASL, Osnovna skola Dobrise Cesarica Zagreb, Croatia) Green fingers and the SDG Education in School Libraries
More info at https://www.ifla.org/news/2026-ifla-ils-sls-global-mil-week-webinar-online-via-zoom-october-29th-2026/
Register (required) at https://ifla-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/k8uF9mmOQaC9LkeaP8xMcg
There is a free webinar on 29 October 2026 12noon-13.00 GMT to launch the New MILA Framework (MILA is the UK's Media and Information Literacy Alliance) and a chance to contribute to a revised CILIP definition of Information Literacy. If you are in North America, bear in mind that the time difference is less that week, as the UK has gone back to GMT, but the change hasn't happened in the USA/Canada yet.
Facilitators are Jane Secker, Pam McKinney, Anne-Lise Robin-Harding, and Georgie Broad.
The new MILA framework provides an updated resource created around the five key media literacy aspirations. This webinar provides an opportunity for you to explore the new framework and hear from the people who created it.
Also "The Information Literacy Group is working on an updated definition of Information Literacy, and we want to hear from our community. We will explain the process and reasoning for updating our definition and there will also be the opportunity to provide your own feedback and comments in breakout rooms on how we can make the definition work for you
. Register here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/cilipinformationliteracygroup/2482401
The webinar celebrates UNESCO's Global MIL Week (24th to 31st October) https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/global-media-and-information-literacy-week-2026?hub=66833
Saha, M. & Zabed, S.M. (2026). Demographic and technological influences on students’ search self-efficacy and skills. IFLA Journal, 52(3), 617-631. Whole issue open access at https://repository.ifla.org/handle/20.500.14598/7452
Laavunen, T. (2026). Navigating the Digitalization Paradox Entrepreneurial Information-Seeking Behavior and Critical Literacy. (dissertation). Åbo Akademi University. This is based on four publications with a covering narrative.
York, J. (2026, October 8). When No ID Means No Internet: Age Verification and the Right to Access Information. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/10/when-no-id-means-no-internet-age-verification-and-right-access-information
Photo by Sheila Webber: autumn ground, Botanic Gardens, October 2026
There is a call for Breakout Session proposals for the LOEX 2027 Conference which will be held online 11-14 May 2027. LOEX is the USA's main information literacy conference. The theme is A Signature Blend: Brewing Better Information Literacy. Deadline for proposals is 30 November 2026.
"Successful proposals will showcase effective and innovative library instruction & information literacy practices, provide valuable information that participants can utilize at their libraries, support collaboration, and be applicable to a broad variety of academic institutions"
Breakout Session have a 40-45 minute presentation and 5-10 minutes of question and answer. The suggested sub-themes are:
Becoming the Best Barista: Mastering Skills & Techniques
Creating a New Blend: Innovation, Technology and Scholarship
Coffeehouse Culture: Collaboration & Outreach
Running the Shop
Leading and Managing
Taste Test: Checking for Quality Ingredients & Satisfied Customers
The Third Space: Community & Care
The Secret Menu: Proposals That Don’t Fit Elsewhere on the List
More information at https://loexconference.org/proposals/breakout-proposals/
Photo by Sheila Webber: trees, Zagreb, Croatia, September 2026
Organised by the ASIS&T US South Chapter on 20 October 2026,10.00-11.00 US Eastern time (15.00-16.00 BST) there is an Information Literacy Panel. Free to ASIS&T members, US$25 to non members.
US $25 to non members.
"Please join us for a panel discussion on the future of information literacy (IL) as an emerging discipline. Guest panelists will share their perspectives on this timely topic and talk about the way IL continues to rise in pertinence and importance in our ever-evolving and increasingly complex information ecosystem. The discussion topics may include: information literacy and the community of scholars, specific modes of IL inquiry, IL history and traditions, IL knowledge and curricula, IL communications networks, and the importance of creating an international IL research agenda.
"Panelists for this conversation are: Ellie Sayyad Abdi (Australia), Sharon Mader (USA), Jesus Lau (Mexico), Drew Whitworth (UK), and Mathew Moyo (South Africa)."
Register at https://members.asist.org/ap/Events/Register/NaFQw3BTYCaCm
Photo by Sheila Webber: forest near Zagreb, Croatia, September 2026
Ashley, S., Maksl, A., & Cook, P. (2026). Expanding AI literacy: The 5Cs of news literacy in the era of generative AI. Journal of Media Literacy Education. Preprint at https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/jmle-preprints/66 (This has detailed explanation of how the 5Cs (context, creation, content, circulation, and consumption) can be applied to generative AI, and it includes suggestions for how students could be engaged in each of the 5Cs)
Zyphur, M. J. (2026). Responsible AI in academic research: A competency framework for research training. Instats. https://instats.org/publications/responsible-ai-in-academic-research and https://github.com/mzyphur/responsible-ai-in-research-training
Photo by Sheila Webber, Sheffield station, September 2026
Whilst at the KRIK conference in Croatia I had the honour of being interviewed, as the first in the KRIK Talk series: Information literacy and libraries: Empowering democratic participation.
The video is embedded below and the direct link is https://youtu.be/XQYtuBbGtRc?si=Roc7rjKyjGQncxF9
On 13 November 2026 11.00 Swedish time (10.00 in the UK and Iceland) Nordinfolit (the Nordic association for information literacy) has organised a free webinar: Learning Lib – Open Educational Resources created by Nordic Libraries for everyone to use.
"This webinar will give an introduction to the platform Learning Lib, a Nordic platform for Open Educational Resources (OER). Learning Lib hosts free to use educational resources and exercises aimed at supporting the development of students’ information literacy and other academic and library-supported competencies. The speakers will present the concept behind Learning Lib as well as an example of the practical use."
Speakers are Anna Stegger Gemzøe and Solveig Sandal Johnsen from Aarhus University Library.
Register to get the Zoom link - go to https://nordinfolit.wordpress.com/2026/10/02/upcoming-webinar-learninglib-open-educational-resources/
An interesting open access book was published last month. You can download it or read it online.
Farrell, H. & McCarthy, K. (Eds.) (2026). Manifesto for Generative AI in Higher Education: The Book Project: A living reflection on teaching, learning, and technology in an age of abundance. Pressbooks. https://pressbooks.pub/mfaihe/
It addresses the question "What kind of education do we want to create in a world where GenAI is readily available?" It consists of 30 chapters, each of which is prompted by a manifesto statement (which becomes the chapter title). The chapters I've read are stimulating and good starting points for discussion or action.
I will highlight the chapter coauthored by my longtime writing partner, Bill Johnston:
Johnston, B., MacNeill, S. & Smyth, K. The future classroom is a conversation, and it can be extraordinary. https://pressbooks.pub/mfaihe/chapter/the-future-classroom-is-a-conversation-and-it-can-be-extraordinary/
Photo by Sheila Webber: tree near the cablecar station, Zagreb, I think it's a beech, September 2026
This is about school libraries. It has more ideas about literacy/ reading but also a few related to information literacy.
Maxwell, L. (2026). 50 Library Lessons and Ideas. Facet Publishing. Book number - 9781783307432. £19.99 (with 35% discount for CILIP members). https://www.facetpublishing.co.uk/page/detail/50-library-lessons-and-ideas/?k=9781783307432
Photo by Sheila Webber: autumn crocus, September 2026
There is a call for proposals for the California Conference on Library Instruction which will take place 11 June 11 2027, at Cal State Monterey Bay, USA. Deadline for proposals is 21 October 2026. The theme this year is Centering our students: accessible, inclusive, and responsive pedagogies: "share how you are using and developing accessible, inclusive, and responsive pedagogies to connect with and center your students in library instruction.
There are four possible formats: 60-minute presentation; 75-minute active learning workshop; 5- to 10-minute lightning talk; Poster.
For more information go to https://www.cclibinstruction.org/
Livingstone, S., Sylwander, K. R., El Gemayel, S. and Atabey, A. (2026). Is there a right age for AI in education? Deciding whether AI is age-appropriate and why. UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000399343 (20 pages)
From the recommendations (p.12)
"In deciding whether and how to invest in AI resources for early childhood education, primary and secondary education, three priorities are recommended for Ministries of Education and schools:
1. Consider applying the Precautionary Principle (UNESCO, 2005).
Evidence is lacking for most age groups in most countries regarding the benefits and harms of AI to children. Nonetheless, the current evidence on AI’s impact on children indicates that action may be required to actively avoid or diminish plausible harms. This applies especially to GenAI (including chatbots, AI tutors, mental health bots, companion AI), emotional AI, and biometric and neural-data AI technologies.
"2. Conduct a Child Rights Impact Assessment (Livingstone and Pothong, 2025). Deploy AI in education only when:
(i) independent evidence shows it benefits learning among the relevant age group;
(ii) data is processed in ways that are legally compliant, respect children’s privacy, and do not introduce learner safety risks; and
(iii) it supports the human teacher and their interaction with their students, or it supports students’ learning in ways that do not displace either the teacher or peer collaborative learning. Answers to these questions should be reviewed regularly. In low-income settings, open-source evaluations and regional collaborations could be particularly useful.
"3. Ensure key questions are asked and answered before deployment.
a) Is there prior independent evidence of educational benefit for the target age group? Have developmental risks been evaluated, anticipated and mitigated?
b) Is AI needed for the target age group, compared with non-AI alternatives? Does the tool support or displace the teacher-student relationship and peer learning?
c) How has the proposed AI been meaningfully consulted on with students and teachers? During AI deployment, will children have supported opportunities to question it?
d) Has the AI product been tested independently and locally for children who will use it, ensuring its linguistic and cultural relevance, availability of help, and adaptation for multilingual learners and children with disabilities?" (the references are all in the document)
Photo by Sheila Webber: Narnian lampost in Zagreb, September 2026
The IFLA Information Literacy Section, in collaboration with the School Libraries Section calls for proposals for a webinar to be held on 29 October 2026 at 06.00-08.00 US EST: Think Critically, Act Sustainably: School Libraries at the Intersection of MIL and Climate Literacy.
Deadline for proposals is 7 October 2026.
This is in celebration of UNESCO's Global Media and Information Literacy Week. "This webinar explores how school libraries can strengthen climate literacy, counter climate mis/disinformation, and support communities in making sustainable choices. We welcome original research, case studies, and practical initiatives from all regions".
More information at https://www.ifla.org/news/call-for-presentation-ifla-ils-sls-global-mil-week-webinar-2026/
Photo by Sheila Webber: salmon sculture in metal outside Sheffield station, September 2026
There is a call for proposals for the Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy which will be held 4-5 February 2027 in person at Georgia Southern University, Savannah, Georgia, USA. The conference theme is Accessibility as a Cornerstone of Information Literacy and the proposal deadline is 4 October 2026.
Proposal formats include individual papers, panel discussions, interactive workshops, and innovative multimedia/digital demonstrations.
There is more information about potential topics on the conference website https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gaintlit/
A new book, authored by my colleague Dr Andrew Cox:
Cox, A. (2026). AI for the information professional: A critical guide. Facet Publishing. https://www.facetpublishing.co.uk/page/detail/ai-for-the-information-professional/?k=9781783306862
For another couple of days (til 25 September) you can use code SCHOOL50 for 50% off.
The "sample chapter" containing the contents list and introduction is here and if you read this you can see Andrew takes a very interesting and readable approach, so much so that I just bought the book (£25+ postage with the 50% off)
Photo by Sheila Webber: Botanic Gardens, Zagreb, September 2026
The only session from the KRIK conference in Zagreb that I didn't liveblog was entitled Agency, Responsibility and Critical Literacy - Social Demands and Challenges: the Academy and Beyond from Michael George (St. Thomas University, Canada).
This was because it was more of a discussion session. George started by reading a short paper aiming to provoke discussion, in particular about the statement he started with: "all academic [meaning intellectual] workers are part of a moral community". A community is a group of people who share values and purpose. He proposed that if the group cannot agree on values, there is no community. George also talked about the behaviour, traits and places that groups may share.
So what is a moral community and does such a thing exist? Is there a connection between academic workers and a moral community, and what might that connection be? The values may relate to intellectual projects. George reflected back to the origins of academic communities i.e. theologically-based communities, which intrinsically were moral communities. He then briefly traced the evolution of different disciplinary strands, through the enlightenment, with the growing marginalisation of religeon. He also traced the rise of capitalism, through mercantile to state capitalism to multinational corporate capitalism.This reduced values to financial interest.
Seeing "all academic workers are part of a moral community" as hypothetical, you can also consider the statement "all academic workers are not part of a moral community" as perhaps more factually accurate. You can go on to reflect on what benefits might arrive if "all academic workers are part of a moral community" were actually true. What if people made this statement before starting any new project, and considered whether it applied to the new venture? Might this prompt more critical awareness? Might it stimulate more agency (what should I/we do?)? One other thought I will pass on from his introduction was seeing information as a way of finding what is going on (which also requires knowing history and context) - so then, once we know what is going on, we can decide what to do.
I didn't attempt to capture the discussion that followed this, but perhaps you can follow this up by pondering for yourself - is the statement "all intellectual/ academic workers are part of a moral community" true where you are? How can you tell? Is the opposite true? (etc.)
Photo by Sheila Webber: hydrant, Zagreb, September 2026
Organised by Ohio State University on 28 September 28 at 12 noon US Eastern Time (which is 17.00 BST) there is a free webinar: TILTing Research Assignments with facilitators Katie Blocksidge and Jane Hammons. "This online workshop introduces the Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) framework and provides an activity for you to consider how you might apply this framework to your own teaching practice."
Register here https://osu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gGbNQowAQ8-3ADBVwao68Q
Photo by Sheila Webber: from the cable car, Zagreb, September 2026
A video in the Disinformation Diaries series (no. 18) hosted by Alexandre Le Voci Sayad is What can the world learn from Finland's media literacy policies? (posted in September 2026, 7 minutes)
Leo Pekkala (Director of the Media Education and Age Ratings Department at the Finnish Arts and Culture Agency) is interviewed to explore "what makes Finland's approach to media literacy distinctive, and what other countries and institutions can take from it in the fight against disinformation."
Go to https://youtu.be/1rlLx_DY5jc?si=lNGPJAbg3mafM-6e
The latest episode in the series (no. 19, 10 minutes) is How can Timor-Leste protect its independence in the age of disinformation? in which Alexandre Le Voci Sayad interviews Abel Pires da Silva, who is a former Minister of Communication of East Timor.
Go to https://youtu.be/vJoWqYXHrjc?si=IZDAbveyY5BlnoJu
Photo by Sheila Webber: forest above Zagreb, September 2026
The final session of the KRIK conference in Zagreb is of three short papers with the theme Critical Library Practice: Beyond the Service Model
Firstly, Rethinking the Reading Mission in Academic Libraries by Ana Barbarić & Monika Batur(presented by the latter). This started with the question - where is reading in the academic library? It may be seen as an invisible competency - reading is everywhere (required in order to do learning, writing etc.) but not seen as a competence in its own right. Critical and deep reading were in focus here. Also although it matters, it is not always measured, in particular it is not measured in a library context. Looking then at library standards: e.g. in the Croatian standard (2022) it appears more as a cultural activity; it is not featured in the ACRL library standard (2026), although it was slightly present in the 2023 standards.
Also "the faster information becomes, the more we need to slow down" as depth may be the victim of speed. Thus reading may be a skill of the future, as it is valuable to enable critical thought. It was essential in the past, invisible now, but critical for the future.
Reading Vesna Parun in Dubrava: A Neighbourhood Festival as Critical, Feminist Practice was presented by Rebecca Mikulandra. She reflected on experiencing the library as a safe space as a child, stimulating her to work in a library. She talked about the concept of situated knowledge and the need to question "neutrality". Then she talked about the library hosting poetry events including a festival focused around the poet Vesna Parun, with users as co-creators (involving students, a care home etc.) Evaluation is built alongside the programme - measurable elements are required, but they also aim for participatory action research. She told the story of a book club for 14-20 year olds, which previous research would predict to fail, but in fact, although it took a while to build, in the end it is successful (showing you shouldn't just follow the metric!) This is consistent with the idea of the library as an inclusive, open space, with the book as still a meaningful component.
Reimagining the Public Library: Contemporary Art and Critical Librarianship in Prozori Gallery / S. S. Kranjčević Library by Petra Dolanjski Harni. Prozori means "windows" (the gallery has long windows) and the gallery and library share a space. The gallery windows and the library space are used to present art. They have about 10 exhibitions a year. Harni selected some that intersect with the library. One artist presented about 50 picture books that explore ideas of social justice etc. Another interaction involved buying books for the collection, Another project explored girlhood, and included girls having reading groups, artwork creation etc. The critical librarianship side is asking questions like - whose voices are not being heard? who is underrepresented? This approach can intersect with contemporary art. Contemporary art is a good companion as it can create new insights, it can question, make you see new perspectives, stimulate transformation. Another project was looking at LGBTGIQ users in public libraries, with focus groups and artist documentation (also including artwork on the windows), and leading to a proposal for a working group. The final project mentioned was on menopause and ageing, talking to 200+ women, then creating an attractive artist book of 9 chapters, and a calendar.
Photo by Sheila Webber: Cable car, Zagreb, September 2026
Next from the KRIK conference in Zagreb is a panel session: Academic Libraries between their Critical Mission and Institutional Constraints with the panellists: Monika Batur (University of Zagreb, Croatia); Sunniva Evjen (Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway); Dejana Golenko (University of Rijeka, Croatia); Mario Hibert (University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina). Invited comment: Marko Kovačić (University of Rijeka, Croatia) and moderator: Dijana Šobota (University of Zagreb, Croatia).
This involves rounds of questions. Firstly, Golenka, responded to a question on the status of librarians. She felt that responsibilities have expanded, but recognition from management has not kept pace. Looking at law librarians, you need understanding of legal aspects, and they are likely to have a law certificate as well as information science. Also there is a need to understand research and scholarly communication: the role has become even more important with AI, with increased need to distinguish accurate legal information. Law librarians are now participating directly in the educational process.
Asked about academic libraries and democratic mission, Evjen talked about the Norwegian Library Act which identified libraries as democratic institutions: however this applies to public libraries and does not address academic libraries. She felt that the macro protection of academic libraries' democratic mission was not there, although the librarians were aware and wanted their democratic mission. The government body responsible for academic libraries was closed down, so there were less safeguards. It is important how libraries are placed in the organisation, in the strategic plans, and in terms of the number of managers between the library and senior university managers (so that you have a voice in decisions). Evjen also talked about freedom of expression and increased debates about this in the university as a whole, and in seeing the library as an arena & hub for discussion. Golenka added that there was an issue in that librarians were classified as staff rather than faculty, and this did not aid visibility and being heard.
Next, Hibert was asked to reflect on macro issues and the tension between the service function and empowerment mission of academic libraries. Hibert felt there was an important responsibility on teachers of library and information students to make librarians prepared to be critical. He emphasised that librarians should be educated to be proactive rather than passive, and to reflect on issues of viewpoint, values, neutrality and ethics. Also the teacher should offer different perspectives on a topic, encouraging the students to reflect and question. Šobota followed this up by questioning whether this should be an individual responsibility, but whether, rather, it should not be a responsibility of the institution to provide an enabling environment.
Batur was then asked how student librarians and information scientists saw themselves (note that they have undergraduates as well as postgraduates) - what did the students think of their profession? Batur said that their views tended to be based on the individual student's own personal experiences of libraries. Also, the experiences are decreasing, with students having fewer library experiences (Batur contrasted this with her experience in the war when the public library was an important place). Therefore the library educator had to introduce what a library, and a librarian's profession, could be. The follow up question was what students thought of the future of the profession. Batur noted that fewer students identified themselves as communicators at the start of the undergraduate programme, so they had to work on these skills. By the end of their studies, however, students are mostly full of enthusiasm, aware that the profession is constantly changing and should be met with creativity.
Following a question from me about educational policy, Golenka mentioned how information literacy is now mentioned in an Act, so the library can go with this remit to argue for IL development: however IL is still not in strategic documents in the university, which makes it difficult to engage with disciplinary departments to implement IL education. Also Hibert talked of a UNESCO MIL project to implement a MIL curriculum in Bosnian school libraries, and how the educational representatives involved in the projects thought of IL as a new school subject, and did not think of the librarians' expertise (whereas Hibert proposed the obvious (to us) solution of librarians talking charge of this curriculum). Golenka also mentioned that now there is a topic, IL, in Croatian primary schools, but IT teachers have responsibility for teaching it, not librarians.
Moving to the topic of digital capitalism, Golenka talked about the importance of her PhD work in leading to her being involved in a digital working group, and being involved in AI Literacy development. Batur added comments on library professionals' roles and capabilities in this area. Evjen prefaced her commentary by remembering how she had taken a year out from academia by becoming an academic librarian. She talked about how she had been introduced around as a new librarian in a helpful, friendly way, and she also worked on a youth library project where the librarians said it was "all about relationships". This led to her reflecting on how important relationships were, and how we should address this aspect more in library and information education. She later interviewed school librarians, who are mostly solo librarians, and who have to develop relatonships with the school communities, which is a complex task. Student/new librarians can be insecure and need support in developing confidence.
Batur noted that she wanted her students to not just become critical librarians but also critical thinkers. She also talked about activities to support students' development of the ability to paraphrase (using pen and paper). However, still it seemed that people had done little of their own thinking (as evidenced by their use of words that didn't actually fit the context, if they had thought about the writing). Then they discussed that in class, which hopefully motivated students to deblop their own thinking.
Hibert was asked to comment on critical pedagogy and how it might be enacted. He went back to the UNESCO project, where UNESCO recognised the library role, but the managers and teachers etc. they were dealing with did not. Hibert felt we needed to go out of our boxes to reach this critical pedagogy, making strategic partnerships e.g. with activist communities. Another question that Šobota posed was about whether AI might give opportunities to develop more democratic curricula.
Kovačić came in at this point to provide a commentary stimulated by the conversation so far. Institutions used to have a more stable and well defined mission, that is changing, and so are the people that institutions serve. Added to that, there is the neoliberal idea that you justify yourself by numbers, rather than impact or outcome (also with the idea of people being consumers or clients). He referred to recent European publications: one on libraries [I think this]which identifies the importance of culture and libraries, and another policy document [I think this] on the "democratic shield" which doesn't mention libraries or the great value of culture. So libraries are acknowledged as important, but this is not followed up with funding and strategic positioning. Kovačić talked about a project looking at two public libraries, and identifying various activities, but not [I think] events to do with critical citizenship. He also also looked at the learning outcomes of LIS curricula as to whether they were educating for community youth work and [I think] critical pedagogy - and finding the learning outcomes did not cover this.
There was also a lively discussion after this, but as you may have guessed (from the "I think"s), I am flagging a bit in my liveblogging role (it was a long session), so I will finish at this point!
Photo by Sheila Webber: Zagreb, September 2026
The second day of the KRIK conference in Zagreb started with a quick summary of day one from co-chair Dijana Šobota, and then a short presentation from Arne Sannes Bjørnstad, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to the Republic of Croatia in Zagreb (acknowledging a Norwegian funded sister project of KRIK). Bjørnstad emphasised the importance of countering misinformation and he stressed the value of libraries, both in that role and in helping to improve reading and literacy.
Then we had the third keynote: Information Literacy and Intellectual Freedom at the Nexus of Social Justice: Imagining a Path Forward by Laura Saunders (Simmons University, USA).
She started by reflecting on the importance of teaching library and information workers about intellectual freedom, whereas in information literacy we may be telling people to look for the "good" information, so there could be a tension there. Saunders gave the caveats that she is not a philosopher or a lawyer and also she doesn't have the "correct" answer.
She gave IFLA's definition of intellectual freedom. There is political support for intellectual freedom, obviously varying between countries (in constitutions, laws etc.). Also these political/legal statements may cover freedom of expression, freedom of the press and access to information. Saunders emphasised that access to information is more than just physical (including digital as well as physical). So the first question is whether information exists. However, we also have to be able to make sense of it for it to be of any use. Therefore we need to think of cognitive and social access. As an example she talked about, as someone raised as a Catholic, coming across the book the Last temptation of Christ on her father's bookshelves and being shocked, with her reaction and (lack of) engagement being conditioned by her background. Information literacy should address these three elements of access to information (physical, cognitive, social).
Saunders went on to talk about the challenges to intellectual freedom. One is the issue of governments refusing access to information (or effectively doing so by delaying access or charging huge amounts of money). She showed the Reporters without Borders map of freedom of information. Research has also shown that social media platforms obstruct access to information. In the USA there have been vastly increased challenges to material in libraries (4235 unique titles challenged in 2025; 23,000 challenges in school libraries). There are also changes in the nature of challenges. There is also a move from individual to collective challenges. AI and social media is making this easier, and there is now state sponsored support for these challenges. Saunders gave an anecdote of someone is Texas having to publish a list of books they intended to buy. Also there is the pressure on academic institutions in terms of syllabi, reading lists etc. being monitored. Legislation is also being brought in to ramp up definitions of what is harmful or criminal.
Saunders pointed out that it is difficult to defend intellectual freedom if you take a "neutral" stance. There is a lack of theoretical guidance and there can be a tendency to take yes-or-no approaches (rather than more nuanced one). There can also be a tension with social justice (in that this might say you exclude some views, rather include all views).
Saunders felt that the word "neutrality" was sometimes abused, in that intellectual freedom was seen as "viewpoint neutral", whereas it could also be seen as "objective" (which implies standing back in an informed position). [Apologies, I'm not sure I have captured this part correctly]
Looking at the lack of a cohesive theoretical or philosophical base to all this, she went on to say (for example) that when we restrict access, it is because we anticipate that it will produce a particular reaction (upset them, lead them to violence etc.). However, we can't know these assumptions are correct.
Saunders proposed a framework focusing on the three facets of access. In terms of physical access we would provide whatever access we can, resisting censorship, regardless of our opinions, and also acknowledging that this does not mean we endorse the material.
When it comes to social access, it would be a matter of bridging neutrality and objectivity. This means avoiding assumptions, respecting cultural views and understandings, facilitate new understandings and offer our expertise while acknowledging our own limits. So this can involve dscussion about what is most trustworthy.
In terms of intellectual access, we need to evaluate, offering guidance, and facilitating development of information literacy. This puts IL at the intersection of physical, social and intellectual access. Saunders felt that not enough attention had been give, in particular, to the social access aspect.
Saunders went back to potential clash between social justice and intellectual freedom (e.g. a hate group wants to use your library, what do you do?) It is a question that she hasn't been able to give a definitive answer to, but it is important. She told a story that illustrated that by removing what you think might be offensive, you may be taking away someone's agency to make their own decision about the material or person. She finished by referencing Dante, who identified the person who remained neutral (possibly Pontius Pilate) as one of the damned!
Photo by Sheila Webber: mural in Zagreb, September 2026
