Collaboration for Information Literacy Prize

A new press release from Florida State University, USA, celebrates the Collaboration for Information Literacy Prize from the Modern Languages Association to a Faculty-Librarian team at FSU who collaborated to deliver "“Paris World Capital,” an innovative course that invites students to critically examine Paris as a cultural and global icon while strengthening research and digital literacy skills."
The collaboration involved Professor of French, Aimée Boutin, and an interdisciplinary team from FSU Libraries, including Rachel Duke, Kelly Grove and Jonathan DaSo.
There is more information at https://news.fsu.edu/news/arts-humanities/2026/02/27/national-mla-award-recognizes-florida-state-universitys-innovative-faculty-librarian-partnership/
There is description of the course itself here.
Photo by Sheila Webber: in the gardens of the Musee Montmartre, Paris, November 2023

Reflection as a Means to Assess Information Literacy Instruction

Yesterday there was an update on the project at the University of Houston, USA, on using reflection in information literacy education. The original paper was:
Kapacinskas, N., Lopez, E., Warren M. & Douglas, V.A. (2025). Reflection as a means to assess information literacy instruction. Journal of Information Literacy, 19(2), 93–103. http://dx.doi.org/10.11645/19.2.781 ("This project report outlines the development of a qualitative, reflection-based evaluative process and toolkit for our Libraries’ instruction programme that centres two critical domains: teacher-librarian self-efficacy and student learning.") The update is:
Kapacinskas, N., Douglas, V.A., Lopez, E. & Warren M. (2026, February 26). Project Report Update: Reflection as a Means to Assess Information Literacy Instruction. https://infolit.org.uk/project-report-update-reflection-as-a-means-to-assess-information-literacy-instruction/
Photo by Sheila Webber: snowdrops, February 2026

Call: Education and Behavioral Sciences Section research forum

The ACRL Education and Behavioral Sciences Section invites proposals for presentations at their virtual research forum, to be held online on 6 May 2026. The propsal deadline is 16 March 2026. The proposals should report on research (at any stage - it doesn't have to be completed) "relevant to library work in education, behavioral, or social sciences or to academic libraries in general."
The presentations will take the form of 10-minute lightning talks. "Proposals will be evaluated via rubric by the extent to which they address the following five elements. [which are research design, relevance & value, originality, EDI and project status] Upon reviewing your proposal, the EBSS Research Committee will follow-up with any questions. You do not need to be a member of ALA or ACRL to submit a proposal."
The proposal form is at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdkNtdaULTeTDycIIjCgUhoFCGPMolQvau-WYrxqD3iUx5_iQ/viewform
Previous fora (with recordings / slides) are linked here https://www.ala.org/acrl/aboutacrl/directoryofleadership/sections/ebss/ebsswebsite/ebsscommittees/research
Photo by Sheila Webber: squirrel in Sheffield Botanics, February 2026

Webinar: Digital Literacy & Pop-up Teaching

On 5 March 2026 at 8.00 (US EST), 13.00 (GMT), 21.00 (SGT) there is a free webinar (lasting 90 minutes) Digital Literacy & Pop-up Teaching. The leaders are Jennifer Nardine (Asst Prof/Librarian/Coordinator of Int'l Outreach, University Libraries at Virginia Tech, USA) and Katlyn Griffin (Teaching & Learning Engagement Librarian, University Libraries at Virginia Tech, USA). 
"Explore innovative “pop-up teaching” activities on digital literacy topics. Grounded in Virginia Tech’s Digital Literacy framework, this webinar introduces key competency areas and offers adaptable examples for diverse learning contexts." 
It is organbised by American Library Association (ALA) International Relations Round Table (IRRT) Mission Enhancement Project, in collaboration with IFLA WLIC 2026, Korea National Committee, as part of a development series. 
Register at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_D1mrKzEpQmuItCovxuSAxQ
Photo by Sheila Webber: iris reticulata (possibly "George"), February 2026

Webinar: Information Literacy, data and evidence removal in the US

On 26 February at 14.00-1500 GMT there is a webinar organised by the CILIP Information Literacy Group: Information Literacy, data and evidence removal in the US. It is free to CILIP members, £5 to others. 
"During the US government shutdown in October and November of last year, many of us saw the notice on the PubMed website warning that information on the site may not be being updated. For many of us in the information literacy community, this brought into focus how events in the US are affecting our own access to and use of information. In this webinar, we will hear from Isobel Eddyshaw, an Academic Liaison Librarian at the University of Exeter. In this talk, Isobel will go through and explain some of the current changes in the US, their impact on data and evidence removal on databases, as well as how she put together the LibGuide. This will be a 30 minute presentation, followed by a 30 minute Q and A, and offers a chance for us as information professionals to discuss our concerns and share how changes in the US are affecting our practice." 
Go to https://www.tickettailor.com/events/cilipinformationliteracygroup/2014393

Book: Teaching Information Literacy by Discipline

Libson, S.P. & Willey, M. (Eds.). (2025). Teaching Information Literacy by Discipline: Using and Creating Adaptations of the Framework. ACRL. Item Number 979-8-89255-561-6
There are sections (each with several chapters) on: Arts; Writing; Humanities; Interdisciplinary Studies; Social Sciences; Business; Education and Behavioral Studies; Health; Sciences
Full information at https://alastore.ala.org/teaching-information-literacy-discipline-using-and-creating-adaptations-framework
Photo by Sheila Webber: snowdrops, February 2026

Podcast: Autistic Librarians in Academic Library Workplaces

The twelfth episode of the podcast Chatting Info Lit is Autistic Librarians in Academic Library Workplaces: "Lucy Dodge speaks to Amelia Haire (Senate House Library; Neurodivergent Library and Information Staff Network). Amelia talks about the research she conducted as part of her Masters dissertation, which focuses on what it means to be information literate for an autistic librarian in the academic library workplace." 
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-12-autistic-librarians-in-academic-library/id1673423506?i=1000750168434 
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/79bDXYuA8deGTFwEHZKEIF?si=ygt9p8yyRWmfDxguUEDoww 
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/chatting-info-lit-podcast/autistic-librarians-in
Photo by Sheila Webber: crocus, February 2026

ACRL Immersion Program

ACRL (the US Association of College and Research Libraries) has started up its Immersion Program again "an intensive three-day program" which "provides participants with an immersive learning experience where they can reflect on core issues related to teaching and learning in libraries and develop new relationships with colleagues from a variety of institutions."
It will take place 15-17 July, in person, at Loyola University in Chicago, USA. A maximum of 50 delegates are admitted. Registration is supposed to open "mid February" (though I can't see a link yet)
There is full information here: https://www.ala.org/acrl/conferences/immersion?_zs=SUvvg1&_zl=ThCcA
Photo by Sheila webber taken in Second Life, immersed underwater

Call for proposals: 2026 Virtual LILi Conference

There is a call for proposals for the 2026 Virtual LILi Conference, to be held online on 23-24 July 2026 (in the US Pacific time zone: for those in the UK and other parts of Europe this will be in late afternoon/ evening). The theme is Artificial Intelligence Meets Information Literacy: Challenges and Opportunities for the Future. The submission deadline is 13 April 2026. 

You can propose presentations (15-min presentation plus Q&A), lightning talks (5-7 minutes), PechaKuchas or posters "that explore innovative approaches, research findings, practical strategies, and emerging trends in libraries and information literacy related to artificial intelligence, particularly in support of equity and inclusivity." There is a "focus on practical uses rather than theory" and some specific themes are suggested on the page with the full call (which includes proposal form links) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dH6pDiIq8XMaJARUGL7umcnCNRcijQGkZrK3VzF5OCQ/edit?tab=t.0
I will just add that I think  it's wonderful that the LiLI volunteers keep organising these free interesting events!

A Taxonomy of LLM Summarisation in Academic Search

An interesting categorisation of the different ways in which different types of large language models (LLMs) summarise outputs from academic search tools:

Tay, A. (2026, January 24). Classifying the Ways LLMs Summarise in Academic Search: Understanding AI Summaries in EBSCO, ProQuest, and More. https://aarontay.substack.com/p/classifying-the-ways-llms-summarise
Photo by Sheila Webber: war memorial, Sheffield, February 2026

Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change

At the COP30 meeting in November 2025, a Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change was agreed for the first time, signed by many countries (though, sadly, not mine...). Apologies for not posting this sooner, I created a post and then didn't post it. 
The declaration calls upon the private sector (e.g. "Ensure transparent, human rights-responsible advertising practices that bolster information integrity on climate change and support reliable information and journalism.") and governments (e.g. "e. Promote campaigns on climate change and support initiatives that promote literacy and the public's right to access reliable information on the matter.") for action. 
The call on "civil society and academia" is to "a. Integrate information integrity on climate change in their work; b. Promote and engage in existing networks to share good practices and collaborate on the matter, especially involving institutions and actors from developing countries." 
The declaration is here https://www.unesco.org/en/information-integrity-climate-change/cop30declaration?hub=780 
and a press release is here https://unfccc.int/news/countries-seal-landmark-declaration-at-cop30-marking-first-time-information-integrity-is-prioritized
Photo by Sheila Webber: more winter branches, February 2026

New articles: Collaboration; Assessment, AI

The latest issue of open access College & Research Libraries News (volume 87 issue 2) includes: 
- It’s Not Easy Staying Human: Generative AI, Cognition, and Reflection by Maxwell Gray
- Intentional Co-Instruction: Bringing the Framework and Guidelines into Conversation for Undergraduate History Information Literacy Instruction by John Caldwell, Kaitlyn Tanis
-  Pathways to Impact: Anticipating Action in Library Assessment by Becky Croxton, Megan Oakleaf
Go to https://crln.acrl.org/index.php/crlnews/issue/view/1691/showToc
Photo by Sheila Webber: winter branches, February 2026

Webinar: Designing Accessible Canvas Modules with DesignPLUS

A LILi Show & Tell webinar is presented by Stacey Greenwell on 25 February 2026 at 11.00 US Pacific time (19.00 GMT) "This practical presentation will show examples of three research skills modules created with DesignPLUS in Canvas. The presenter, an instructional designer and librarian, will talk through templates that use solid design practices and how those can help create modules to support information literacy instruction. Special attention in the presentation will be given to using Ally and UDOIT to ensure accessible Canvas modules". Zoom link is https://uci.zoom.us/my/marquezn
A recording will be available on the LILi Show & Tell webpage afterwards https://lili.libguides.com/showandtell/home

News literacy at school

Petrus, C. (2026, February 4). Birmingham librarian on mission to teach news literacy to elementary students. WXYZ Detroit. https://www.wxyz.com/news/birmingham-librarian-helping-elementary-students-develop-news-literacy.
A news story about a school librarian in Birmingham, USA.
Photo by Sheila Webber: my last red devil apple, on a Williamson's bluebird plate, January 2026

LOEX Registration opens (and likely also closes)

Registration for the USA's main information literacy conference, LOEX (7-9 May 2026 held in-person in Norfolk, USA) opens today 13 February 2026 at 13.00 US Eastern time, which is 18.00 GMT. My understanding is that this fills up more or less immediately, rather like a hot-ticket gig. Preference is given to those whose organisation is a LOEX member.
They say "Please be prepared at the time of registration to: provide basic contact info, food preferences, and whether you plan on attending the Thursday night meet & greet. You do *not* need a member ID. Instructions on how to make a payment *AFTER* you register will be on the registration confirmation page; payment isn't due until April."
Go to https://loexconference.org/registration/ "If you get to the page early and the form is not available, please re-fresh your browser."

Information Literacy webinars in February

Ohio State University (USA) University Libraries Teaching & Learning Department, has a series of free information literacy workshops. The ones coming up in February are:
- Do Students Really Need to Learn That? Controversial Research Notions
February 12, 2026 at 12.00-13.00 USA Eastern time (which is 17.00-18.00 GMT/UK time)
To register go to https://go.osu.edu/sp26controversial
"Do first year students need to be using peer-reviewed journal articles? Should students spend time learning how to use Boolean operators? How important is it for students to be able to create perfect APA or MLA citations? Is plagiarism really theft? Research and information literacy instruction often centers around teaching students how to conduct research in the same way as disciplinary experts. ... This presentation will outline several controversial notions related to how we teach research and information literacy. Participants will be encouraged to consider these notions in light of their own teaching practices and consider potential alternative approaches for teaching research and information literacy. This workshop is being offered by the University Libraries Teaching & Learning Department, and the University of New Mexico Libraries"  

- Teaching Research Practices: The Impact of Prior Knowledge on Students’ Research Performance
February 19, 2026 at 12.00-13.00 USA Eastern time (which is 17.00-18.00 GMT/UK time)
To register go to https://go.osu.edu/sp26priorknowledge
"Students come into our classes with prior understandings about what it means to do research or how to perform specific research practices or tasks. While this prior knowledge can sometimes be useful, when it is inaccurate or inappropriate, prior knowledge can also cause students to struggle with research assignments or projects. This workshop will explore the relationship between prior knowledge, research, and information literacy. The presenter will share practical ideas for how to identify, activate, and, when needed, correct students’ prior knowledge in order to support improved performance on research assignments. This workshop is being offered by the University Libraries Teaching & Learning Department"  

- Teaching Research Practices with Small Teaching
February 26, 2026 at 12.00-13.00 USA Eastern time (which is 17.00-18.00 GMT/UK time)
To register go to https://go.osu.edu/sp26smallteaching
"James Lang uses research on how we learn to provide guidance for small changes that instructors can make in order to support student learning. This workshop will provide an overview of the Small Teaching approach and consider how instructors can use this approach to help students develop key understandings and skills related to research and information literacy. The presentation will use Small Teaching to highlight activities and strategies that instructors can incorporate into their classes that do not require a significant amount of time or a major course redesign. "
The whole series is listed at https://u.osu.edu/teachinginfolit/teaching-information-literacy-workshops/virtual-workshop-series/
Photo by Sheila Webber: a January King cabbage being king of the shopping basket, January 2026

Information Literacy Group New Professionals - Randomised Coffee Trial

The Information Literacy Group New Professionals sub-committee is organising "a Randomised Coffee Trial for new professionals to meet and share Information Literacy experiences. This is available for any current students or recent graduates of library courses, apprenticeships or anyone new to a Library job (less than 5 years experience) in all library sectors."
"You'll be matched with someone else from a different sector to arrange a virtual catch up at a time to suit you both. We'll provide some 'conversation starters' and some guidance but you can discuss whatever you want - the point is to share experiences, views on information literacy and get to know each other better."
This can be a good way to meet up with another person who is starting out in the profession
"You can share experiences, learn about different sectors and receive support. People who have attended a Randomised Coffee Trial before have enjoyed meeting new people and have been able to share ideas and best practices that they can take back to their organisation."
Fill in this form to be matched with a partner https://forms.gle/wECdN1d7CPNn56oy6
Photo by Sheila Webber: this is actually a cup of hot chocolate, but I think it's in the right spirit; Krakow, October 2023

Podcast on LILAC Learning Sets

The latest episode of Chatting Info Lit (produced the Information Literacy Group's New Professionals) is Welcome to LILAC Learning Sets
"We talk to Laura about the action learning sets pilot at LILAC in Sheffield and discuss why they are especially beneficial to new professionals, both in developing their practice and widening their professional networks. Tune in and find out how action learning sets work and how you can get involved. Thanks to Laura for such a fascinating and inspiring chat!"
Details, including a transcription are here https://infolit.org.uk/chatting-info-lit-episode-eleven-learning-sets-at-lilac-with-laura-woods/
- Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/6GR0DrJK4Ut5Rs8LV9HVMO
- Apple podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/episode-11-lilac-learning-sets-with-laura-woods/id1673423506?i=1000747045742

Safer Internet Day 2026

Safer Internet Day 2026 will take place on February 10 with the theme of Smart Tech, safe choices - exploring the safe and responsible use of AI. 

The Safer Internet Centre has some education resources. https://saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day/safer-internet-day-2026

New articles: immigrants' information needs; scholarly misconduct

- Shahid, S.H. & Sinnamon, L. (2026). A meta-ethnographic synthesis of researchers' views on scholarly misconduct in the health sciences. Library & Information Science Research, 48(1), Article 101399. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lisr.2026.101399 ("Complimentary access" which I think is free access for a limited period)
"the three forms of misconduct of most concern to researchers are fabrication and falsification, plagiarism, and unethical authorship, while emerging issues include power manipulation and failure to report integrity concerns." Although the focus is health sciences, I would think the findings are of interest/concern in other subjects too.

- Ahmadinia, H. (2026). Belonging through information: Mapping immigrant integration needs in Nordic societies. Library & Information Science Research, 48(1), Article 101400 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lisr.2026.101400 (Open access)
"The findings show that difficulties in locating reliable information, limited access to familiar languages, and fragmented institutional communication constrain participation across daily life. Participants often relied on informal networks to compensate for unclear or inaccessible official information."
Photo by Sheila Webber: snow, a few weeks ago, January 2026

Draft programme for #LILAC26 conference

The draft conference programme for LILAC 2026  (taking place 30 March - 1 April 2026) has been published and you can download it from https://www.lilacconference.com/lilac-2026/conference-programme-1 
Also, if you want to attend, the Early Bird conference rate ends tomorrow (6 February). 
My own University, Sheffield, is hosting the conference and we have a nice amount of participation on a wide variety of topics  (from mushrooms to makerspaces!) from colleagues and students in my department (School of Information, Journalism and Communication), and from colleagues in the library. 

Next month I will be featuring blog posts from my colleagues, to give tasters of what to expect! Our contributions will be: 
- Laura Woods: “Let them be louder, I’ll just be smarter”: gendered information experiences in undergraduate engineering education 
- Laura Williams: Breaking through the noise: exploring the role of social media content creators for fitness information literacies and ‘All mushrooms are edible but some only once’: rethinking information literacy in leisure contexts through hobbyist mycology 
- Pam McKinney and Laura Woods: Digital literacy through arts and culture activities: supporting older adults 
- Vicky Grant, Amanda Bellenger (University of Western Australia) and Mara De Brasdefer: Supercharged by AI: the power of global collaboration in facilitating critical AI literacy 
- Graham Mclearney, Rosa Sadler and Vicky Grant: Making, makerspaces and the role of information literacy
- Pam McKinney, Sheila Webber, Pete Holdridge and students from our Librarianship programmes: Reflections from the next generation of IL educators 
- Sheila Webber (me!): keynote talk! (current working title Reflecting on Information Literacy in a time of polycrisis and cherry blossom)

Webinar: Digital Literacy and Information Literacy

On 11 February 2026 at 11.00-12.00 US Pacific time (which is 19.00-20.00 GMT) LILi present a free webinar Digital Literacy and Information Literacy, with presenters Cori Biddle, Emily Zimmerman, Kristi Addleman Ritter, and Frankie Checchio from Penn State University Libraries, USA.
"Digital literacy and information literacy have increasingly become 2 sides of the same coin in academic libraries; students struggle with basic digital technology skills almost as much as they do with basic research skills. In this session, presenters will explain how Penn State University Libraries developed Tech Academy to help provide a basic introduction to the technology and digital tools available to all Penn State students. The goal of this session is to share how librarians adapted their information literacy instruction to meet digital literacy learning needs. Attendees will also learn more about the strategies followed to keep the content relevant and up to date. They will also have time to share their own experiences with digital literacy." 
Join online at https://uci.zoom.us/my/marquezn 
A recording will be available on the LILi Show & Tell webpage after the session https://lili.libguides.com/showandtell/home

Handling AI in One-Shots

A practical blog post on dealing with the topic of AI: 

Ball, E. (2026, January 22). Let’s Discuss: How Should We Handle AI in One-Shots? ACRLog. https://acrlog.org/2026/01/22/lets-discuss-how-should-we-handle-ai-in-one-shots/
Photo by Sheila Webber: snowmen on the melt a couple of weeks ago, January 2026

Webinar: Harnessing AI as a Collaborative Partner for Ethical Research & Writing

On 26 February 2026 at 13.00 US Eastern time (18.00 GMT) there is a free webinar sponsored by Springer Nature: Harnessing AI as a Collaborative Partner for Ethical Research & Writing. The speakers are librarians Yulia Sevrygina (University of Michigan , USA) and Helen Bischoff (University of Kentucky, USA) "who have developed meaningful best practices and tactics for integrating AI responsibly into writing and research. Learn how they’ve developed practical approaches which empower researchers and learners while navigating the AI challenges of bias, credibility, and ethics."
Information and registration at: https://www.choice360.org/webinars/harnessing-ai-as-a-collaborative-partner-for-ethical-research-writing/
Photo by Sheila Webber: shadows on the snow a couple of weeks ago, January 2026

Contemporary Approaches to University Teaching MOOC

You can enroll for free in the Contemporary Approaches to University Teaching MOOC which runs 16 February 2026 – 28 June 2026. "The course is presented under the auspices of the Council of Australasian University Leaders in Learning and Teaching (CAULLT) and is led by Professor Agnes Bosanquet (Torrens University, Australia) and A/Prof Marina Harvey (Macquarie University, Australia)."
It is aimed at anyone who teaches in Higher Education (including librarians!), and there is a choice of 24 "two hour" modules. The MOOC content is also available to universities to share and adapt under a Creative Commons license.
Register at https://canvas.instructure.com/enroll/DGJ4KE
There is a blog post that links to more information about of the modules at https://theslowacademic.com/contemporary-approaches-to-university-teaching/
Photo by Sheila Webber: spot the squirrel, December 2025