GAIN: Generative AI literacy and kNowledge Framework Project Report

A report from some of my colleagues here at Sheffield University School of Information, Journalism and Communication, together with authors from the University of Cape Town: 
Cannizzaro, S., Abbott, P., Brooks, L., Mfengu, A., Raju, R. & Wagg, S. (2026). GAIN: Generative AI literacy and kNowledge Framework Project Report. https://doi.org/10.15131/shef.data.32336400
"In this report we present the results of a review-based study of AI literacy guidelines from a select number of British and South African Universities. The objective of this project was to conduct an initial exploration of AI literacy guidelines from an equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) perspective across a wide spectrum of institutions in the two aforementioned contexts (UK and South Africa), establishing a foundation for a more systematic and inclusive integration of these principles within broader HEI GenAI policy guidelines. In the report, we provide some observations about distribution patterns of the guidelines across the UK and South Africa, and an outline of the extent to which GenAI literacy training frameworks appear to have incorporated principles around EDI"
Photo by Sheila Webber: fallen cherry blossoms, April 2026

Critical AI

I haven't explored it fully, but there is interesting material on Olivia Guest's Critical AI site: papers, blog posts and videos, and some nice summaries of a few key projects at the foot of the page. Guest co-authored the paper that I blogged a few weeks ago. 
The site includes a link to the Critical AI Literacy (CAIL) project site.  The outputs of that project all look interesting, but my eye was caught by one of the shorter ones entitled To Improve Literacy, Improve Equality in Education, Not Large Language Models. 
Go to https://olivia.science/ai/
Photo by Sheila Webber: the sky this morning

Recordings and presentations from #LILi (Lifelong Information Literacy) conference

The slides and recordings are available for the excellent LILi (Lifelong Information Literacy) conference that took place online in July 2026. The recording links (one recording for each day) are at the top of each day's page, and the slides are linked session by session. There were lots of interesting talks, with both practical examples and ideas to refelect on afterwards (also lively dialogue in chat), and it was one of those conferences that you are sorry has to end. The theme was Artificial Intelligence Meets Information Literacy: Challenges and Opportunities for the Future.
I did a talk at the start of day 2 I think you're talking about information literacy, which had four elements: Why am I not more excited about AI?; The overlap of Information Literacy and Generative AI; My approach to teaching and learning; Generative AI in Information Literacy education - example. I refer back to some of the talks that had been given on day 1 of the conference.
Go to https://lili.libguides.com/lili2026conference/Schedule for the links (the first day is displayed, click on the tab at the top for the 2nd day)

Recent articles: One-shots; Students and AI; Teaching referencing

The latest issue of the Journal of Academic Librarianship (vol 52 issue 4) includes the following (priced, unless it says they are open access):
 - Exploring alternative approaches to the one-shot by Elizabeth Borges, Faith Rusk (open access)
- Teaching citation in the age of generative AI: Rethinking research literacy, academic integrity, and epistemic responsibility by Dag Øivind Madsen, Emmanuel Sirimal Silva (open access)
- ‘I shouldn't be saying this’: Library-based student confessions about AI, cheating, and academic integrity by Sarah T. Zipf, Tiffany Petricini, Steve Borrelli
- University libraries in the age of generative AI: Perceptions and usage among students in developing countries by Bolaji David Oladokun, Diana Atuase, Gloria Tachie-Donkor, Tshepho Lydia Mosweu, Panorea Gaitanou
Go to https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/the-journal-of-academic-librarianship/vol/52/issue/4 
Photo by Sheila Webber taken in Second Life, July 2026

Contra Literacy-Laundering

Recently published: Ray, I.& Guest, O. (2026). Contra Literacy-Laundering: Mechanistic Critical AI Literacy. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21222978
"When technology companies offer teachers and students ‘AI training’ or promote ‘AI literacy,’ they are engaged in brand marketing, framed as a progressive, philanthropically fundable intervention. The literacy label locates the problem in users’ understanding rather than in systems’ design, and in doing so, displaces accountability from the companies that built and profit from these systems toward the educators and students who are expected to become fluent in them, and forecloses the prior question of whether fluency is the goal at all. The accommodation reflex, in its institutional form, makes un-training structurally unthinkable by presupposing integration as inevitable; a critical account of AI literacy, by contrast, is not primarily about how to use systems but whether, when, and under what conditions their use is warranted" 

Also interesting, thanks to Bill Johnston for just alerting me, is: Chow, A.R. (2026, February 19). The People vs. AI. Time. https://time.com/7377579/ai-data-centers-people-movement-cover/
Photo by Sheila Webber: hydrangea, July 2026

Pressing prompts

Pressing Prompts, was recently published by Duke University , USA, with "activities, resources, and learning notes" around three themes:
- Trust & Truth: How do we evaluate what AI tells us?
- Power & Access: Who controls AI and who is affected?
- Self & Society: How does AI change us and our world?
It is "designed for dialogic and experiential learning". It already has useful material and they say that they also welcome further ideas. It is desgned for university-level use and (implicitly) North America, but could be applied more widely.
Go to http://pressingprompts.org/
Photo by Sheila Webber: Foxgloves, June 2026

Strategic Implications of AI Futures for Research Libraries

ARL & CNI have published a report which summarises the outcomes from a scenario workshop held a year and a half ago (on AI Futures for Research Libraries) and analyse progress since then (referring to North American academic libraries). To quote from the Executive Summary
"Priorities have shifted toward governing the AI already embedded in enterprise and library platforms. At the same time, external requirements are tightening, making embedding disclosure expectations into research and teaching workflows increasingly urgent. These findings confirm that the window for proactive positioning is open but narrowing. Research libraries that treat AI governance, workforce development, and collection strategy as integrated priorities will be best positioned to lead their institutions through an uncertain but consequential decade and to shape what research libraries become by 2035."
There is emphasis on developing AI literacy of staff, and also developing frameworks of AI literacy to embed in curricula. I was rather disappointed with the small extent to which connection was made between AI Literacy and IL, though.
Estlund, K. & Vitale, C.H. (2026). Strategic Implications of AI Futures for Research Libraries: Workshop Report. Washington, DC: Association of Research Libraries and Coalition for Networked Information. https://doi.org/10.29242/report.futurescape2026.
Photo by Sheila Webber: Botanics, May 2026

Critical AI Literacy Framework

 The Open University published in 2025 their Critical AI Literacy Framework which "treats ‘literacy’ as a ‘social practice’, i.e. something individuals do rather than possess". and is concerned about issues of equality and social justice. It has six elements: AI concepts and applications; Learning and Teaching with AI; AI ethics; AI creativity; AI in society; AI [in] careers. It can be downloaded at  https://about.open.ac.uk/sites/about.open.ac.uk/files/files/OU%20Critical-AI-Literacy-framework-2025.pdf
There is also a blog post about this framework and their Responsible by Design framework at  https://www.open.ac.uk/blogs/learning-design/?p=2288
Photo by Sheila Webber: Botanic Gardens, June 2026

Critical IL and AI Literacy

Baer, A. (2026). When Is Critical AI Literacy Critical? Critical AI Literacy Discourse and Principles of Critical Pedagogy. Library Trends, 74(4), 742-759.  https://doi.org/10.1353/lib.2026.a992003 (open access)
"In academic librarianship, calls to teach a version of artificial intelligence (AI) literacy that requires generative AI (GenAI) use are usually accepted as common sense. Most in our profession would agree that libraries and instruction librarians need to respond to technological changes and to help prepare students to engage with the research tools available to them. At the same time, the well-documented costs and harms bound up in the development and use of GenAI technologies are in conflict with the values and goals of many librarians, especially those who align their teaching with critical pedagogy principles like examining systems of power and social and political inequities, investigating assumptions and working for a more just world, and affirming student and teacher agency. To explore current and potential ways to teach about GenAI technologies through a critical pedagogy lens, I examine discourse on (critical) AI literacy and related resources and how they reflect or deflect critical pedagogy principles."
Photo by Sheila Webber: foxglove, June 2026

Google: liable for fakery; cannabilising

A couple of items of news and opinion about Google. Firstly a court in Germany has ruled that although Google has previously been found not responsible for incorrect information in its search results, it is liable for misleading and defamatory information in AI summaries. 
"Because the AI summarizes results in its own words, evaluates their content, and presents them in a structured format, the judges ruled that Google creates entirely new, independent statements that go beyond mere links." 
Connor, R. (2026, May 12). German court holds Google liable for fake AI answers. Deutsche Welle. https://www.dw.com/en/german-court-holds-google-liable-for-fake-ai-answers/a-77527661?

Then a perspective from the Register on Google search
Claburn, T. (2026, May 25). Google is cannibalizing the web to feed AI. The Register. https://www.theregister.com/ai-ml/2026/05/25/google-is-cannibalizing-the-web-to-feed-ai/5244641 Subtitle "Google Search used to direct users to web sites; AI Mode will keep them in Google's garden" 
Photo by Sheila Webber: Let's think of chocoloate, rather than of how Google has declined; Lindt world of chocolate, May 2026

New articles: AI; Top trends; why librarianship

The latest issue of open-access College and Research Libraries News (vol 87 issue 6) includes:
- 2026 Top Trends in Academic Libraries: A Review of the Trends and Issues by the ACRL Research Planning and Review Committee
- Envisioning AI’s Role in Libraries: Perspectives on Innovation, Equity, and Responsibility Across Career Stages by Russell Michalak, Trevor A. Dawes, Ava Wallace
- PEACEful Use of AI: A Tool for AI Education by Kimberly Shotick
- Information as Currency: The Social and Cultural Value of Knowledge in the Algorithmic Age by Chereeka Garner
- Wellness and Intentionality: A Year of Exploring Why We Choose Librarianship by Rose Beranis, Justine Cotton
Go to: https://crln.acrl.org/index.php/crlnews/issue/view/1697/showToc
Photo by Sheila Webber: rhododendron, May 2026

Slides on deepfakes

The UK's Media and Information Literacy Alliance (MILA) has shared slides from a webinar on AI and deefakes, organised by MILA with Deep Truth
You can find it here: https://mila.org.uk/deepfakes/

Image created using Midjourney AI, this is not a deepfake of any living cat or butterfly, to my knowledge

New articles: Use of AI; faculty development; upkilling with systematic reviews; guided inquiry; reflection; mis- and disinformation; open source communities

The latest issue (vol 20 issue 1) of the open access Journal of Information Literacy includes
- Critical thinking, disillusion, and dissent: Information literacy in a refused knowledge information landscape by Madelene Logren 
- The anatomy of collaborative open-source software development: A practice-based view on how open-source communities work by Renesa Tamannum, José Apolinário Teixeira , Gunilla Widén 
- Disinformation and gender issues: A study with young people from Salvador and Porto Alegre (Brazil) by Daniela Silva, Ana Cristina Prates, Josiene da Silva Niesciur 
- Digital literacy challenges in higher education: Information literacy in the face of misinformation by José G Casas-Puente 
- Information and digital literacy at school: A BRIDGE between critical thinking and equality values by Dora Sales, Christina Banou, Mara Morelli, Anna Antoniazzi, İpek Şencan, Serap Kurbanoğlu, Heidi Enwald, Noora Hirvonen, Stéphane Goldstein, Sarah Pavey, Konstantina Martzoukou, Petros Kostagiolas 
- Guided inquiry design for online information literacy media by Nove E Variant Anna, Miyarso Dwi Ajie, Piyapat Jarusawat, Yollanda Nundy Alshafa 
- Teacher, trainer, or facilitator? by Katie Smith, Jessica Waite 
- From one-shots to assignment design: Developing a library-led faculty development program by Nathaniel King, Alena Manjuck, Yvonne Tran 
- Subject librarian reflections on upskilling to support staff and students with systematic reviews: Our experience at UWE Bristol by Hannah Poore, Philip O'Shaughnessy 
- Promoting reflection by students on their use of information by Andrew K. Shenton 
- Articulating generative AI information literacy competencies: An ACRL Framework–driven model for academic libraries by Ladislava Khailova, Melissa Netzband Wathen , Melissa Jones 
- Adding a simple log to in-text citations to strengthen information literacy and argumentation while blocking casual misuse of generative AI by Peter Tamas, Leonie Kamminga 
plus book reviews and two reports on the 2026 LILAC conference (by Jane Pothecary and Tom Cross) 
Go to https://journals.cilip.org.uk/jil/issue/view/58 
Photo by Sheila Webber: spring roses, May 2026

Supercharged by AI

In the latest episode of the IATUL (International Assiciation of University Libraries) podcast Beyond the Shelves (hosted by Vicky Grant and Alanna Ross) Maria De Brasdefer and Louise Hisayasu talk about Supercharged by AI an exhibition on how artificial intelligence impacts our online lives.
The podcast is at https://open.spotify.com/episode/4geRvGBxSHac3mEOi7r1Qr
Photo by Sheila Webber: Icelandic poppies, May 2026

Horizon Report 2026

The latest EDUCAUSE Horizon Report: Teaching and Learning Edition has been published. Using the Delphi method, this gives the perspective of (mainly North American) educational technology experts' views on the trends for the Higher Education sector. In addition to a STEEP analysis (aka a PESTLE analysis without the L), this year they identify "Signals of change" (which "point to early, often surprising, indicators of how teaching and learning might evolve.) 
The STEEP analysis has a good deal of AI in it, including under the "Social" factor "AI is reshaping trust in information. AI is changing how people decide what to trust by weakening traditional signs of credibility such as knowing who wrote something, where the information came from, and whether it was built through visible steps, including drafting, citing, and checking sources over time. ... Colleges and universities will increasingly need to help students focus on the skills underneath any tool: evaluating claims, checking evidence, explaining reasoning, and verifying information." hmmm - so .. information literacy needed? (sadly, that is not what they propose) 
The "Signals of Change" section presents practical examples from the (not very "surprising" imho) areas:
Evolving Use Cases for AI Technologies; 
AI Governance and Trust; 
The Changing Landscape of Education Systems; 
Attempts to Improve the ROI of Higher Education; External Pressures on Education Stakeholders. 
This year they don't present alternative scenarios, perhaps because all of the scenarios would end up looking grim (certainly last year's ones all seemed dystopian to me). 
Although I realise I'm sounding a bit sceptical, I do think it is always worth reading this report as it presents the consensus amongst people who have power of educational tech budgets, and does present some interesting examples. Also, it is concisely written. An omission is a statement about whether or not AI was used in producing it (a bit ironic, considering the nature of the report).
Go to  https://library.educause.edu/resources/2026/5/2026-educause-horizon-report-teaching-and-learning-edition 
Photo by Sheila Webber: a horizon, Vancouver, 2024

New articles: AI + IL; Data literacy; Gamification; Services to visually impaired; Virtual reference; International students

The latest issue of the Journal of Academic Librarianship (vol 52 issue 3) includes the following (priced, unless it says they are open access):
- How artificial intelligence is reshaping information literacy in academic libraries: A global Scientometric analysis (2020–2025) by Munazza Jabeen, Claudia Lux (open access)
- How academic libraries can intervene in the frustrating academic information seeking of international students in China by Ming Zhu, Yidang Wang, Yixuan Cao
- Librarians' understanding of instruction in virtual reference services: A just-in-time learning perspective by Nove E. Variant Anna, K. Kiran
- Supporting blind, visually impaired, and print disabled students: Are academic libraries doing enough? by Dick Kawooya et al.
- Breaking the ice: A social exchange study on gamification, library anxiety, and the willingness to return at the University of Malta Library by Ryan Scicluna (open access)
- Digital reference tools and information literacy: Adoption patterns among university communities and their implications for libraries by Shakir Khan, Saad Alzahrani, Nazia Salauddin
- From information to data literacy: Faculty readiness and alignment in the community college by Jeonghyun Kim, Brady Lund, Nelson Santana
Go to https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/the-journal-of-academic-librarianship/vol/52/issue/3
Photo by Sheila Webber: rhododendron, May 2026

New items: Graduate students; Outreach; AI Literacy; Digital Reference Services; Google classroom

These are all open access.
- Desilets, M.R. & Pendell, K. (2026) Building Connections with Graduate Students Through Credit-Bearing Instruction. RUSQ: A Journal of Reference and User Experience, 61(3), 15-27. https://doi.org/10.5860/rusq.61.3.8668 
- Mixon, N, Johnson, A. & Taylor, J,. (2026). Microsites as Outreach Tools: A Case for Targeted Engagement in Academic Libraries. RUSQ: A Journal of Reference and User Experience, 61(3), 5-8. https://doi.org/10.5860/rusq.61.3.8666 
- Li, L. & Coates, K. (2026). Navigating the Generative AI Wave: AI Literacy Instruction in Academic Libraries Today.  https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/lib-facpresent/313 [a powerpoint presentation about the approach specifically at Georgia Southern University Libraries, USA]
- The Infosphere: Nigerian Journal of Knowledge and Information Studies: Vol. 1 No. 1 & 2 (2026) contains, for example: March, M. & Yusuf, D. Information Literacy and Digital Reference Services in Academic Libraries in Nigeria https://journals.fuotuoke.edu.ng/index.php/njkis/ 
- Saleh, S. (2026) Implications of Online Learning Environment and Google Classroom https://dapp.orvium.io/deposits/69a5ca66e6caf72bc3f50de7/view [This is a student work but looks interesting]
Photo by Sheila Webber: dandelion heads, May 2026

From Information Literacies to Metaliteracy

Tom Mackey (Empire State University, USA) has posted the recording of his keynote from the virtual iConference that took place 23-26 March 2026: From Information Literacies to Metaliteracy: Learner Agency in an AI-Mediated World.
"This keynote argues that evolving approaches to information literacy, AI literacy, and digital authenticity require a shift beyond discrete or skill-based methods toward a more comprehensive and reflective model of learning."
Go to https://metaliteracy.org/2026/04/03/from-information-literacies-to-metaliteracy-learner-agency-in-an-ai-mediated-world/
Photo by Sheila Webber: blossom on the tree, May 2026

New articles: AI; Inclusivity: Research experiences

The latest issue of open-access College & Research Libraries News (vol 87 issue 5) is now published. It includes:
- Susan Archambault, Elisa Acosta, Darlene Aguilar, Samantha Blanco, Alexander Justice, Nicole Murph, Shalini Ramachandran, and José J. Rincón Inclusivity by Design: Creating the Best Practices Checklist for One-Shot Library Instruction
- Jennifer Jarson and Kate Morgan: From Listener to Learner: A Podcast to Peek Behind the Curtain of Research Experiences.
- Russell Michalak, Trevor A. Dawes, and Ava Wallace: Envisioning AI’s Role in Libraries: Perspectives from an LIS Student, a Library Director, and a University Librarian
- J. M. Shalani Dilinika: Teaching Students to Think Critically About AI: Practical Approaches for Academic Librarians in Designing Literacy Instruction
Go to https://crln.acrl.org/index.php/crlnews/issue/view/1696/showToc
Photo by Sheila Webber: cherry blossom scattered, May 2026

iConference proceedings published

The proceedings of the iConference (held in March-April 2026) have been published as a special issue of open access journal Information Research (volume 31 no. iconf(2026). There's lots about AI! Papers include:
- Beyond the loop: a research agenda towards a framework for critical AI literacy in the AI-assisted literature review by Dipesh Jalui, Mary Tate, Jocelyn Cranefield 
- Disability misinformation on Facebook: a comparison of LLM-based fact-checking tools by Ian Prazak, Leah Padovani, Yool Lim, Julia (Hsin-Ping) Hsu, Myeong Lee 
- Shared agency in information behaviour research: Human–Nonhuman interactions by Niloofar Solhjoo, Jia Tina Du, Yazdan Mansourian 
- The role of misinformation in elder fraud: a conceptual framework by Jiangping Chen, Milo P. Ono 
- Breaking the mold of knowledge imposition: reconstruct the digital literacy education model in academic libraries under the Scottish enlightenment by ZhenJia Fan, YiMei He
 - Reframing creative learning: a conceptual framework for design literacy in the GenAI era by Asif H Zeshan, Xiao Hu 
- Dimensions of information search strategies: a study of blind and visually impaired users in mobile digital library environments by Iris Xie, Wonchan Choi, Hyun Seung Lee, Ning Chiao Wang, Bo Hyun Hong 
- Seeking the mission and opportunities for LIS in the AI era: a systematic review of empirical research on teenagers' artificial intelligence literacy (TAIL) by Jing Liu, Jiajing Ma, Guoye Sun, Shu Fan
 - Inclusive media and information literacy (IMIL): Building a framework for an age of preparedness and responsibilisation by Hanna Carlsson, Lisa Engström, Lisa Olsson Dahlquist 
- Scaffolding resilience: the influence of an iSchool’s media and information literacy courses by Frey Aura Galario, Dan Anthony Dorado, Benedict Salazar Olgado 
- ‘Ugh, it’s a difficult topic’: Positionality statements as information use in information and library science research by Alex H. Poole, Ashley Todd-Diaz
Go to https://publicera.kb.se/ir/issue/view/5744
Photo by Sheila Webber: cherry blossom cluster, April 2026