Information Literacy Group New Professionals

The UK's Information Literacy Group has a New Professionals subcommittee. They summarise plans in this blog post: https://infolit.org.uk/ilg-new-professionals-exciting-plans-for-2022/ They plan to
- Collect examples of IL projets for a digital showcase (I blogged that previously)
- Have randomised coffee meetups
- Have a podcast "We aim to produce a podcast later this year, with interviews taking place throughout the summer months. Our goal is to release each episode on a weekly (or fortnightly) basis then from the first week of September on" and they are looking for interviewees.
They define a New Professional as "A current student or recent graduate of a Library course, or anyone new to a library job (<~5yrs experience)" although stress that it's a flexible definition. 

Photo by Sheila Webber: primroses, February 2022

Academic Libraries North #ALN22

There is a call for papers for the Academic Libraries North conference to be held online 6-7 July 2022 ("North" here means North of England). Deadline for proposals is 18 March 2022. The theme is The time is now: active approaches to inclusivity . Topics include: Inclusive approaches to information literacy teaching; Using UX to inform inclusive strategies; Addressing the student ethnicity awarding and attainment gap; Working with university and external partners to overcome barriers to student success in HE; Addressing inequalities amongst students highlighted during the pandemic. More information at https://www.academiclibrariesnorth.ac.uk/academic-libraries-north-2022

Call for posters for the IFLA World Library and Information Congress #WLIC2022

There is a call for proposals for posters for the IFLA World Library and Information Congress to be held 26-29 July 2022 in Dublin, Ireland. You have to be prepared to be physically present at the conference. The theme is Inspire, Engage, Enable, Connect, especially in uncertain times. "How has your library made an impact in your community or society? Which services, programmes and/or applications of technology have been implemented in your library to support one or more of these themes?" https://2022.ifla.org/conference-programme/call-for-posters

Webinar: "Using Google's family of databases"

On 24 February at 18.30-20.00 UK time there is a webinar organised by ISKO and the Information Retrieval specialists group of BCS: Using Google's family of databases presented by Karen Blakeman. It is free to ISKO/BCS members (you need to give a valid membership number), £10 non-members. "This lecture will discuss scope, value and challenges of the range of search applications offered by Google." To register go to https://www.iskouk.org/event-4646660

Photo by Sheila Webber: trees at dusk 4, January 2022

Keeping Up With . . . First-Year Experience

The latest in the ACRL Keeping up with... series is Keeping Up With . . . First-Year Experience. As usual, the publication has short explanations plus links to further reading. https://www.ala.org/acrl/publications/keeping_up_with/fye

New articles: Skills and gaps; IL and humour; Emotional intelligence; Librarians as faculty developers; Librarian deference

The latest complete issue of the Journal of Academic Librarianship (a priced publication), Volume 48 issue 1 (January 2022) includes the following:
- Information literacy skills and learning gaps: Students' experiences and teachers' perceptions in interdisciplinary environmental science by Teresia Svensson, Julie Wilk, Kajsa Gustafsson Åman
- Librarians as faculty developers: Competencies and recommendations by Melissa Bowles-Terry, Karen Sobel
- Academic librarians: Their understanding and use of emotional intelligence and happiness by Michele A.L. Villagran, Lisa Martin (Open access article)
- Information Literacy: Making Asynchronous Learning More Effective With Best Practices That Include Humor by Debby R. Wegener (a study in a Singaporean university)
- It's Not Personal, It's Professional: Causes of Academic Librarian Deference Behavior by Lyda Fontes McCartin, Raquel Wright-Mair
Go to https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/the-journal-of-academic-librarianship/vol/48/issue/1

Photo by Sheila Webber: spot the cat, January 2022

Webinar: Team-Based Subject Liaisons: A Model for Successful and Sustainable Engagement

ACRL ULS PDC (Association of College and Research Libraries University Libraries Section Professional Development Committee has organised a webinar on 25 February 2022 13.00-14.00 US Central time (which is, e.g., 19.00-20.00 UK time): Team-Based Subject Liaisons: A Model for Successful and Sustainable Engagement - register at https://ala-events.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pNKBFKDmTRKs05Q7Se_UFg
In trying (in vain) to find out more event details, I came across a detailed list of actions to carry out when organising events, that could be of use to others organising webinars, on the ULS PDC page

Love & Information Science

Jenna Hartel, in the Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto, Canada, put together a video linking love and information science, so that seems an appropriate post for Valentine's Day. 

Programme available for the #LILAC22 conference

The programme is available for LILAC 2022 (the UK's information literacy conference), currently planned as a physical conference in Manchester, UK, 11-13 April 2022. Booking closes on 23 March 2022. I am looking forward to presenting a workshop with my colleague Dr Pam McKinney on the first day! Programme is here - https://www.lilacconference.com/lilac-2022/conference-programme and the registration page is here  https://www.lilacconference.com/lilac-2022/book-your-place

Webinar: The Metaverse Librarian: Building 3D Virtual Reality Learning Environments with Mozilla Spoke

On 23 February 2022 10.00 to 11.00 US Pacific time (which is, for example, 18.00 to 19.00 UK time), there is a free webinar The Metaverse Librarian: Building 3D Virtual Reality Learning Environments with Mozilla Spoke "Matthew Chase (he/him), librarian from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, will share his experiences and insights in using Mozilla Spoke for teaching and learning. Mozilla Spoke is an online 3D scene editor and developer tool that allows you to customize and design interactive virtual reality spaces for the open-source platform, Mozilla Hubs. Mozilla Spoke supports more customization and creativity than simply building a space directly in Mozilla Hubs, with additional controls and assets to build out interactive environments. This session introduces participants to getting started with Mozilla Spoke, with examples from Matthew’s work at his institution in creating interactive and immersive learning experiences. Mozilla Spoke provides an easy-to-use and free platform for libraries and information professionals of all kinds to begin incorporating virtual reality with their communities." Register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/matthew-chase-the-metaverse-librarian-tickets-265962329487

Photo by Sheila Webber, taken in the 3D virtual world, Second Life, February 2022

Recent articles: Health literacy as vaccine; fact checking in Sweden; Information behaviour in COVID19; Health information behaviour; IL in Ghana; Citizen science

- Okan, O. et al. (2022). Health literacy as a social vaccine in the COVID-19 pandemic Health Promotion International, daab197, https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daab197 
- Ahmadinia, H., Eriksson-Backa, K. and Nikou, S. (2022), Health-seeking behaviours of immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees in Europe: a systematic review of peer-reviewed articles, Journal of Documentation, 78(7), 18-41. https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-10-2020-0168
 - Dreisiebner, S., März, S. and Mandl, T. (2022), Information behavior during the Covid-19 crisis in German-speaking countries, Journal of Documentation, 78(7), 160-175. https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-12-2020-0217
- Juneström, A. (2022), Discourses of fact-checking in Swedish news media, Journal of Documentation, 78(7), 125-140. https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-03-2021-0061
- Ozor, A. & Toner, J. (2022) Information Literacy Behavior and Practice: An Assessment of Undergraduate Students at Ada College of Education, Ghana. Journal of Library Administration, 62(1), 132-151. https://doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2021.2006992 (open access) " The results from this survey present an overview of the College’s current approach to information literacy instruction, resource accessibility, as well as students’ information literacy comprehension and application. A series of recommendations are presented for the College to consider in improving its approach to supporting information literacy skills development."
- Ekström, B. (2022), A niche of their own: variations of information practices in biodiversity citizen science, Journal of Documentation, 78(7), 248-265. https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-07-2021-0146
- Multas, A.-M. and Hirvonen, N. (2022), “Let's keep this video as real as possible”: young video bloggers constructing cognitive authority through a health-related information creation process, Journal of Documentation, 78(7), 42-64. https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-02-2021-0027
- Graminius, C. (2022), Fast-food information, information quality and information gap: a temporal exploration of the notion of information in science communication on climate change, Journal of Documentation, 78(7), 89-105. https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-03-2021-0072 "In their discussion of the concept of information, Capurro and Hjörland (2005) tentatively ask what else we might need to know about information. Perhaps there is room for more research on the concept of information and temporal issues since this study shows how notions of information come into being in the contextual intersections of time, actions and materials." 
Photo by Sheila Webber: sign of spring, February 2022

ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education: Sociology - approved

The ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education: Sociology was approved by the ACRL Board of Directors on 27 January 2022, as a Companion Document to the ACRL IL Framework. "Developed by the ACRL Anthropology and Sociology Section’s Instruction and Information Literacy Committee, the companion document defines Sociological Information Literacy as an understanding of how information and scholarship are created, published, disseminated, and used by individuals and organizations. The document describes connections between the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy and the Sociological Literacy Framework (SLF) developed by sociology professors Susan Ferguson and William Carbonaro. Using a conceptual crosswalk, the companion document presents six tables that explain how the essential concepts in the SLF relate to the six ACRL frames." Download at https://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/standards/framework_companion_sociology.pdf

Photo by Sheila Webber: trees at dusk 3, January 2022

The Misinformation Review

The Misinformation Review is an open access publication from Harvard Kennedy School  focusing on - as you might expect - research related to misinformationhttps://misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/. A recent example is:

Acerbi, A., Altay, S., & Mercier, H. (2022). Research note: Fighting misinformation or fighting for information?. Misinformation Review. https://doi.org/10.37016/mr-2020-87 "In this article, we show that, given the very limited prevalence of misinformation (including fake news), interventions aimed at reducing acceptance or spread of such news are bound to have very small effects on the overall quality of the information environment, especially compared to interventions aimed at increasing trust in reliable news sources. To make this argument, we simulate the effect that such interventions have on a global information score, which increases when people accept reliable information and decreases when people accept misinformation" The article proposes a quantitative model which they use to argue their case. "To test the efficacy of various interventions aimed at improving the informational environment, we developed a model computing a global information score, which is the share of accepted pieces of reliable information minus the share of accepted pieces of misinformation. Simulations show that, given that most of the news consumed by the public comes from reliable sources, small increases in acceptance of reliable information (e.g., 1%) improve the global information score more than bringing acceptance of misinformation to 0%. This outcome is robust for a wide range of parameters and is also observed if acceptance of misinformation decreases trust in reliable information or increases the supply of misinformation (within plausible limits)."

Photo by Sheila Webber: Christmas tree for collection (the last un the series), January 2022

Applying Critical Library Pedagogy in Daily Practice

There is a free event, one of the CILIP London CritLib Talks: Applying Critical Library Pedagogy in Daily Practice on 18 February 2022, 13:00-14:00 UK time, online on Zoom. Presenter is Jess Haigh, Academic Librarian, Leeds Beckett University, UK (She/Her).
"This short talk will introduce the concept of critical pedagogy, and some ideas for how it can be applied in day to day librarian practice. Jess will use examples taken from her co-edited collection Critical Library Pedagogy In Practice, and will also use examples from her own experience as an Academic librarian. Before this session, have a think about what you current understanding of critical pedagogy is and how you are already applying it in your work, or is there anything you've read about or seen that has inspired you?
"This talk will include lots of opportunities for interaction, and peer learning through sharing experiences and reflections, as part of a critical pedagogy is to change up power dynamics within learning environments."
To register go to https://www.cilip.org.uk/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1600561&group=

Photo by Sheila Webber: trees at dusk 2, January 2022

Paul Zurkowski: 11 August 1932 - 30 January 2022

Paul Zurkowski, the man most often cited as (in 1974) originating the term "information literates" and thus "information literacy" has died aged 89 after contracting pneumonia. The 1974 report itself is available as a scan on ERIC at https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED100391 

Zurkowski continued to be engaged with information literacy to the end - his friend & colleague Jeffrey Kelly (who announced his death) reported that he will be working on the "nonprofit educational association, the Universal Information Literacies Association (UiLA), started by Paul and I here in the Washington, DC area". This is the blog post I did of his 2013 talk at ECIL (an the photo is one I took then) and this is a transcript of the talk Zurkowski gave at the LILAC conference in 2014.

Although latterly the thing he is most famous for is his connection with information literacy, I would say that it is his leadership in the dawn of the information industry that is perhaps more significant. This was a heady and risky time, when public data networks didn't exist and even in the early 80s (when I was marketing the then groundbreaking online services at the British Library) you were literally dialling a number on the ordinary (analog) telephone network to connect up with a database that you then accessed VERY SLOWLY. 

Because, in fact, NOT everything is on the internet, the online documentation for the early years of the information industry isn't great. In trawling for information about the Information Industry Association (founded 1968) I found this catalogue entry which identifies that that there is 5.5 linear feet of information industry material "Collection unprocessed" donated by Zurkowski- a project for an information science enthusiast!

Library and Information Workplace Research

The Library and Information Research Group and the Health Libraries Group of CILIP have organised four Library and Information Workplace Research events, each lasting 3 hours.
- 25 March 2022 – Getting started with research and evaluation – Register here: https://www.cilip.org.uk/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1587380
- 6 May 2022 – Research Methods - Register here: https://www.cilip.org.uk/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1587385
1 July 2022 - Writing a research proposal – Register here: https://www.cilip.org.uk/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1587397
- 7 October, 2022 - Writing for publication – Register here: https://www.cilip.org.uk/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1587404
Cost (including VAT) is CILIP Member £20 for each session, Non-Member £30 for each session, Student/unwaged free of charge
Photo by Sheila Webber: trees at dusk 1, January 2022

Call for examples of teaching specific groups of learners

There is a call for examples, presented as blog entries and podcasts, from the UK's Information Literacy Group New Professionals Sub-committee. They are "interested in information literacy practice which has been developed to reach a specific group of learners. We are compiling a series of case studies, which document focussed projects which have been designed to reach these groups. We are considering the widest range of examples, from established work in academic environments, small and often ignored individual work, bold innovations and work from health and other work settings. The case studies will be presented as short blog entries and podcasts, with support from our committee members in the editing, development and preparation of the material."
You can nominate yourself or someone else through this link https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfOJ3Cg4yfyx8LxjmzrZSjBbxMmrPtEQPAzKLT1zOqXGGLGQA/viewform
Photo by Sheila Webber: Apples at farmers market, January 2022

Online conference: Keeping Up the Pace: Media Literacy Education in an Accelerating Age

A 2-day free online event 3-4 February 2002: Keeping Up the Pace: Media Literacy Education in an Accelerating Age, starting 11.00 (CEST) (which is 10am UK time). "At the event, distinguished speakers – including Professor of Communication Studies at the Harrington School of Communication and Media at the University of Rhode Island, Renee Hobbs, Associate professor in the school of communication at Emerson College in Boston, MA, Paul Mihailidis, Senior Adviser in the National Audiovisual Institute, KAVI Finland, Lauri Palsa, Co-Director of Nordicom, Maarit Jaakkola – will discuss the interplay of media literacy, media education, and civic engagement in the 21st century." More information at https://iks.edu.mk/en/news/international-higher-education-symposium-organized-by-the-institute-of-communication-studies-and-irex-keeping-up-the-pace-media-literacy-education-in-an-accelerating-age/ (the full programme is in a link at the bottom of the page) - Register here.

Book: Teaching About Fake News: Lesson Plans for Different Disciplines and Audiences

A book published recently is: Candice Benjes-Small, Wittig, C. & Oberlies, M. (2021). Teaching About Fake News: Lesson Plans for Different Disciplines and Audiences. ACRL. 978-0-8389-3890-4. US $88.00; ALA Member $79.20. https://www.alastore.ala.org/content/teaching-about-fake-news-lesson-plans-different-disciplines-and-audiences
The 23 chapters include: Senior Citizens, Digital Citizens: Improving Information Consumption in Older Adults by Nicole Thomas; It’s a Conspiracy! How, Why, and Where Conspiracy Theories Endure and Thrive by Sarah E. Morris; Evaluating Data Visualizations for Misinformation & Disinformation by Nicole Helregel; Bad Influence: Disinformation and Ethical Considerations of Influencer Marketing Campaigns on Social Media Platforms by Laureen P. Cantwell and Mia Wells; Battling Fake Science News: The Power of Framing by Ekaterina Bogomoletc and Nicholas Eng; Establishing the Fake News-Pseudoscience Connection in a Workshop for Graduate Students by Brian Quinn; Alternative Facts and Actual Profits: Teaching Fake News in a Business Context by Allison F. Gallaspy; Countering Fake News with Collaborative Learning: Engaging Writing Center Tutors in Information Literacy Instruction by Lori Jacobson.

MOOC: Disinformation step by step / La désinformation pas à pas / Desinfomación paso a paso

This MOOC (free online course), produced by the French project (with EU funding) Youverify, is running for the second time, starting 14 February 2022, accessible in 3 languages: French, Désinformation pas à pas https://youverify.eu/fr/mooc; English, Disinformation step by step https://youverify.eu/en/mooc; Spanish, Desinfomación paso a paso https://youverify.eu/es/mooc.
Use the above links to register.
There are new features for this 2nd iteration of the MOOC:
- two training pathways - "PATH 1: understanding visual disinformation and exploring its challenges and  PATH 2: setting up concrete Media and Information Literacy projects to fight this phenomenon"
- new games "Bot Busters" & "Permit to think"
plus updated and new content.

Carbon Literacy

Another literacy! Carbon literacy is defined on the Carbon Literacy Project website as “An awareness of the carbon dioxide costs and impacts of everyday activities, and the ability and motivation to reduce emissions, on an individual, community and organisational basis.” The UK project creates Carbon Literacy Toolkits with training materials for specific sectors (they are just releasing the toolkit for museums, which is why I picked up the news): you only get access to the toolkit if you are in that sector. There are already toolkits for the University sector and Local Authorities (presumably including public libraries) https://carbonliteracy.com/toolkits/ "Learners who successfully complete a day’s worth of approved Carbon Literacy learning are certified as Carbon Literate" so perhaps it isn't as challenging as information literacy...
Photo by Sheila Webber: Xmas trees out for collection, January 2022

Webinar: Enhancing Teaching and Learning Using Virtual and Immersive Technologies

A free webinar from University College Cork, Ireland, on 6 February 2022 at 14:00-17:00 GMT is Enhancing Teaching and Learning Using Virtual and Immersive Technologies. "This online seminar from UCC Library will explore the ways in which VR has been used as an innovative instructional application and provide insights into the “when,” “why” and “how” of using VR to maximize learning impact and support student engagement and success. Presenters come from a range of backgrounds and will speak on their experiences in VR, whether that be sharing knowledge on embedding VR in a course or facilitating access through support services like libraries. " There are no further details at the moment, so I'm not sure how they are defining VR (whether they are thinking 3D-goggles-only or including virtual worlds). Registration at https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/enhancing-teaching-and-learning-using-virtual-and-immersive-technologies-registration-228898299977

Photo by Sheila Webber, taken in the virtual world Second Life, Cat shrine, January 2022

Presentation: Empowering Faculty to Empower Learners via Information Literacy

Democratic Belonging as Informed Citizenry: Empowering Faculty to Empower Learners via Information Literacy was a workshop delivered by Anna Santucci, Amanda K. Izenstark and Mary C. MacDonald (University of Rhode Island, USA) at the American Association of Colleges and Universities conference last week.
"Intentionally designing learning experiences that integrate accessible Information Literacy (IL) skills for all students is a crucial step towards educational justice, a paramount responsibility in the democratic mission of our institutions. With this goal, the University of Rhode Island’s Office for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning has partnered with instruction librarians since 2018 in developing and facilitating a High Impact Teaching Seminar for faculty. Participants will learn about the seminar’s theoretical framework, impact and structure, engage in selected activities, and reflect on possible applications at their own institutions."
There is an informative slide presentation, and worksheets from the workshop, at https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/lib_ps_presentations/12/
Photo by Sheila Webber: Chapelgarth, December 2021

Game-based learning for IL teaching

The CILIP Information Literacy Group (ILG)runs a half day online event on 21 February 2022 10.00-13.00 UK time on Game-based learning for IL teaching. "This event will be of interest to information literacy practitioners and library staff who create, design and deliver teaching sessions, either in a dedicated teaching role or as part of their wider role. Sarah Pavey, Rosie Jones and Andrew Walsh "will share their perspectives and ideas on how play and game-based learning can be used within education." There is also half an hour before and after the event for networking. Cost £15 ILG members, £20 non members: booking ends on 18 February. Further info and booking at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/game-based-learning-for-information-literacy-teaching-tickets-252177278027 Photo by Sheila Webber, taken in Second Life, 2021

One day webinar: Publication to press: building trust in research communication

A one day webinar on Publication to press: building trust in research communication takes place on 9 February 2022, at 10-15.00 UK time. "How research is communicated varies from an international scale down to local level, as also reflected in the quality of coverage from in-depth news features to poorly referenced, click-bait churnalism." There is an interesting programme of speakers (researchers, people from different parts of the media etc.) Cost £60.00 + £ 12.00 VAT UKSG Members, £72+VAT non members https://www.uksg.org/event/publication-press21

Photo by Sheila Webber@: sleeping llama, Chapelgarth, December 2021

Ontario Library Association Conference

An online conference covering an interesting range of topics is the Ontario Library Association Conference, 1-5 February 2022. The conference covers different types of library, and does have some sessions related to information literacy including Come Together: Gathering 14 Academic Libraries to Collaboratively Build a Series of Open-licensed Information Literacy Modules for Health Sciences Students Across Ontario; and Algorithmic Literacy and the Role for Libraries and Sharing Is Caring: Building an Online Repository of Teaching & Learning Materials.
Many others looked intriguing e.g. “It’s a friggin' struggle to be honest:” Early Results from a Study of Librarian Workload During COVID-19 and Homeschoolers in the Library and A Year with Gnomes: Creating Joy and Sustaining Community Connection with One Quirky Craft Programme and A gathering of voices. A priced conference (n.b. there is a reduced, Canadian $50, fee for students/underemployed).
Information at https://www.eventscribe.net/2022/OLA/
Photo by Sheila Webber: Apples at farmers market, January 2022

Call for proposals: The Innovative Library Classroom (TILC) 2022

The Innovative Library Classroom (TILC) 2022 will be held as a physical conference on 2-3 June 2022 in Williamsburg VA, USA. Deadline for proposals is 18 February 2022. The theme is "Connection. How does that word relate to your teaching and learning in libraries? Possible interpretations: ways to connect with faculty, students, or colleagues; connecting ideas or concepts in the classroom or in your teaching practice; forging connections between library instruction and assignments or classroom community. We hope this theme will help you brainstorm ideas, but we will welcome any proposals related to innovative practices related to teaching and learning in libraries."
Holly A. Smith, archivist at Spelman College, is their keynote speaker. Proposals are invited for 3 session types: posters; 50-minute presentations; 7- minute lightning talks. More info at https://theinnovativelibraryclassroom.weebly.com/Photo by Sheila Webber: Chapelgarth, December 2021

First call: Critical Approaches to Libraries Conference #CALC2022

There is a first call for proposal for the 3rd Critical Approaches to Libraries Conference (CALC), taking place online, 25-26 May 2022. They have a "two-stage CfP with the first stage reserved for speakers from groups who are underrepresented and/or marginalised in academia, librarianship and traditional conference programmes. These include People of Colour/BAME/Non-White, English is an additional language, LGBTQIA+, Disabled people [physical, mental-health or learning disability], Neurodiverse people, Deaf presenters and those from Working Class backgrounds."
The deadline for the first call for proposals is 13 February 2022. There will be a 2nd call in February. The proposal form is here https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScvTbB1-DrouZW9T9w3-NEx2HMRdA3jG7iDOSzu5zer-k0hNA/viewform. There is more information on their Call for Papers online guide.
Photo by Sheila Webber: skeleton birch branches, December 2021

New articles: Media education; Multiliteracy; Disinformation; Teachers' digital and media and information literacy

The new issue of the open access journal Comunicar (vol 30 no. 70, 2022) has a focus on New challenges for teachers in the context of digital learning. Articles are in English and Spanish - if you want to change the language, click the flag on the top right of the screen (e.g. a Union Jack for English). Articles include:
- Disinformation and multiliteracy: A systematic review of the literature Jesús Valverde-Berrocoso, Cáceres (Spain), Alberto González-Fernández, Cáceres (Spain) & Jesús Acevedo-Borrega, Cáceres (Spain). https://doi.org/10.3916/C70-2022-08
- Critical media literacy to improve students' competencies Walter-Antonio Mesquita-Romero, Sibundoy (Colombia), Carmen Fernández-Morante, Santiago de Compostela (Spain) & Beatriz Cebreiro-López, Santiago de Compostela (Spain). https://doi.org/10.3916/C70-2022-04
- Teachers' perspectives for a critical agenda in media education post COVID-19. A comparative study in Latin America Julio-César Mateus, Lima (Peru), Pablo Andrada, La Serena (Chile), Catalina González-Cabrera, Cuenca (Ecuador), Cecilia Ugalde, Cuenca (Ecuador) & Sebastián Novomisky, La Plata (Argentina). https://doi.org/10.3916/C70-2022-01
- ICT and Media competencies of teachers. Convergence towards an integrated MIL-ICT model Alfonso Gutiérrez-Martín, Segovia (Spain), Ruth Pinedo-González, Segovia (Spain) & Cristina Gil-Puente, Segovia (Spain). https://doi.org/10.3916/C70-2022-02
The whole issue is at https://www.revistacomunicar.com/index.php?contenido=revista&numero=70
Photo by Sheila Webber: Christmas trees out for collection no. 3, January 2022

WHO EPI-WIN videos on fighting #infodemics and #misinformation

If you are interested in health and fighting misinformation, you will be interested in the Youtube channel of the World Health Organization EPI-WIN (Information Network for Epidemics) which includes, for example:
- Using local songs and storytelling to engage remote communities with health messages (November 24 2021) https://youtu.be/w1tqGETuSQ8
- Numerous videos from the 3rd WHO infodemic manager training (November/December 2021) including:
Debunking Misinformation with Audio Dramas on WhatsApp;
Tackling the Covid-19 Infodemic in the Caribbean;
Helping Canadians to Vaccinate with Confidence .
The channel is at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-t0AL4GoNJYJOOtt2UhvMg/videos
Photo by Sheila Webber: snow, November 2021

Webinars: LIS Pedagogy chat

There are further sessions scheduled for LIS Pedagogy chat, the webinar series in which a topic relevant to library and information teaching is presented and discussed. They are at 2pm US ET (which is, for example, 7pm UK time), normally on Fridays. You need to register for each event. There are also links to presentations and notes from previous sessions. Go to https://www.lispedagogychat.org/schedule-registration
- January 28 Critical Approaches to Youth Services - Moderators: Amy Pattee, Simmons University, & Lucia Cedeira Serantes, Western University
- February 18 Disability and Accessibility - Moderator: Heather Hill, Western University
- March 11 Critical Cataloging - Moderator: Emily Drabinski, City University of New York
- April 29 Critiquing Course Evaluations - Moderator: Toni Samek, University of Alberta
- May 20 Preparing Students for Community Engagement - Moderator: Mega Subramaniam, University of Maryland
Photo by Sheila Webber: bedroom, Chapelgarth, December 2021

Combatting Covid-19 misinformation

Ofcom's page with links on Combatting Covid-19 misinformation  has sections on: Fact checking &  debunking; Information sources from official sources and organisations; Support for parents and children; Actions by online platforms; Countering vaccine misinformation. I couldn't find information about when it was last updated (possibly not for a year).  https://www.ofcom.org.uk/research-and-data/media-literacy-research/coronavirus-resources
Photo by Sheila Webber: Christmas trees out for collection no. 2, January 2022

Challenging ageism: A guide to talking about ageing and older age #nomorewrinklyhands

A useful guide for avoiding ageism when writing, using images etc. was published by the Centre for Ageing Better a month ago:
Centre for Ageing Better. (2021). Challenging ageism: A guide to talking about ageing and older age. The press release is here and this is the guide https://ageing-better.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-01/Challenging-ageism-guide-talking-ageing-older-age.pdf
The hashtag in my title refers to the lazy use of "folded wrinkled hands" images to accompany stories about older people (which is mentioned as a "do not do" in the guide). At the end of the guide it has some actions (including challenging 'internalised ageism such as describing yourself as “past it” or “having a senior moment”') and they link to their useful image databank (which I have drawn on here)

Credit: Mark Eptein.(n.d.) Mr G. Published by Centre for Ageing Better under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) license https://ageingbetter.resourcespace.com/?r=8429&k=0121ccbd00

Podcast: Leaders & Legends of Online Learning

An education podcast that's been going for a while is Leaders & Legends of Online Learning, in which Mark Nichols interviews people who have expertise in online learning. The latest podcast (at time of writing) is with Professor Phillip Dawson and a couple of earlier ones I would pick out are Professor Mpine Makoe and Dr George Veletsianos. The podcast pages give links/readings for each interviewee.
Go to https://onlinelearninglegends.com/

Photo by Sheila Webber: Christmas trees out for collection no. 1, January 2022

Information Literacy & Library Research

The Sherratt Library at Southern Utah University, USA has just updated its LibGuide on Information Literacy & Library Research which has tabs on: Introduction to Information Literacy (includes "Joining the scholarly conversation"); Planning and Research Questions; Searching; Finding & Evaluating; Synthesizing; Reflecting; Creating and sharing (includes "Information has value"). Although this is obviously designed for learners at that university, you can see it as a useful example and source of ideas.
Go to https://library.suu.edu/LibraryResearch/contents

Photo by Sheila Webber: lounge in Chapelgarth, December 2021

Nominations for the Information Literacy Award

There is a call for nominations for the Information Literacy Award 2022. The deadline for nominations (which can include self-nomination) is 14 February 2022 (17.00 GMT/UK time). This award "recognises an outstanding UK-based practitioner or researcher". It is sponsored by the CILIP Information Literacy Group and the Information School at the University of Sheffield (i.e. my Department!). "The award is open to all practitioners, researchers and academics working in the IL field within the United Kingdom. Nominations may be from any sector. We welcome nominations for individuals as well as for groups/teams. The winning individual or team will receive £500 for personal use and £500 for their nominated charity." You can submit a written application or a video. Nominations will be judged upon evidence of impact within the past 3 years only.
More information at https://www.lilacconference.com/awards/information-literacy-award

Course: Scaffolding Information Literacy

An online course from Andrea Baer Scaffolding Information Literacy runs February 7 – March 2, 2022, price: US $200
"In this 4-week course participants will learn about various scaffolding techniques, reflect on their own related teaching experiences and approaches, and apply scaffolding to developing or revising an instruction plan of their choice. Course Structure Week 1: Foundations in Scaffolding: Theory, Principles, & Techniques Week 2: Instructional Contexts: Identifying Learning Outcomes & Anticipating Stumbling Blocks Week 3: Creating Learning Experiences & Learning Supports Week 4: Self-Regulated Learning, Flexible Learning, and the Iterative Nature of Scaffolding Learning Outcomes."
More info at https://inquiringteachers.com/courses/scaffolding-information-literacy/
Photo by Sheila Webber: wreath at no. 10, December 2021 (the last of this series)

Call for proposals: 7th International Conference on Communication & Media Studies

There is a call for proposals for the 7th International Conference on Communication & Media Studies, NIU Galway, Galway, Ireland, which runs 25-26 August 2022. The focus is: Democratic Disorder: Disinformation, the Media and Crisis in a Time of Change. It will be a blended conference (online and physical).
"The Communication & Media Studies Research Network offers an interdisciplinary forum for the discussion of the role of the media and communications in society. We seek to build an epistemic community where we can make linkages across disciplinary, geographic, and cultural boundaries. We invite proposals addressing one of the following themes. Theme 1: Media Cultures Theme 2: Media Theory Theme 3: Media Technologies and Processes Theme 4: Media Business Theme 5: Media Literacies." (I did publish this call several months ago, it's still open)
More info at https://oncommunicationmedia.com/2022-conference/format?

Photo by Sheila Webber: Galway sky, 2014

Registration open for #LILAC22

Bookings are open for LILAC 2022 (the UK's information literacy conference), currently planned as a physical conference in Manchester, UK, 11-13 April 2022. To register a place, you need first to register as a member of the website, or login to your existing account. Costs are (all include VAT):
- CILIP Individual Member Rate: Full Conference (inc. conference dinner etc.) £395
- Speaker & Early Bird Rate: Full conference as above: book by 11 February 2022) £415
- Non Member Rate: Full Conference (as above) £46
  -CILIP Individual Member Rate: Day Delegate £185
- Speaker & Early Bird Rate (book by 11February 2022): Day Delegate - £195
- Non Member Rate: Day Delegate - £215
- Networking Evening - £40
N.B. If you paid for the 2020 conference and agreed to defer the conference fee, this should be applied to the 2022 conference (though I don't think they have sent out notices about that yet - at least I haven't had one) so don't pay twice!
Go to:  https://www.lilacconference.com/lilac-2022/book-your-place

Webinar: Realist Reviews and Syntheses: What are they and where do I start?

Lancaster University Library has organised a Systematic Review Conversations event on 13 January 2022 1pm - 2pm UK time (GMT): Realist Reviews and Syntheses: What are they and where do I start? The presenter is Professor Andrew Booth (School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield) who is a long-time expert in systematic review.
"Realist reviews (also known as realist syntheses) have witnessed a dramatic and sustained rise in popularity since first being advanced in 2004. Methods for systematic reviews of effectiveness hold limited capacity to gather and analyse evidence on why and under what circumstances interventions are effective. Realist reviews address this challenge by presenting evidence from diverse sources, selected according to relevance and rigour, to explore how a complex intervention works, for whom and under what circumstances."
The event is online via MS Teams and booking is required https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/library/events/realist-reviews-and-syntheses-what-are-they-and-where-do-i-start
Photo by Sheila Webber: grey day, bare twigs, December 2021

New articles: Library UX; Objects; Critical Thinking; Academic freedom

The latest issue (vol 83 no. 1) of open access journal College & Research Libraries contains:
- Fostering Critical Thinking in First-Year Students through Information Literacy Instruction by Mandi Goodsett, Hanna Schmillen ("Through a series of in-depth interviews, the researchers sought to understand how academic librarians who primarily instruct first-year college students conceive of, teach, and assess critical thinking skills in relation to information literacy.")
- Academic Freedom and (Anti) Social Media? by Wendi Arant Kaspar
- Toward a Critical Turn in Library UX by Maura Seale, Alison Hicks, Karen P. Nicholson ("We contend that UX would benefit from a deeper engagement with user-centered theories emerging from Library and Information Science (LIS) and critical and feminist perspectives on practice, embodiment, and power or risk perpetuating oppressive, hegemonic ideas about the academic library as a white space and its users as able-bodied.")
- Standing Out or Blending In: Academic Libraries in the Crowded Informal Learning Space Ecosystem by Erica Lynn DeFrain, Jennifer Thoegersen, Miyoung Hong ("Using mixed methods, this study examines the relationship between students’ use, satisfaction, and productivity needs at five discrete locations at a large public university.")
- Why Objects Matter in Higher Education by Joanna Cobley ("This article provides insight into what happened when students engaged with authentic historical artifacts for the purposes of learning for the first time.")
Go to https://crl.acrl.org/index.php/crl/issue/view/1611/showToc

Photo by Sheila Webber: Hedge and sky, Chapelgarth, December 2021

New book: Research, practice and innovation in deaf multiliteracies

A new open access book:
Webster, J. & Zeshan, U. (Eds.) (2021). Read, write, easy: Research, practice and innovation in deaf multiliteracies. Ishara Press. https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/51600 "This book is the first of two volumes on deaf multiliteracies based on research with deaf children and adults in India, Uganda and Ghana. Multiliteracies include not only reading and writing but also skills in sign language, drawing, acting, digitally mediated communication, and other modes. The book covers a variety of themes including the assessment of learners' progress, pedagogical issues as seen from teachers' perspectives, and issues related to curricula. Authors discuss, for instance, the use of multimedia portfolios for tracking the learning of deaf primary school children, the training needs of deaf teachers, and a collaborative approach to curriculum development."
The book is based on findings from a project, and the first chapter introduces the project (Peer to Peer Deaf Multi-literacies) and also explains the use of "multiliteracies", namely: "skills in sign languages, written English, drawing and other forms of visual representation, editing of multimodal productions, and forms of technology-mediated communication that combine different modalities." (p.10)
Chapters include, for example: The storymakers mini-project: Encouraging children’s multimodal writing by Julia Gillen and Uta Papen (there is a video explaining the storymaker process here https://youtu.be/zkEBL8GuPTc

Photo by Sheila Webber: the wreath at number 4 (you may have noticed that I have been matching the door numbers with the date of the blog post, they are not all in the same street, btw!), December 2021.

New Journal: Open Scholarship of Teaching and Learning #SoTL

A new journal is Open Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. "While there is no disciplinary focus of the journal, we work with section editors who are teaching in all areas of higher education, and discipline-specific or themed special editions are welcome. oSoTL submissions could include ... Reflective practice; Course evaluation; Learning, teaching or assessment case study of practice; Debates around SoTL" It has open peer review. Volume 1 issue 1 includes an interesting mix of articles:
- Simone Eringfeld - Data music album Please Hold: A sonic account of studying and teaching at the university during Covid-19 - the Youtube channel with her music tracks presenting her research findings is at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3L807dCTy9jlbOqlS1Tamg
- Phil McAleer, Helena M. Paterson - Improving pedagogy through Registered Reports
- Chrissi Nerantzi - Gems, buds and slippers or what a series of visualisation tells us about the Learning and Teaching in Higher Education tweetchat (#LTHEchat) - see here for more about #LTHE
- Dawne Irving-Bell - Dangerous Ideas: Dare to Share
- Nathalie Tasler  - Living by the proverb: Developing as a creative teacher in higher education
- Mireilla Bikanga Ada  - Master's students' perceptions of final year project supervision : On-campus vs online
- Paula S. Karlsson - Essay about finding scholarship
- Alice S. N. Kim - Teaching and Learning Research (TLR) In Action - the TLR website is here

For the contents page, go to https://osotl.org/?journal=osotl&page=issue&op=view&path%5B%5D=1

Photo by Sheila Webber: ho ho ho, December 2021

A happy new year - and celebrating connections @ischoolpam @valibrarian

I hope 2022 brings you health and joy, and lots of information literacy! At the start of the new year I want to celebrate some people I've worked with closely on information literacy in 2021.

- Firstly, Bill Johnston. Earlier in the year we co-presented a talk on Older People in the Post-Truth Era: Countering Ageism by Developing Age Friendly Media and Information Literate Cities (#AFMIL) for the ECIL 2021 conference, which is recorded here https://youtu.be/w6Tsj-bLUDE
His latest project is a book that was just published, All of Our Futures, on Scottish Policy for older people (including the importance of information iteracy in their lives). For some reason the page is inaccessible at the moment (I will do a proper blog post when it returns), but this is the blog post introducing it, from his co-author, Craig Dalzell of Common Weal. https://commonweal.scot/ageing-scotland/

- Secondly, my iSchool colleague, Dr Pamela McKinney. One of the external things we did together this year was a virtual workshop on Theory of Change to evaluate information literacy initiatives for the ECIL 2021 conference, and this is the introductory video at this link
One of Pam's recent publications is: Shire, W. & McKinney, P. (2021). Web 2.0 tools and information literacy instruction in UK university libraries. Journal of Information literacy, 15(2). https://ojs.lboro.ac.uk/JIL/article/view/PRA-V15-I2-5 (open access)

- Finally, in the 3D world, Second Life, I have worked with and presented with Dr Valerie Hill. At the AvaCon Open Simulator conference in December 2021 (this is a conference for educators in virtual worlds (VWs) Val and I presented (within a VW) on Digital Citizenship for Cyborgs and Avatars. This is the recording (our presentation starts at 2 hours 34 minutes) https://youtu.be/8tpYATAAfjs?t=9243. Also, this is a recent article by Val:
Hill, V., & Mackey, T. (2021). Embracing metaliteracy: Metamodern libraries and virtual learning communities. College & Research Libraries News, 82(5), 219. https://doi.org/10.5860/crln.82.5.219
Picture taken by me in the 3D virtual world, Second Life.

Transition and information literacy

As we leave behind 2021 and move to 2022, here are some articles on transition:
- Bent, M. (2008). Perceptions of Information Literacy in the Transition to Higher Education. National Teaching Fellowship Project Report. Newcastle University. https://eprints.ncl.ac.uk/55850 open access (research carried out in the UK as part of a National Teaching Fellowship. The aim was "to investigate the conflicts and congruencies between staff and student perceptions of information literacy in the transition to higher education, particularly in Chemistry and English" and data was gathered through interviews, focus groups, survey and also workshops developing findings with professionals. It includes some discussion of Threshold Concepts and information literacy - well before ACRL addressed this connection).
- Hicks, A. (2020). Negotiating change: Transition as a central concept for information literacy. Journal of Information Science. (early online publication - open access) https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0165551520949159
- Salisbury, F. & Karasmanis, S. (2011) Are they Ready? Exploring Student Information Literacy Skills in the Transition from Secondary to Tertiary Education. Australian Academic & Research Libraries, 42(1), 43-58. https://doi.org/10.1080/00048623.2011.10722203 (reports on a results of questionnaire/test of 1029 first year health science students: one of the most useful recommendations identifies the value of inderstanding more about the existing skill/knowledge of the students, so you can develop a programme that builds on this).
- Varlejs, J. & Stec, E. (2014). Factors Affecting Students' Information Literacy as They Transition from High School to College. School Library Research, 17. Open access at https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1022549 (interesting study in which they assessed information literacy through a few different means in a first year university course, then identified the schools the students had previously attended, and interviewed librarians in schools where students had either scored very well or poorly. They identify a number of factors that appear to influence the information literacy of new university students, but in particular identify an aspect that wasn't talked about (i.e. the administration and culture of the schools) as being an important hidden factor)
Photo by Sheila Webber: the wreath at number 31, December 2021

Algorithms; Virtual communications

A couple of videos from the Center for Media and Information Literacy, Temple University, USA
- The Power of Algorithms https://vimeo.com/610145688 "Guests Judith Donath and Michael Kearns join host Sherri Hope Culver to share their expertise on algorithms and discuss how they affect our everyday lives."
- A New Reality: Trends in Virtual Communications https://vimeo.com/623467304 "Dr. H Branch Cosett, UPENN Neurology professor and operator of a VR lab, and Paige Gross, head technical reporter of Technical.ly Philly, share their expertise on the future of augumented reality."
Photo by Sheila Webber: memories of snow in November 2021

Information Literacy and fashion

From the most recent issue of priced publication Library Trends:
Warschaw, O. (2021). Information Literacy for Fashion Students: Translating Visual and Tactile Cues into Searchable Key Terms. Library Trends, 70(1), 3-11. https://doi.org/10.1353/lib.2021.0015 "Emerging fashion researchers often have their first experience with visual and tactile research in postsecondary school. Fashion librarians and educators must be able to assist students in adapting their perspective to include analyses of characteristics like color, silhouette, fabric, weave, and embellishment, in addition to familiarity with the fashion scholarship. However, translating visual and tactile cues into searchable vocabulary bridges can be difficult and exposes a gap in information literacy. In this article the author shares three information literacy exercises that librarians may combine with institution-specific resource instruction to guide students in developing a useful vocabulary for image- and object-based research and meeting their unique educational needs." 

A superficial search for other fashion-related articles included:
- Duncan, A. (2019). Crossing the threshold: innovations in information literacy. Spark, 4(1). https://sparkjournal.arts.ac.uk/index.php/spark/article/view/125 (open access) "This case study reflects on the use of threshold concepts (Meyer and Land, 2003) within the teaching of information literacy. It describes three embedded classes which were devised and delivered by an Academic Support Librarian, alongside a Fashion Management Course Leader at London College of Fashion. The article examines how and why the sessions were structured around threshold concepts of information literacy, reflecting on the benefits of the intervention."
- Thompson, L. (2017). Fashioning the Framework: Information Literacy for Fashion Studies. Art Documentation, 40(2), 304-315. https://doi.org/10.1086/716735 (priced)
- Art Libraries Society of North America. (2017). ARLIS/NA Core Competencies for Art Information Professionals. https://www.arlisna.org/news/arlisna-core-competencies-for-art-information-professionals## (open access)
Photo by Sheila Webber: the wreath at number 29, December 2021

Source Evaluation: Supporting Undergraduate Student Research Development

The latest article in the open access journal ITLWTLP is:
Iris Jastram, Claudia Peterson and Emily Scharf (2021, 13 October). Source Evaluation: Supporting Undergraduate Student Research Development. In the Library with the Lead Pipe. https://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2021/source-evaluation/ "Each year since 2008, librarians at Carleton College read samples of sophomore writing as part of the Information Literacy in Student Writing project. The data captured through this project combined with our experiences in consultations and instruction sessions give us a richer understanding of undergraduate information literacy habits. We highlight two challenges for novices: evaluating and selecting sources, and understanding the purpose and methods of integrating sources into written work. We discuss the evidence that leads us to these conclusions and the methods we use to promote student development in these priority areas."
They provide a link to the project website, which includes the rubric they use in marking the work and their marking guidelines https://www.carleton.edu/library/help/research/librarians/infolit/projects/portfolios/

Photo by Sheila Webber: view from Chapelgate window, December 2021

Global MOOC and Online Education Conference

In early December the Global MOOC and Online Education Alliance and UNESCO IITE (Institute for Information Technologies in Education) and held the virtual Global MOOC and Online Education Conference 2021.
On the conference page https://mooc.global/conference you can see each of the tracks, and if you click on a track you get a short overview of key themes and embedded vidoes of the relevant part of the conference. Tracks included: Equitable and Quality Online and Blended Teaching and Learning; Metaverse and Immersive Technology in Teaching and Learning; Designing and Delivering the Most Career-relevant Online Programs.
Photo by Sheila Webber: the wreath at number 27, December 2021

Online fact checking training

The Poynter Institute announced, earlier this month, that it is adapting its training sessions on "online fact checking" to Brazil, Spain and Turkey, in partnership with, respectively, Projeto Comprova, Newtral and Istanbul Bilgi University. This is the story on the Poynter website https://www.poynter.org/from-the-institute/2021/the-poynter-institutes-mediawise-announces-international-expansion-of-digital-media-literacy-program-to-address-global-information-disorder/. There is information about Poynter's Media Wise project here https://www.poynter.org/mediawise/
Photo by Sheila Webber: Chapelgarth skline, December 2021