Power hours: AI tools; AI prompts; AI search engines; Using Canva

The next Power hours run by Phil Bradley and his team are:

- AI Tools for information professionals 2 February 2024 12:00-13:00 GMT (UK time) "See AI in action and learn how you can use it to develop, change and improve your daily work, and indeed your own career." Register at http://tinyurl.com/2ht2amjx 

- AI Prompt engineering and plug-ins 16 February 2024 12:00-13:00 GMT (UK time) "Learn more about Chatbots, what they can do, what they can’t do (and why!) and how to write good prompts to get the best out of them." Register at http://tinyurl.com/bd5k98nv 

- AI Search engines  1 March 2024 12:00-13:00 GMT (UK time) "How are the latest developments in AI being used with search engines to improve the accuracy and relevance of search results?" Register at http://tinyurl.com/bdct68mh

- Creating video content with Canva – a Librarian’s Power Hour led by Bev Humphrey on 12 April 2024 12:00-13:00 GMT (UK time) "Canva offers many video creation tools which include scores of templates and copyright free music, thus enabling you to create videos suitable for a range of platforms and purposes e.g. for posting on TikTok, Instagram or other social media sites." Register at http://tinyurl.com/32tft2w5
Photo by Sheila Webber: winter branches, Botanic gardens, January 2024

Drawing upon Stories in Teaching LIS Topics

The next LIS Pedagogy Chat is on 9 February 2024 at 14:00 US Eastern time (19:00 UK time) Drawing upon Stories in Teaching LIS Topics How can we use stories in teaching LIS topics? led by Rebecca Morris (University of Pittsburgh, USA) "We’ll gather to share strategies for integrating a range of practical scenarios in the classroom and online courses, including simulations, short scenarios, and instructor-created or textbook case studies and stories." Register (free) at https://www.lispedagogychat.org/schedule-registration
Photo by Sheila Webber: January 2024 Farmers' Market

CONUL annual seminar: Defining ‘AI’ in Teaching & Learning

The CONUL Annual Seminar 2024 is Defining ‘AI’ in Teaching & Learning: the role of libraries in Access and Inclusion; Academic Integrity; and Artificial Intelligence taking place in person in Dblin, Ireland on 1 March 2024. Book by 27 February 2024. Cost is €60 for CONUL Members, €75 for Non-CONUL Members, €10 for Students and the unwaged.
Go to https://conul.ie/annual-seminar-2024/
Image by Sheila Webber using Midjourney AI - prompt librarian heroine saving books in a forest

Social media affecting vaccination

An interesting resource on the bmj website is How are social media influencing vaccination? Understanding online behaviour and health outcomes It mainly includes links to articles, but also has an introduction to the topic. " this collection brings together original research examining the diverse relationships between social media use and vaccination beliefs and behaviours globally. The research studies included in this collection were funded through AHO’s Vaccine Confidence Fund. Further Analysis and Opinion articles, commissioned by The BMJ, explore the challenges of carrying out research in this nascent field and in drawing insights for policy action."
Go to https://www.bmj.com/social-media-influencing-vaccination
Image by Sheila Webber using Midjourney AI and prompt vaccine hesitancy, soothing colours (not sure that Midjourney's idea of "soothing" is the same as mine)

Philippine Association for Media and Information Literacy

PAMIL (Philippine Association for Media and Information Literacy) is an organisation for Media and Information Literacy educators, trainers, practitioners, and advocates in the Philippines. It is the official Philippine Chapter of the UNESCO MIL Alliance. There is a small amount of information on its website https://pamil.org.ph/about/ but they seem to use Facebook to distribute current information https://www.facebook.com/PAMIL.PH
At the moment they are advertising the hybrid 6th National Forum on MIL event which takes place February 9-10 2024. Note that of course it takes place in the Philippines time zone.
It is priced but the prices for online participation are very low - look on Facebook for the best information, and here is the registration form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScM_AwAz61wI0lEhSoGbckUaqJ0fnN0wGqnKl6CxgnOdc0zTA/viewform Last date for registration is 31 January 2024

Global Media and Information Literacy Award winners 2023

The winners of the UNESCO-sponsored Global Media and Information Literacy Awards 2023 have been announced. They recognise excellence and leadership in five sectors: Education, Research, Policy, Advocacy, Media and Communication/Information Industries. Congratulations to all!
1st Prize: Mr. Felipe Chibas Ortiz, Brazil and Ms. Irene Andriopoulou, Greece
2nd Prize: Mr. Jose Reuben Q. Alagaran, Philippines and Ofcom, UK
3rd Prize: Library Association of Trinidad and Tobago (LATT), Ms. Aichurek Usupbaeva, Kyrgyzstan and Mr. Shawky Salem, Egypt.
Image by Sheila Webber using Midjourney AI

#LILAC24 programme and registration

The programme for the LILAC (information literacy) conference taking place in Leeds, UK, 25-27 March 2024, has been released at https://www.lilacconference.com/lilac-2024/conference-programme-1 (click on the word doc link for the details) and there are still some delegate places left.
Costs: CILIP Individual Member/ Speaker/ Early Bird Rate Full Conference £430; Non-Member Rate Full Conference £480; CILIP Individual Member/ Speaker/ Early Bird Rate Day Delegate – £205; Non-Member Rate: Day Delegate – £225. Early Bird Rate closes on 26 January 2024. Register at https://www.lilacconference.com/register

Generative AI

Firstly, there is some useful work going in in Australia, including this recent 8-page publication Australian Framework for Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Schools. The framework consists of principles or guiding points, under the headings: Teaching & Learning; Human & Social Wellbeing; Transparency; Fairness; Accountability; Privacy Security & Safety: https://www.education.gov.au/schooling/resources/australian-framework-generative-artificial-intelligence-ai-schools 

Secondly, EDUCAUSE has a 7 Things page focusing on 7 things you should know about generative AI https://er.educause.edu/articles/2023/12/7-things-you-should-know-about-generative-ai (The 7 Things series consists of concise lists with some key information points for educators).

Sheffield Literacies and Language Conference: Towards (extra)ordinary literacies and linguistic futures

There is a call for abstracts for the Sheffield Literacies and Language Conference: Towards (extra)ordinary literacies and linguistic futures to be held 14-15 June 2024 in Sheffield, UK. It is organised by Sheffield Hallam University and University of Sheffield. The deadline for proposals is 1 March 2024.
They "invite you to explore possible futures, and the role of language, and of course literacies, in imagining new realities, beyond ‘standard’ language/s and deficit understandings of language/s. Our conference theme of futures builds on the developing body of research and scholarship in language-focused fields - including, but not limited to intercultural communication, literacies, applied linguistics and sociolinguistics - which calls on scholars to not take language for granted. This includes research which engages with post-human and new materialist philosophies, embracing the embodied nature of language"
You can submit proposals for papers, posters, workshops or colloquia.
Go to https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/education/research/literacies-and-language/forging-hopeful-literacies/call-papers
Photo by Sheila Webber: Botanic Gardens, Sheffield, January 2024

Awards for Media Literacy - call for nominations

There is a call for entries for the Voices Awards 2024 associated with the First European Festival of Journalism and Media Literacy, Voices, which takes place in Florence, Italy, on 15-16 March 2024. Deadline for nominations is 31 January 2024. There are five awards for Journalism and five for Media Literacy: each receives1000 euros to attend the Festival. Information on the media literacy awards is here https://voicesfestival.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Call-for-entries_Voices-Awards_MediaLiteracy.pdf.
Also, the event itself (in a rather lovely venue) is free for the first to register. No programme as yet, but interesting organisations involved.

Recent articles: Faculty attitudes; Librarians' experiences of teaching; Generative AI; Curriculum mapping in political science

Recent articles from priced journal portal: Libraries and the Academy include:
- Baer, A. (2024). Academic Instruction Librarians' Conceptions of Teacher Agency and Affective Orientations toward the Concept. portal: Libraries and the Academy 24(1), 105-135. https://doi.org/10.1353/pla.2024.a916992 " Participants generally expressed positive affect when they felt they were independently in control of their teaching (individual agency), or when they described reciprocal and collaborative relationships with faculty (potentially collective agency). Participants expressed negative affect about experiences of lacking teacher agency. Almost all participants expressed 1) a desire to experience meaning and purpose in teaching and 2) a sensitivity to the highly relational nature of librarians' instructional work."
- Stonebraker, I., & LeMire, S. (2023). Requesting Librarian-Led Information Literacy Support: Instructor Approaches, Experiences, and Attitudes. portal: Libraries and the Academy 23(4), 843-862. https://doi.org/10.1353/pla.2023.a908704 " Librarians at two large institutions surveyed 29 instructors and then interviewed 11 about their experiences working with librarians, their motivations for involving librarians in their courses, and their goals for including information literacy instruction. The study found that instructors had many different levels of experience with the library. Motivations for inviting librarians to their classes included creating a support network and sharing librarian expertise with students."
- Henson, B. (2023). Using Curriculum Mapping to Understand Information Literacy in Political Science Curricula. portal: Libraries and the Academy 23(4), 717-744. https://doi.org/10.1353/pla.2023.a908699 - Hurrell, C., Beatty, S., Murphy, J.E., Cramer, D., Lee, J., & McClurg, C. (2024). Learning and Teaching about Scholarly Communication: Findings from Graduate Students and Mentors. portal: Libraries and the Academy 24(1), 83-104. https://doi.org/10.1353/pla.2024.a916991
- Miller, R.E. (2024). Pandora's Can of Worms: A Year of Generative AI in Higher Education. portal: Libraries and the Academy 24(1), 21-34. https://doi.org/10.1353/pla.2024.a916988 "... this article reports on the experience of learning about generative AI at one university. This article considers ways that educators may use AI tools and reasons to resist adopting generative AI tools, situating uses on a spectrum of acceptability."
Photo by Sheila Webber: Trees in the botanic gardens January 2024

Online workshop: Interactive Tools for Presentations and Teaching

A half-day online course from the UK electronic information Group (UKeiG) is Interactive Tools for Presentations and Teaching, taking place 10:00-13:00 (UK time) on 22 February 2024. Cost (including presentation slides and documentation) is: UKeiG/CILIP members £50 + VAT; Non-members £80 + VAT (plus some other discount). Course leader is Ned Potter.
"How do we truly engage our audience when presenting ideas, welcoming new users, or teaching? There are plenty of freely available tools which allow more interaction, which can be used either instead of or alongside traditional presentation tools like PowerPoint".
Delegates will explore tools including Menti, Prezi Next, Google Slides and Padlet. "By the end of the training participants will have learned about a variety of interactive tools, tried them all out, and be able to make an informed choice as to when to use them in their online presentations, lectures, workshops, or orientation sessions."
Info and booking at https://www.cilip.org.uk/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1800198&group=201314

New articles: Multiliteracies; agents for healthcare

The latest issue of open access journal Information Research (Vol. 28 No. 4, 2023) includes:
- Librarians’ and teachers’ conceptions of multiliteracies in the context of Finnish curriculum reform by Siinamari Ylivuori, Anu Ojaranta "Individual and group interviews are analysed to explore the conceptions of teachers and librarians on multiliteracies. ... The results indicate that there are differences in conceptualising multiliteracies and in the confidence in defining the concept between teachers and librarians. In addition, the concept of multiliteracies is seen as both a skills set and a pedagogical tool. ... There is a need for conceptual clarification of multiliteracies both in grassroots-level work and in the curriculum context to avoid multiple interpretations of the concept and to guide how multiliteracies could be pedagogically implemented."
- Critical information quality dimensions of conversational agents for healthcare by Caihua Liu, Guochao Peng, Shufeng Kong, Chaowang Lan, Haoliang Zhu (gives results from a questionnaire survey "Understandability and trustworthiness were the two top concerns for the information quality of the agents from the participants’ perspective in this study. ")
Go to https://informationr.net/infres/issue/view/28-4
Photo by Sheila Webber: winter brabnches, Botanical Gardens, January 2024

Webinar: Online Interviews

The next free webinar organised by the Library and Information Research Group (LIRG), on Online Interviews, is delivered by me, on 1 March 2024 at 12 noon-1pm UK time! It is part of LIRG's Continuing Professional Development series "designed to introduce LIS practitioners to workplace research methods"
"During this session, Sheila Webber, Senior Lecturer at the Information School, University of Sheffield, UK, will discuss characteristics and guidelines impacting research interviews. She will delve into considerations for online interview settings, explore various online spaces for interviewing, and touch upon choices related to audio, video, and graphics in the interviewing process. Ethical aspects of online interviews will also be addressed."
I hope to see you there!
Register at https://www.cilip.org.uk/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1778120&group=
Photo by Sophie Rutter, taken last year when I received the Thinkerer award for immersive education: this is my blog so I decided to pick a more flattering picture of me ;-)

Bibliography: Library instruction and information literacy 2022

The annual annotated bibliography of articles about information literacy has been published (there is a note that when it was first published at the end of 2023 some content was missed out and this has now been restored). This is a priced publication. 340 items were identified "from the EBSCO platform for Library, Information Science and Technology Abstracts (LISTA), Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), Elsevier SCOPUS and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. Sources selected were published in 2022 and included the terms “information literacy,” “library instruction,” or “information fluency” in the title, subject terms, or author supplied keywords."
On a personal note, the authors discuss in their introduction how they debated whether to extend the search terms, and they note that "Johnston and Webber [that's me!] (2005) led the way in proposing information literacy as a soft discipline nearly 20 years ago and the debate in our field continues;most recently at the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Conference with a panel entitled, “Casting a New Conversation: Recognizing Information Literacy as a Discipline” (Maybee et al., 2023)." (see https://crln.acrl.org/index.php/crlnews/article/view/26111)
Caffrey, C., Lee, H., Withorn, T., Galoozis, E., Clarke, M., Philo, T., Eslami, J., Ospina, D., Haas, A., Kohn, K.P., Macomber, K., Clawson, H. and Vermeer, W. (2023), "Library instruction and information literacy 2022", Reference Services Review, Vol. 51 No. 3/4, pp. 319-396. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/RSR-08-2023-0061/full/html
Photo by Sheila Webber: soft toys, almost as numerous as the articles in the bibliography, Krakow, October 2023

Call for proposals Playful Learning

There is a call for proposals for the Playful Learning conference which will take place in Brighton, UK, 3-5 July 2024.
Deadline for proposals is 5 February 2024.
More information at https://playfullearningassoc.co.uk/conference/

CALC Quarterly call for submissions

There is a new inititaive from the CALC (Critical Approaches to Libraries Conference) people:  CALC Quarterly. They are calling for submissions (in any accessible format) by 31 January 2024.
"CALC Quarterly is a journal/newsletter which aims to give folks the space to share ideas and experiences around critical librarianship in a formal or informal way. As with the conference itself, we strive to be inclusive and accessible to all with a commitment to give a platform for a diverse range of voices and experiences. We're looking for contributions for our first issue, with the suggested prompt of: ‘What does CALC and/or critical librarianship mean to you?’."
More information at https://calcquarterly.org/submissions.

Two sponsored places at #LILAC24

The CILIP Information Literacy Group offers the Rowena Macrae-Gibson Student Award which provides a sponsored place at the LILAC (Information Literacy) conference taking place in Leeds, UK, 25-27 March 2024. Closing date is 2 February 2024 17.00 UK time. The are awards for two students, who must be registered for a UK-based first degree or taught postgraduate qualification in information/library studies or information literacy (IL). The award includes a full conference place, including social events, and UK travel and accommodation expenses up to the value of £250. Full-time or part-time students can apply (including distance-learners).
More info at https://www.lilacconference.com/awards/student-sponsored-places

Free webinars

A useful list of free webinars, curated by April Sheppard. They are to do with various aspects of library work, including information literacy. Some of the non information literacy ones look interesting too! (I've just signed up for a session on the 2024 new MeSH headings, basically out of nostalgia).
It is a US-based list so do pay attention to time zones.
Go to https://libguides.astate.edu/profdev/freeforall
Image by Sheila Webber using Midjourney AI with prompt librarian heroine saving books in a forest --niji 5 cute

Research Agenda Conversation: Veronica Arellano Douglas

The ACRL January 2024 Research Agenda Conversation (an interview published in a blog post) is with Veronica Arellano Douglas (Head of Teaching & Learning at the University of Houston Libraries, USA).
Go to https://acrl.ala.org/IS/is-committees-2/committees-task-forces/research-scholarship/research-agenda-conversations/2024-research-agenda-conversation/
Photo by Sheila Webber: Gormley sculpture at Rodin museum, November 2023

Applications invited for Information Literacy Award

The CILIP Information Literacy Group and the Information School at the University of Sheffield are again offering an award for achievement in the field of information literacy (IL).
It is open to individuals or teams based in the United Kingdom: practitioners, researchers or academics. Nominations will close on 2 February 2024 at 17:00 UK time. The winner will receive £500 for personal use and £500 for their nominated charity.
"Nominations must demonstrate impact, innovation, initiative and originality in one or more of the following areas [there has to be evidence of impact etc. in the last three years]:
- Raising the profile of IL within an organisation / community or sector
- Initiating or contributing to national, regional or local projects / initiatives which enhance IL skills for an identified client group(s)
- Developing a digital resource (e.g. online course, service, product or app) which develops and enhances IL skills
- Undertaking original research in the field of IL and making a significant contribution to the literature.
"There should be evidence that the nominated individual or team is committed to sharing knowledge and expertise and/or disseminating their learning and/or research within their organisation and beyond."
You can self-nominate or be nominated by colleagues.You can submit a written nomination or a video.
More information at https://www.lilacconference.com/awards/information-literacy-award
Image by Sheila Webber using Midjourney AI with prompt - new year greetings, warm colours, cats, happy

New book: Visual Literacy Pedagogy in Academic Libraries and Information Spaces

ACRL has published (2024) Unframing the Visual: Visual Literacy Pedagogy in Academic Libraries and Information Spaces, edited by Maggie Murphy, Stephanie Beene, Katie Greer, Sara Schumacher, and Dana Statton Thompson.
"This collection provides new ideas and inspiration for how to unframe, adapt, and apply visual literacy pedagogy and praxis in your work. ... In four parts, Unframing the Visual: Visual Literacy Pedagogy in Academic Libraries and Information Spaces explores: Participating in a Changing Visual Information Landscape; Perceiving Visuals as Communicating Information; Practicing Visual Discernment and Criticality; Pursuing Social Justice through Visual Practice.
"Twenty-four full color chapters present a range of theoretical and practical approaches to visual literacy pedagogy that illustrate, connect with, extend, and criticize concepts from the Framework for Visual Literacy in Higher Education: Companion Document to the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. Topics include using TikTok to begin a conversation on academic honesty and marginalization; supporting disciplines to move to multimodal public communication assignments; critical data visualization; and exclusionary practices in visual media."
Cost is US $120.00, or for ALA Members, $108.00 (or US $84.0 as an e-book). Item Number: 978-0-8389-3991-8
More info at https://www.alastore.ala.org/content/unframing-visual-visual-literacy-pedagogy-academic-libraries-and-information-spaces

New articles: Inclusive pedagogy; ACRL & SIFT; High cost of open offices; AI and creativity

The latest issue of open access College and Research Libraries News (vol 84 issue 11) includes:
- Engaging with Indigenous practices: Inclusive pedagogy by Kim L. Ranger
- Six frames, four moves, one habit: Finding ACRL’s Framework within SIFT by Allison I. Faix, Amy F. Fyn
- Neither open nor equitable: The high cost of open offices by Meredith Farkas (not about Information Literacy but well worth reading!)
- The fall of creativity: A librarian’s role in the world of AI by Shoshana Frank
Go to https://crln.acrl.org/index.php/crlnews/issue/view/1649/showToc
Image by Sheila Webber using Midjourney AI using the prompt open-plan office, crowded, threatening, --ar 16:9.You will note that apparently open plan offices are occupied almost entirely by men. When I added "women workers" to the prompt it came up with rows of women in 1950s outfits doing 1950s type things with stacks of paper and/or angry women shouting and throwing things. Hmmm

Information Literacy instruction: Creating inclusive and engaging communities of learning for all student

On 10 January 10 2024 at 10:00 US Pacific time (which is, e.g. 18:00 UK time) there is the first LiLi free webinar Information Literacy instruction: Creating inclusive and engaging communities of learning for all students, delivered by Leslie Ross (Assistant Professor, Instruction Coordinator at New Mexico State University Library, USA)
"There are students with disabilities who qualify for accommodation in the IL classroom, but often the accommodations don't go far enough. There are also students who do not have diagnosed disabilities and are very much in need of specific accommodations for things like situational anxiety, homesickness, or emergent substance use disorders that impact their abilities to learn and hand work in on time. We will discuss using asset-based teaching practices and universal design in IL instruction to create inclusive and engaging communities of learning for all students." Register at https://northampton-edu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAvdO-grT0vHNx9rjoAEkOcy7wlbHTwhV14
Image by Sheila Webber using Midjourney AI

Universal design in libraries

An open-access paper (and brochure) from the 2023 IFLA conference:
Larsson, Karin. (2023) Universal design: Aiming for Universal Design. Paper presented at 88th IFLA World Library and Information Congress (WLIC), 2023 Rotterdam.
"Universal Design is a perfect vision to aim for. An environment, a library, designed to meet everyone’s needs. Universal Design is, and has been, explained simply as good design. The design and composition are understood, accessed, and used by everyone - not only by someone disabled. In Malmö, Sweden, there are twelve libraries spread across the municipality. Are these libraries accessible for everyone? Maybe not, but they are a work in progress. A library wherever it is located must be a welcoming place for everyone wanting to visit. It is a human right. Presented in this paper is a guide written to help and inspire all staff working with accessibility at any of Malmö’s libraries. Does this guide alone let us reach the universal design – no, however there are many changes being made throughout our libraries and they all are striving for universal design. "
https://repository.ifla.org/handle/123456789/2670
Photo by Sheila Webber: another Xmas wreath, December 2023

Using Lego in Adult Teaching & Neurodiversity in the Workplace

Happy new year! On 6 March 2024 there is an online workshop Basic Introduction to using Lego in Adult Teaching / Support delivered by Andrew Walsh: Cost £85 (including Lego to UK addresses, t£95 for attendees outside the UK "In this half day online workshop, we will explore how Lego® (or other model making materials) may be used in teaching situations with adults. We will briefly introduce the concept of Lego® Serious Play® (LSP) and carry out some exercises based upon it, from warm-ups to some more involved builds." https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/basic-introduction-to-using-lego-in-adult-teaching-support-march-24-tickets-770297619917
Also from Andrew Walsh there's a series of 3 online workshops, 19 February, 4 March and 18 March 2024, at 15.00-16.00 UK time, Costs are £25 for one, or discount for all 3 (£60). "Webinar 1 is an introduction to neurodiversity in the workplace; Webinar 2 is on the workplace environment and neurodivergent workers; Webinar 3 is around more effectively managing neurodivergent members of your team. ... These webinars are aimed at neurotypical people who wish to know more about the experiences of neurodivergent (ND) people in the workplace and support, or manage, them more effectively." More info at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/neurodiversity-in-the-workplace-a-series-of-3-webinars-tickets-774430992947
Image created by Sheila Webber on Midjourney AI with prompt new year celebrations, fireworks, london bridge, thames, green and blue highlights

Videos about qualitative research

For those of you who qualitative researchers:
- Firstly, videos showing how generative AI can be used in qualitative analysis are included in the series Research with Dr Kriukow https://www.youtube.com/@QualitativeResearcher/videos [NB this account was hacked on 5th Jan 24 so may be unavailable - see https://drkriukow.com/]
- Secondly, from the expert in online interviews, Dr Janet Salmons, is the video Technology, Communication and E Interview Structures https://youtu.be/9ThgRc7QZ78?feature=shared again part of a Youtube channel on qualitative research https://www.youtube.com/@jesalmons/videos
- Finally, a 20 minute video Trustworthiness (Rigour) Criteria in Qualitative Research from Dr Yazdan Mansourian https://youtu.be/vyN6sTa_n1o?feature=shared

Photo by Sheila Webber: Xmas wreath (not mine), December 2023

Archipelago of Information Science

Dr Jenna Hartel has put a video series An Archipelago of Information Science on her Youtube channel. This series of short and imaginative videos "explores ideas on the frontier of Information Science. It enacts the metaphor of an island chain—an archipelago—of incipient concepts existing still somewhat offshore of the Information Science 'mainland.' " - it arose from the excellent keynote at ECIL that Pam McKinney blogged here in October. 
This is the link to the playlist https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZp7Vke_WTVpFc-vT3Yv6he9iNFztRvAg and the introduction is embedded below.
There is also a souvenir map

Exploring AI pedagogy

An interesting resource is Exploring AI pedagogy: A Community Collection of Teaching Reflections, which has summaries/reflections on teaching related to AI, posted by university lecturers
"Have you tried something in your classroom related to AI that excited or disappointed you? Is there a classroom activity that has made you hopeful about the future of AI in higher ed? Maybe you tried out a pedagogical practice that you heard about from a colleague and have some reflections to offer? On this site, you can share your pedagogical experiences with colleagues and reflect on successes, failures, and results that leave us perplexed."
A good source to dip into for ideas. Created by the MLA-CCCC (The Modern Language Association and Conference on College Composition and Communication) Joint Task Force on Writing and AI. The resource is at https://exploringaipedagogy.hcommons.org/ and it includes a google form you can use to submit your own intervention/ reflection.
Photo by Sheila Webber: house with wreath in London, December 2023

Webinar: Building Inclusive Online Tutorials

There is a free webinar on 7 February 2023 at 2pm US Eastern time (which is, e.g., 7pm UK time): Building Inclusive Online Tutorials, presented by Abigail Mann
"We will discuss content and structure choices that are possible in online tutorials to create inclusive, welcoming learning environments even without the benefits of personal interaction. Topics covered include diverse visual cues, multimodal approaches, and gender inclusive language."
It is part of the Carterette series of webinars, organised by the US Georgia Library Association.
Register at https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_tnRNakwQSdSursACqo_W8w
Photo by Sheila Webber: wreaths of South London, December 2023

Webinar: Information Literacy through Theory

On 24 January 2024 at 19.00 UK time there will be the online book launch of Information Literacy through Theory. The launch will be attended by the co-editors, Alison Hicks, Annemaree Lloyd and Ola Pilerot and some chapter authors "to discuss the book, our writing process and future directions for theorising information literacy". Register at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-of-advanced-studies/events/2024/jan/online-ias-book-launch-information-literacy-through-theory

Merry Christmas to all information literacy enthusiasts

Happy holiday season to all those interested in information literacy. I hope you have a pleasant and peaceful Christmas time. As usual I made a festive wreath from bottom branches of our Christmas tree (this year a "noble fir"), and this is a picture of the wreath hanging outside the house.

Algorithm literacy

Augustinus, M. (2022). What do we talk about when we talk about algorithmic literacy? A scoping review. (Masters dissertation). University of Boras. https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1732027/FULLTEXT01.pdf. A useful review. 

Archambault, S.G. (2023). Toward a new framework for teaching algorithmic literacy. Information and Learning Sciences, (early online publication) https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-07-2023-0090. This is not open access, so here is some more information:
"Eleven semistructured interviews and one focus group were conducted with scholars and teachers of critical algorithm studies and related fields. A content analysis was manually performed on the transcripts using a mixture of deductive and inductive coding. Data analysis was aided by the coding software program Dedoose (2021) to determine frequency totals for occurrences of a code across all participants along with how many times specific participants mentioned a code. Then, findings were organized around the three themes of knowledge components, coping behaviors and pedagogy. Findings: The findings suggested a set of 10 knowledge components that would contribute to students’ algorithmic literacy along with seven behaviors that students could use to help them better cope with algorithmic systems. A set of five teaching strategies also surfaced to help improve students’ algorithmic literacy."
The knowledge components were: Bias causes (what causes bias); Black box (understanding how much of algorithms was hidden);common misconceptions; algorithm strengths; machine learning vs rule based; key algorithmic operations; human-algorithm interplay; algorithmic reasing vs human reasoning; commodification; infrastructure.
The coping behaviours were: Recognise across domains in everyday life; privacy of personal data; folk theories; gaming the system; broader advocacy (becoming an activist in raising issues); critical evaluation; scepticism anarchy.
The pedagogogic strategies were: tactile (buildingalgorithms); data transparency tools; speculative futuring; perspective taking; expectancy violation.
Image by Sheila Webber using Midjourney AI - using the prompt Sheila Webber. I don't look like that

#LILAC24 bursaries

Bursaries for the LILAC24 information literacy conference (25-27 March 2024 in Leeds, UK) are available for CILIP (UK) Yorkshire & Humberside members. Applications close on 8 January 2024. There are 2 bursaries (One full conference pass and one one-day pass) for members residing or working in the Yorkshire and Humberside region.
They prioritise: Individuals who have not previously attended a multi-day national/international conference; Individuals from groups underrepresented and/or marginalised in the library and information profession, including (but not limited to): LGBTQIA+, disabled and neurodivergent applicants, and applicants from BAME backgrounds; Student members; New professionals (less than 5 years' experience); Members who earn below £23,000 per annum or are unwaged.
Full info at https://www.cilip.org.uk/members/group_content_view.asp?group=201296&id=1020639.
Photo by Sheila Webber: inside the Rodin museum, November 2023

Webinar: Connectivity & Digital Disruption: The Digital Divide

On 21 December 2023 at 12 noon US EST (which is 17.00 UK time) there is a free webinar Connectivity & Digital Disruption: The Digital Divide.
"Susan Wiesinger and Ralph Beliveau discuss their new book, Digital Literacy: A Primer on Media, Identity, and the Evolution of Technology 2nd edition. This book, which is directed to young undergraduate students, seeks to inspire an attitude of inquiry toward media experiences. Central to such inquiry would be considerations of equal and unequal conditions as they proliferate across American culture, and then engage with global cultures. This discussion seeks to engage with the media literacy community to consider what can be done to reduce such inequalities while also recognizing and celebrating cultural differences. Breakout discussions will allow for closer attention to the way participants have experienced these divides locally."
The webinar includes time for discussion on: "What should the role of government be in reducing inequality? How are freedoms connected to access and education being effected by authoritarian tendencies? What can be done to encourage better and more equal experiences in the digital sphere?"
This is part of a series on inequalities and media education
Full details and registration at https://mediaeducationlab.com/events/connectivity-digital-disruption-digital-divide
Photo by Sheila Webber: shadows on the wall, December 2023

New articles: Health literacy in Bangladesh; Postgraduates' information literacy

Firstly, the first issue of open access Journal of Graduate Librarianship is at https://dc.etsu.edu/jgl/. I think that "graduate librarianship" is librarians who are providing services to postgraduate students - Masters or PhD students. The first issue includes
- A Two-Phase Study Examining Graduate Library Student Knowledge Gains and Perceptions of Information Literacy Modules by Holly S. Hebert, Karen V. Nourse, and Kevin S. Krahenbuhl

Secondly the latest issue of the open access IFLA Journal (Volume 49, No. 4 (December 2023) at https://repository.ifla.org/handle/123456789/3159 includes
- Community engagement of public libraries for ensuring tribal women’s health literacy in Bangladesh by  Shamima Yesmin, Md Abdul Karim and Md Atikuzzaman.
Abstract "The main aim of this study is to investigat epublic libraries’ responses and willingness in providing health information services to tribal communities. Data was collected from11 library professionals using a structured interview method and 276 tribal women through a survey. The data was then analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).The findings show that most of the participating libraries (72.8%) did not provide any specific service for tribal-community engagement, although all of them were very positive in initiating it. On the other hand, the majorityof the tribal women were interested in getting health-related information from public libraries. ‘Community engagement fo rhealth literacy’ could be a new formula for tribal communities in this regard."
Photo by Sheila Webber: autumn leaves in Paris, November 2023

Information literacy and society report

The UK's Media and Information Literacy Alliance (MILA, which is separate from UNESCO's MIL Alliance) has released a report, the Information literacy and society report, produced by a group of researchers at Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland, which was commissioned to review of research about the impact of Information Literacy on society.
"The review finds that the core research that investigates the role of IL in society is geographically skewed towards the anglosphere and the first world. Education, particularly tertiary education, is significantly over-represented in the IL research literature. Barriers to shaping information-literate populations are raised by issues around IL teaching and structures that could support it, including government (in)action."
The full report, including full references, can be found at https://mila.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ILS-final-project-report-AS-PUBLISHED.bmrV2_.pdf
Photo by Sheila Webber: in the gardens of the Musee Montmartre, November 2023

PIL climate study

Project Information Literacy has started a new project, focusing on information about climate change "a large-scale survey of U.S. residents between 16 and 85 years old to delve into how their encounters with climate change news and information — and the behaviors that manage those encounters — shape Americans’ disparate responses to the worldwide climate crisis." It started this autumn with a survey of 4500 members of the general public in the USA. There is more information here https://projectinfolit.org/faq-pil-climate-study/

Photo by Sheila Webber: snowman, December 2023

New book: Everyday Evidence-Based Practice

ACRL has published Everyday Evidence-Based Practice in Academic Libraries: Case Studies and Reflections, (eds. - Claire Walker Wiley, Amanda B. Click, and Meggan Houlihan). US $84.00, or $75.60 to ALA Members. Item Number: 978-0-8389-3985-7. It is in 5 parts, and part 3 is Instruction and Outreach, with 3 chapters:
- Everyday Evidence to Assess Teaching and Learning: A Programmatic Assessment of Library Instruction by Matthew Weirick Johnson, Michelle Brasseur, Monica Hagan, Diane Mizrachi, and Jimmy Zavala
- Incorporating a Lesson Study Approach to the Development of an Evidence Synthesis Workshop Series by Zahra Premji and K. Alix Hayden
- Out of Context: Incorporating Intersectionality in Information Literacy Instruction by Matthew Chase
Details of the book at https://www.alastore.ala.org/content/everyday-evidence-based-practice-academic-libraries-case-studies-and-reflections
Photo by Sheila Webber: Renoir gardens at the Musee de Montmartre, Paris, November 2023

Cat Park

Another game highlighting the problems of disinformation spread by social media is Cat Park. You play someone who (spoiler alert) is initially manipulated to spread propaganda to destroy a cat park and then (once the real plan behind this is revealed) you try and spread some facts to make things better. It is free for all to use at https://catpark.game/ and is professionally done (could be even more cats, though!). It works with Chrome (possibly not with Firefox).

I found out about this game from a an article in which the researchers found "that people who play Cat Park find misinformation significantly less reliable post-gameplay (d = 0.95, p < 0.001) compared to a control group, and are significantly less willing to share misinformation with people in their network (d = 0.54, p < 0.001)." However it didn't improve their confidence in identifying misinformation.
Neylan, J., Biddlestone, M., Roozenbeek, J. et al. (2023). How to “inoculate” against multimodal misinformation: A conceptual replication of Roozenbeek and van der Linden (2020). Scientific Reports, 13, article 18273. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-43885-2#Sec2
Image by Sheila Webber using Midjourney AI, with prompt cat park, pastel colours, park with cats, --ar 16:9 (not sure those are all cats!)

ACRL companion document: Instruction for Educators

I had missed The Companion Document to the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education: Instruction for Educators which was approved by ACRL in June 2023. It "provides links to standards used in teacher education and connects the standards to the ACRL Framework to make information literacy practical and relevant to teacher education students as they work on course assignments, prepare for careers as teachers, and for work in the classroom."
"The Companion Document addresses three roles that information literacy plays in teacher education: supporting teacher education students' classroom work in their teacher education program; preparing teachers for research skills needed in their career; and preparing teachers to support the information needs and practices of their students."
Go to https://acrl.libguides.com/ed
Photo by Sheila Webber: Eiffel Tower, November 2023

Global Education Monitoring report 2023

UNESCO has produced the Global Education Monitoring report (GEM) which "addresses the use of technology in education around the world through the lenses of relevance, equity, scalability and sustainability."  One of the background papers is on Media and Information Literacy, by Divina Frau-Meigs https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000386080.locale=en The page with links to the background papers is here https://www.unesco.org/gem-report/en/technology-background-papers

To pull out one finding from the main GEM report:"Technology offers an education lifeline for millions but excludes many more.
- „Accessible technology and universal design have opened up opportunities for learners with disabilities. About 87% of visually impaired adults indicated that accessible technology devices were replacing traditional assistive tools.„
- Radio, television and mobile phones fill in for traditional education among hard-to-reach populations. Almost 40 countries use radio instruction. In Mexico, a programme of televised lessons combined with in-class support increased secondary school enrolment by 21%.„
- Online learning stopped education from melting down during COVID-19 school closures. Distance learning had a potential reach of over 1 billion students; but it also failed to reach at least half a billion, or 31% of students worldwide – and 72% of the poorest.„
- The right to education is increasingly synonymous with the right to meaningful connectivity, yet access is unequal. Globally, only 40% of primary, 50% of lower secondary and 65% of upper secondary schools are connected to the internet; 85% of countries have policies to improve school or learner connectivity." https://www.unesco.org/gem-report/en/technology
Photo by Sheila Webber: Antony Gormley statues at the Rodin Museum, November 2023

Women's history 2023 advent calendar

The women's history 2023 advent calendar has "favourite new (and sometimes not so new) sites and resources  of the year for women’s studies and  womens history" https://calendar.myadvent.net/?id=nt1kee5497mdo9efkzij7kqyil69xnum

Cfp: 3rd International Conference on Information Literacy (ICIL-Africa 2024)

There is a call for papers for the 3rd International Conference on Information Literacy (ICIL-Africa 2024), a sister conference to the European Conference on Information Literacy (ECIL). It is organised by the North-West University (NWU), in collaboration with Bibliotheca Alexandrina and the University of Pretoria and will take place in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt, on 14-17 October 2024.
The deadline for abstracts is 15 March 2024 and the theme for the conference is Information Literacy Revolution: Get Ready!
Submission types are: Individual papers and posters; PechaKucha; Doctoral forum; Panel discussions.
The proposed topics are: Artificial Intelligence and Information Professionals; AI and Library Operations: Improving Library Services; Information Literacy and Smart libraries; Information Literacy Robotic Process Automation; Data and AI Literacy; Information literacy and sustainability in libraries; Information literacy/ media literacy and the battle against disinformation (fake news, reliable/unreliable resources); Information literacy and emerging technologies trends emerging since COVID -19; Information literacy and new paradigms: digital literacy, digital competencies, digital skills, and digital thinking.
More information at https://bibalex.org/baifa/en/page/ICIL-Africa2024submissions
Photo by Sheila Webber: The Thinker, Rodin Museum, November 2023

New secretary for Scottish CoP @Bruce_Research

 Bruce Ryan, of Napier University, is becoming the new Secretary of the Scottish Information Literacy Community of Practice, so it's a good moment to highlight that this group is still active. They have brought together stakeholders and also interacted with the Scottish Executive in a more active way than has been possible with the UK Government. Activities include, for example, a forthcoming meeting in Scotland to disseminate the Bridge project.
Their website needs updating with the latest information (something I imagine Bruce will be able to help with!) but it still has very interesting material, including their inspirational Scottish Information Literacy Framework (an early lifelong framework).

New articles: Indigenous IL; Artists; Community representation; Clinical judgement in nursing; 1st gen students; Australian librarians; Toffler

The latest issue of open access journal Journal of Information Literacy contains the following articles and also some book reviews. Go to https://journals.cilip.org.uk/jil/issue/view/46
- Information as a relation: Defining Indigenous information literacy by Sandra Littletree, Nicola Andrews, Jessie Loyer
- Emerging artists in transition: What role does information play in negotiating success and failure? by Maud Cooper
- An information literacy lens on community representation for participatory budgeting in Brazil by Peter Cruickshank, Bruce Ryan
- Engaging with practice: Information literacy instruction as a part of developing reflective thinking and clinical judgement in nursing studies by Margrethe Bakstad Søvik, Kari Røykenes
- Insights on first-generation students’ development of social capital for the rigours of college-level research by Leslin H. Charles
- Artificial intelligence literacy in libraries: Experiences and critical impressions from a learning circle by Karolina Andersdotter
- Giving voice to regional Australian academic librarians: Perceptions of information literacy and information literacy instruction by Annette Goodwin, Waseem Afzal
- Information literacy: Did Alvin Toffler beat Paul Zurkowski to it? by Andrew Shenton
Image created by Sheila Webber with Midjourney AI - the prompt was the string of words in the subject line

#MILCLICKS in The Gambia

This short news item from UNESCO reports on a session they supported at the Gambia's Youth Connekt conference in October 2023, the session being on using media and information literacy to combat hate speech, misinformation, and disinformation. Go to https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/media-information-literacy-avenue-youth-combat-hate-speech-misinformation-disinformation

Information Literacy presentations

Presentations from the LOEX Fall Focus conference held in November 2023 have been posted. One focus was developing colleagiues research and practice (for example materials are given from a workshop on Cultivating Community with Future Colleagues: Reference and Instruction Skill Building) Another theme was the first year experience, including first-generation students (e.g. More Than One Shot: Collectively Scaffolding Information Literacy in the First-Year Seminar and they include a link to lesson plans at http://lib.uncw.edu/il-uni101) There are also materials from a workshop on Generative Discussions on Generative AI: Preparing Librarians to Teach about Artificial Intelligence.
Go to https://loexfallfocus.org/session-materials/
Photo by Sheila Webber: Napoleaon's tomb, Paris, November 2023

Podcast: Let’s Talk About Media and Communication

A podcast from Cogitatio Press is Let’s Talk About Media and Communication. This is part of this Portuguese publisher's communication strategy, in which they invite an author from one of their journals (all open access) to talk about their article.
In the latest podcast Mathias-Felipe de-Lima-Santos talks about Google News Initiative: A double-edged sword for journalism (arguing it could undermine independent journalism: this is the article they are talking about). This is the podcast's home page https://www.cogitatiopress.com/wp/topics/mac
Photo by Sheila Webber taken in Second Life - the podcaster, November 2023

Teaching and Learning with Digital Primary Sources

There is a new report from Choice and JSTOR about Teaching and Learning with Digital Primary Sources: Nine insights into awareness, literacy, and collaboration between librarians, faculty, and students. You have to give some details about your name, place of work etc. before you can get the free download. The report includes brief interviews with 5 librarians who support teaching or teach IL using primary sources.
You can download the report at https://www.choice360.org/research/teaching-and-learning-with-digital-primary-sources-nine-insights-into-awareness-literacy-and-collaboration-between-librarians-faculty-and-students/
You can also see the launch webinar (November 14, 2023) here: https://youtu.be/dqdbBmiptW0?feature=shared
Image by Sheila Webber using Midjourney AI using prompt ancient manuscripts, in museum cases, hyperreal