Curating information literacy stories from around the world since 2005 - - - Stories identified, chosen and written by humans!

Curating information literacy stories from around the world since 2005 - - - Stories identified, chosen and written by humans!

On 24 September 2025 at 10.30 BST there is a training webinar: FOSIL in Action: An Introduction to Inquiry for Every Library Context led by Elizabeth Hutchinson. It is free to Empower Library Skills members, £25 to others. "This one-hour session introduces the FOSIL (Framework Of Skills for Inquiry Learning) model and explores how its structured, flexible approach to inquiry can be applied across a wide range of library settings, from schools and universities to law and public libraries. Whether you support learners, researchers, or lifelong curiosity, FOSIL offers a clear, adaptable framework to guide and deepen engagement. We’ll unpack the key stages, share practical examples, and highlight simple ways to begin using FOSIL in your own context, whatever your users' needs." Register at https://empowerlibraryskills.com/product-details-2169/product/fosil-in-action Photo by Sheila Webber: pergola, Gothenburg, August 2025

6,425 posts, 5.2 million page views ... the Information Literacy Weblog has been publishing c. 300 posts a year for 20 years. Looking at the first post, we said "Hi, This is a temporary blog created whilst The Information Literacy Blog (at http://ciquest.shef.ac.uk/infolit/ since April 2003) is being found a new home. ... We hope to have a new home as soon as we can!" Well, it hasn't been so temporary! The old blog (2003-2005) ceased because it was run under LaTeX was on an old server, and the person who was supporting it moved jobs. Some pages from have been archived in the Internet Archive (e.g. this home page from June 2004, which has a report from a workshop in Yeppoon, Australia and reports from the LIDA conference in Dubrovnik, e.g. this one. I was busy in those days! BTW the internet archive links can be slow to respond, so patience is needed). Initially Stuart Boon provided some posts, and latterly Pam McKinney has joined me in liveblogging conferences, but otherwise the posts are devised and written by me (Sheila Webber). The tagline of the old blog 2004 was Sharing relevant items and information relating to information literacy worldwide, which became the slightly snappier We bring you news and reports about information literacy around the world to start with on this blog. In due course (i.e. I can't remember when) I changed this to Curating information literacy stories from around the world since 2005. You may have noticed that I have now added a further tagline "Stories identified, chosen and written by humans!" since nowadays it seems worth pointing out that there is human agency both in deciding what to blog and in writing the posts.  It seems unlikely that I will still be blogging in 20 years time, but I intend to keep going for now!

Post-pandemic librarians have seen an increase in social and mental health issues impacting library patrons. Here's how library workers can play a role in mental health.

On 8 September 2025 at 10:00 - 13:00 Central Africa time (which is 9.00-12.00 BST) the North-West University (South Africa) Library and Information Service (LIS), with the Faculty of Humanities, will celebrate International Literacy Day 2025 with a webinar Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era. They highlight "the various forms of literacies essential for success in today’s world, including Information Literacy, Digital Literacy, AI Literacy, Reading Literacy, and Oral Literacy" with literacy including "acknowledging heritage and cultural practices such as oral literature and storytelling, which have historically laid the foundation for literacy development." Register at https://nwu.libcal.com/event/15132996 Photo by Sheila Webber: sycamore keys, August 2025

The latest issue of the open access journal Online learning (vol. 29, no. 3) is available, the focus of which is pretty obvious from the title. A couple of the articles that caught my attention were: - Donelan, H. et al.: Synchronous online learning: why some students don’t actively participate. This reportings findings from a study at the Open University (UK) "The survey data showed that lack of confidence is an important factor affecting student participation; over a third of students indicated that they experience stress when expected to take part actively. The paper also discusses how the online tools used in synchronous tutorials (e.g. text chat, polls, shared whiteboards) can support different levels of participation; the approaches tutors can use to encourage active engagement; and the role of passive participation". It's worth reading if you do any synchronous online sessions as it talks about things that encourage and things that discourage people from participating (the latter including repeatedly being exhorted to turn on your mic). - Belt, E.S., Friesen, N., Lowenthal, P.R. & Snelson, C.: Teacher-Student Relationships in an Online Graduate Program: A Phenomenological Analysis Go to https://olj.onlinelearningconsortium.org/index.php/olj/issue/view/136 Photo by Sheila Webber: washing on the line, July 2025

UNESCO redesigned its website for its Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Alliance. It "serves as an application and registration tool for partners interested to join or engage in the MIL Alliance, as an online MIL community for connection, collaboration, and coordination." Go to https://community.unesco.org/milAlliance/s/?language=en_US Photo by Sheila Webber, August 2025

Papers presented at the 2025 American Society for Engineering Education conference (held in June 2025 in Montreal, Canada) include (all full text papers): - Woods, L. (2025, June). Qualitative methods for studying women’s information experiences in engineering education. Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . 10.18260/1-2--57507 https://peer.asee.org/57507 - Kaurloto, C., & Lah, J., & Quezada, A. (2025, June). Analyzing Student Information Literacy Skills: Perceptions, Outcomes, and Future Planning. Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . 10.18260/1-2--55438 https://peer.asee.org/55438 - Mercado Rivera, A., & Prosser, E. (2025, June). Bridging Information Literacy and Data Science: A Collaborative Approach to Project-Based Learning. Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . 10.18260/1-2--56011 https://peer.asee.org/56011 - Basque, E. A., & Chevrier, J., & Cormier, A., & Du Ruisseau, M., & Fernandez Pereda, O., & Fitch-Kustcher, C., & Fitzgibbon, B., & Hérault, T., & Soare, A. (2025, June). Lasting Impacts of Credited Information Literacy Library Instruction for Graduate Engineering Students. Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . 10.18260/1-2--56908 https://peer.asee.org/56908 - Verdines, P. (2025, June). Information Seeking and Sensemaking in Engineering Education: A Framework for Capstone Projects. Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . 10.18260/1-2--56795 https://peer.asee.org/56795 Photo by Sheila Webber: creepers, Botanic Gardens, August 2025

An interesting iniative of the Purdue University (USA) Institute for Information Literacy is Partners for Algorithmic Literacy, which engages students and faculty to "co-learn and discuss algorithmic literacy and pedagogical practices", Go to https://lib.purdue.edu/iilp/pal/

The Rethinking Media Literacy and Digital Skills in Europe (REMEDIS) project has published a shorter version of their evaluation toolkit in addition to the full version. REMEDIS is an international project that aims "To understand what the impacts of media literacy and digital skills interventions in the different life domains are in terms of positive outcomes" https://remedis-chanse.eu/evaluation-toolkit/I will also highlight their publication: Vissenberg, J., Martinez, D., Edisherashvili, N., Puusepp, M., Tomczyk, L., Donoso, V., & d’Haenens, L. (2025). Advancing Media Literacy & Digital Skills Interventions: Recommendations for Stakeholders. https://zenodo.org/records/15879417

There is a webinar on 5 September 2025, 14:00–16:00 CEST: Librarians, Researchers, and AI: Shaping Information, Science and Society. This is part of the Czech Academy of Sciences’ AI Strategy AV21 project "which explores the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in shaping research and society ... Together, the esteemed expert-discussants will explore how libraries, librarians, and researchers engage with AI in shaping the future of information, science, and society. Speakers are: Dr. Thanos Giannakopoulos (Dag Hammarskjöld Library, United Nations Headquarters); Ing. Martin Lhoták (Deputy Director for Research, Development and Technology, Library of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic); Dr. Mayasari binti Abdul Majid (Library Director, LSL Education Group Sdn. Bhd., Malaysia); Dr. Ladislava Zbiejczuk Suchá (Deputy Head, Department of Information Studies & Library Science, Masaryk University); Mgr. Adam Urban (Information Specialist, Czech National Library of Technology) Register  at https://cesnet.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fecfUEsBSsait15TmGgqVA Photo by Sheila Webber: On board, Gothenburg, August 2025

AI Tools for Academic Libraries "is a bimonthly series from the Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) and Choice (part of ACRL) that explores specific categories of AI tools through concise, practical evaluations." You can sign up for a newsletter. The first installment has concise critical reviews of: Ex Libris’s Primo Research Assistant; Elicit; Perpexity AI; Research Rabbit; Semantic Scholar. https://www.choice360.org/libtech-insight/ai-tools-for-academic-libraries-ai-research-assisants/ Photo by Sheila Webber: birds on the wire, Gothenburg, August 2025

There is a call for papers for a special issue of the open-access Journal of Information Literacy: Banned Words, Banned Knowledge: Information Literacy in a Censored Society. They welcome "submissions related to or exploring information literacy and terms that have been erased or banned by the US government. This includes but is not limited to the list of words https://pen.org/banned-words-list/ published by PEN America in May 2025. Topics of interest may include information literacy research that was already underway when new restrictions came into place or which may now be impossible to publish; work explicitly exploring the impact of this clampdown on how information literacy is shaped or operationalised, as well as research exploring censorship in non-US contexts." Deadline for full papers: 1st June 2026 Special issue publication date: December 2026 More information at https://journals.cilip.org.uk/jil/announcement/view/9

Labangon, D.L.G. &  Sajona, A.L. (2025). Keeping up with the shift: A narrative study on the pedagogical practices among academic librarians in the post-pandemic era. Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries, 14(2). https://www.qqml-journal.net/index.php/qqml/article/view/831 They held a focus group with seven librarians in Manila. The themes that emerged from analysis were "1) Transforming information literacy instruction; 2) Embracing digital tools and platforms; 3) Fostering engagement and participation; 4) Cultivating adaptability and resourcefulness; 5) Designing for effective online learning." Photo by Sheila Webber: Mentor rose, Gothenburg, August 2025

Material from the 12th Annual LILi (Lifelong Information Literacy) Conference Tech for Equity: Leveraging Tools and Tech to Build Inclusive Futures (that took place 17-18 July 2025) is available, with recordings of sessions and slides. Sessions included - Super-Sized Library Instruction: One Size Does Not Fit All - “Our Class Can’t Come to Campus, but Could We Zoom the Session?”: Adapting and Delivering Information Literacy Instruction to Off-Campus Dual Enrollment Composition Classes - Beyond Search: Using AI to Empower Every Student’s Research Journey - Learn in a Week: On demand, scaffolded e-learning - Leveraging Generative AI for Information Literacy Curriculum Mapping in Academic Libraries - Leveraging Technology to Take Professional Development Beyond an Annual Institute to Enhance Professional Skills and Cultural Knowledge of Tribal College Librarians - Using AI to increase the readability of online information literacy tutorials - From Static to Dynamic: Enhancing Online Information Literacy Instruction with Interactive Tutorials - From AI Hallucinations to Critical Information Literacy: A 'Critical Citation Tracing' Approach - Research Without Resources: Incorporating Information Literacy Into Prison Education Programs Go to https://lili.libguides.com/lili2025/schedule Photo by Sheila Webber: Rudbeckia flowers, Botanic gardens, August 2025

Ofcom is seeking tenders for work developing Media literacy in Northern Ireland with adults and young people. They have split this into two seprate projects: Media literacy activities for adults in Northern Ireland and Media literacy activities for children and young people in Northern Ireland, although the successful bidders will be expected to work together. Opportunities for libraries, I think! There is a webinar on 21 August 2025, 11.00-12.00 BST, to provide contextual information for organisations considering applying for either or both tenders. Work would start in October 2025, initially for a year with the possibility of a 2 year extension. This is part of Ofcom's media literacy strategy. The notice for Media literacy activities for adults in Northern Ireland is here: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/046981-2025 The notice for Media literacy activities for children and young people in Northern Ireland is here: https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/047904-2025 Registration for the webinar is here: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/051e4052-8390-4939-8851-44cd6b7c5b37@0af648de-310c-4068-8ae4-f9418bae24cc

Project Information Literacy (PIL) has now finished, but they have created an archive. PIL ran 2008-2025 and generated a number of substantial reports over that period. They say " PIL researchers have built an archival site for continued access to PIL research reports, survey instruments, datasets, essays, and interviews with leading thinkers. ... All materials provided in this archive are made available under a Creative Commons license. The archive will be maintained for two years from September 2025 through December 2027. For that reason, we recommend that you download from this archive copies of any studies you will need in perpetuity. Go to https://projectinfolit.org/ Photo by sheila Webber: Botanic gardens, August 2025

UNESCO and its research institute, the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) have launched a free online course, Navigating Climate Information with Media and Information Literacy "Developed with input from climate scientists, advocates, fact-checkers, and communication experts, the course is composed of five modules, that aim to: Enhance understanding of climate change and the importance of identifying and trusting evidence-based data and scientific facts; Build critical thinking and fact-checking skills to evaluate climate information across diverse information providers; Encourage citizens to become media and information literate and to advocate for informed, positive climate action." There is an article at https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-launches-free-online-course-tackle-climate-disinformation-through-media-and-information The course is at: https://www.framerspace.com/course/climate-change-mil/?cid=66c4d62fd5a7ecdca11b28b3

Librarians at the University of Birmingham have produced a short Evaluative Framework for assessing AI tools "to help a researcher critically assess a tool before using it" AI tools licensing review guidance "a quick review checklist aimed at researchers evaluating the terms and conditions of a tool", and "a full review aimed at supporting anyone formally purchasing an AI tool for a group of users". They have kindly made the documents available under a CC BY licence so it can be reused. Go to https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/student/libraries/copyright/researchers/responsible-ai-tool-selection.aspx Photo by Sheila Webber: yellow rose, July 2025

Purdue University's Institute for Information Literacy has organised a webinar, Evidence-based Mindsets in an Era of Information Confusion: An Information Literacy Approach on 12 September 2025 at 13.00 US Central time (which is 19.00 in the UK, BST). The speaker is Professor William Badke. Thi is part of the Institute's Information and Democracy: Education, Access, Libraries, and Society (ID:EALS) series. "One of the most significant crises in today’s world is information confusion, the inability of many people, including our students, to determine what information is trustworthy and what is not. This has led to wild conspiracy theories, information silos, a distrust of scholarship, and a general sense that we have lost our moorings and no longer can see the shore. "Professor Badke's work with information authority and his interactions with students in 40 years of information literacy credit courses has given him an understanding of the issues and a possible path forward. While he does not claim to have unassailable answers, Professor Badke’s talk will provide some direction to attendees that takes us away from facile answers like “Use a checklist” or “Only access scholarly sources" in order to address the challenges we face in today’s information environment." Registration at https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/meeting/register/Gj9V4ifiT7OPHEGimAcwfQ#/registration More about the Institute and the ID:EALS series: https://lib.purdue.edu/IILP

The programme for the 2025 European Conference on Information Literacy (ECIL) is available, taking place 22-25 September 2025 in Bamberg, Germany. I (Sheila) will be - chairing and presenting on a panel, Developing an international research agenda for Information Literacy, with Professor John Budd, Bill Johnston, Dr Karen Kaufmann, and Professor Clarence Maybee. - presenting a paper, AI + Age-Friendly Media and Information Literacy: Gerontechnology, with Bill Johnston - and am honoured to be invited to give feedback in the doctoral forum Other University of Sheffield Information School presentations are: - The opening keynote from Dr Andrew Cox: The Dimensions of AI Literacy - Co-producing research priorities for Health Literacy with marginalised communities: Dr Pamela McKinney, Dr Laura Sbaffi, Dr Andrew Cox, Professor Peter Bath - Female engineering students’ information experiences: Preliminary findings from a PhD study: Laura Woods The programme is here: https://www.conftool.org/ecil2025/index.php?page=browseSessions Information about registrationis here: https://ecil2025.ilconf.org/registration/

Dr Helen Kara has a very useful Youtube stream with short, clearly-expressed videos about various aspects of qualitative research methods ("Research principles, methods and ethics") e.g. What Is Grounded Theory (in under 2 minutes!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Rybz_AjXc8 and Why Informed Consent is a Myth https://youtu.be/dEKBDyMhrHA?feature=shared. There are also some videos from the International Creative Research Methods Conference. The stream is here https://www.youtube.com/@HelenKaraWriter Photo by Sheila Webber: pink roses, July 2025

Global Media and Information Literacy Week 2025's Feature Conference is Minds Over AI - MIL in Digital Spaces hosted by UNESCO and the Republic of Colombia 23-24 October 2025 (Bogota time, 5 hours behind GMT) in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. The conference is free and you can register to attend in person or online. It will "focus on the intersections of media and information literacy (MIL) and artificial intelligence (AI), exploring how AI is reshaping the information landscape and how MIL is crucial to empower individuals to critically engage with AI-driven content." Go to https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/global-media-and-information-literacy-week-2025-feature-conference