Authors:nicholae cline, Jorge R. López-McKnight Pages: 5–13 - 5–13 Abstract: “Information Literacy is empire,” so goes this piece that reflects on the past and present to consider a future of IL as a learning paradigm and pedagogical framework. In sketching out the temporo-spatial and socio-cultural dimensions and consequences of IL, we critically interrogate its normative and disciplinary aspects while positioning and examining it as a product and project of empire. Following from such a premise, we detour through an exploratory meandering of alternative lenses and paths for IL that engage with and support the information worlds and knowledge systems of marginalised communities that have been subjected to epistemological violence through various interlocking logics of dispossession, domination, commodification, and control. This piece, which is really an invitation that is also a story—a groove, moving off vibrations of theories and concepts from critical library and information studies, decolonial imaginaries, fugitivity, and abolitionist modalities gestures towards a decolonial and liberatory vision of IL that is plural, expansive, speculative, collective, improvisational, and oriented towards the liberation and freedom of all beings. PubDate: 2024-06-02 DOI: 10.11645/18.1.568 Issue No:Vol. 18, No. 1 (2024)
Authors:Vicky Grant Pages: 14–2 - 14–2 Abstract: As we mark the 50th anniversary of information literacy it is timely to predict that the future of information (and digital) literacy will involve a creative turn. An epistemological movement towards cooperative inquiries, embracing learner creativity and the inclusion of previously hidden voices is emerging in response to calls to decolonise and liberate our libraries. Library creativity has gained traction through the library makerspace movement. Library makerspaces provide a physical location for co-creation, collaboration and active dialogue in a making environment. Positioning learners from marginalised groups as co-leaders and knowledge creators and attending to power and belonging is vital to the success of this movement. PubDate: 2024-06-02 DOI: 10.11645/18.1.577 Issue No:Vol. 18, No. 1 (2024)
Authors:Annemaree Lloyd Pages: 21–3 - 21–3 Abstract: In the context of information literacy (IL) research, the Anthropocene age offers an opportunity for researchers to explore to develop a more sophisticated understanding of the complexity of information literacy which result from rapid and complex social, political and economic change; to address the risk of societal fragmentation which is created by misinformation/disinformation; and to understand the risk to democratically encouraged information environments that will come with increasing incorporation of AI and opinion-driven social platforms into everyday life. For library practitioners who provide instruction or education, challenges exist in relation to scaffolding and encouraging sustainable, transferrable information and technological practices, not only in our own inward facing professional practice but in our outward facing practice with the myriad communities we support. Against this problematisation, this brief, but broad ranging paper aims to identify a range of questions for thinking about the practice of IL in the Anthropocenic age. No attempt is made to answer these questions, instead they act as an impetus for future researchers and practitioner researchers. PubDate: 2024-06-02 DOI: 10.11645/18.1.569 Issue No:Vol. 18, No. 1 (2024)
Authors:Silvia Vong Pages: 31–3 - 31–3 Abstract: It is important to align what we teach with how we teach information literacy (IL), otherwise we may inadvertently engage with what Hipple et al. (2021) identify as the pedagogy of hypocrisy through neoliberal pressure in higher education. This occurs when there is a misalignment between the values and principles behind what we teach and the pedagogical approaches we take when teaching. For example, when teaching IL concepts that intend to engage with social justice themes around access privilege and information, the pedagogy of hypocrisy can occur when we simply demonstrate how to access library resources on the library’s website, without engaging in critical conversations about systems that contribute to inequities in access within society. To counter this, Hipple et al. (2021) suggest that those who teach must critically reflect on who they teach for, examine how they use and activate (or co-opt) social justice language, and name dominant and oppressive structures. This paper builds on Hipple's argument to suggest ways of recognising the pedagogy of hypocrisy within IL practices, and argues that this recognition is key to countering hegemonic ideologies within LIS teaching. PubDate: 2024-06-02 DOI: 10.11645/18.1.566 Issue No:Vol. 18, No. 1 (2024)
Authors:Dijana Šobota Pages: 38–4 - 38–4 Abstract: This think-piece critically examines (critical) information literacy ((C)IL) and its teleological essence. Despite substantial scholarly inquiry and progress, IL remains invisible and undervalued beyond academia. IL silos and CIL’s embeddedness within critical pedagogy and its focus on epistemological issues hinder its theoretical development, reduce it to an academic abstraction and undermine its salience and emancipatory goals. A multidisciplinary/multidomain approach is needed, leveraging insights from critical (social) theories and engaging with the ontological, to facilitate a novel understanding of IL and transform it into real-life action literacy for positive social change. The paper concludes by interrogating assumptions about (C)IL’s benefits, highlighting potential inadvertent disempowering effects, and issues a call to consider it a dynamic concept that evolves by accounting for sociopolitical realities. PubDate: 2024-06-02 DOI: 10.11645/18.1.592 Issue No:Vol. 18, No. 1 (2024)
Authors:Noora Hirvonen Pages: 47–5 - 47–5 Abstract: This article asks what role does information literacy (IL) play in information environments where information tasks are increasingly being conducted in cooperation with, or delegated to, artificial intelligence (AI) systems. The article discusses recent AI developments and their potential consequences from the perspective of information practices, emphasising the ways increased autonomy and adaptiveness of information systems challenge human agency. The article concludes with a call for future research and action, highlighting the unique position of IL researchers and practitioners in shaping the future with AI. PubDate: 2024-06-02 DOI: 10.11645/18.1.593 Issue No:Vol. 18, No. 1 (2024)
Authors:Andrew Shenton Pages: 55–6 - 55–6 Abstract: The importance of the skill of source evaluation within information literacy (IL) has grown hugely in the last fifty years and now few aspects of IL receive greater attention. It was subject to little coverage in the early days but today a multitude of specialist appraisal tools have been devised to help users make assessments of the material they encounter, at a time when the information to which people are exposed differs more than ever in terms of its types, originators and calibre. Many of the evaluation frameworks, though, are variations on a theme. In the future, we may make progress by encouraging young people to develop their own mental models for appraising information, after they have explored disparate frameworks that have emerged from the ideas of writers who have taken particular interest in contrasting types of material. PubDate: 2024-06-02 DOI: 10.11645/18.1.49 Issue No:Vol. 18, No. 1 (2024)
Authors:Jess Haigh Pages: 62–6 - 62–6 Abstract: This think piece examines the recent literature surrounding critical information literacy, the criticisms within this that the theory has not centered anti-racism within its scholarship, and the challenges toward its implementation. It concludes that more time and space should be given to IL practitioners to explore CIL, and how we should foreground Critical Race Theory and openly acknowledge white supremacy within our praxis. PubDate: 2024-06-02 DOI: 10.11645/18.1.585 Issue No:Vol. 18, No. 1 (2024)
Authors:Laura Saunders Pages: 69–7 - 69–7 Abstract: Librarians have long been at the forefront of information literacy (IL), helping to develop and codify definitions and standards and advocating for its importance across situations and domains. The explosion of attention to mis- and disinformation in recent years has highlighted the need for these skills and competencies. At the same time, critics have raised and lamented the focus on processes and tasks over critical thinking and questioned the efficacy of IL instructional programs. The current landscape of IL seems to be defined by a continuous evolution of the concept, along with calls for more interdisciplinary research and attention to the psychological and neuroscience aspects of information evaluation. PubDate: 2024-06-02 DOI: 10.11645/18.1.560 Issue No:Vol. 18, No. 1 (2024)
Authors:Geoff Walton Pages: 78–8 - 78–8 Abstract: This short think-piece describes my journey of discovery through the information landscape (from 2004 to present) and the development of a theory of information discernment which unpacks one aspect of information literacy (IL)—that of the cognitive, metacognitive, affective and physiological states that shape how people make judgements about the information they encounter. Tracing my own path through developments in the field in recent decades sheds light both on wider changes and on shifts in my personal understanding of IL, from an initial perception of it as a relatively simple and obvious phenomenon to my current understanding of IL as something much more complex and contested. PubDate: 2024-06-02 DOI: 10.11645/18.1.589 Issue No:Vol. 18, No. 1 (2024)
Authors:Hilary Hughes Pages: 84–9 - 84–9 Abstract: Over 50 years we have built a mature information literacy (IL) discipline through dedicated, innovative research and practice. Drawing on recent Australian referendum experience, I consider current challenges to expanding our contribution across society. These include limited government and public recognition of IL, its opaque image, fragmentation into separate literacies, and lack of a connective conceptual thread. Looking forward, to provoke fresh thinking and extend our disciplinary horizons, I present a personal vision of information literacy for wellbeing with individuals and communities flourishing in an ocean of information and a confluence of literacies, empowered by informed learning PubDate: 2024-06-02 DOI: 10.11645/18.1.565 Issue No:Vol. 18, No. 1 (2024)
Authors:Andrew Whitworth Pages: 94–1 - 94–1 Abstract: Through analysing how information literate practitioners emerged in the pre-digital era, how they were taught and how they communicated their understandings of practice, we can better appreciate how these actors helped shape contemporary information landscapes. Such studies can be conducted through the resources in special collections of libraries and archives. Case studies of medieval scholarly practice, and the history of the island of St Helena, are presented as examples of where these archival sources reveal the influence of historic information (literate and illiterate) practice on modern information landscapes. PubDate: 2024-06-02 DOI: 10.11645/18.1.564 Issue No:Vol. 18, No. 1 (2024)
Authors:Alejandro Uribe-Tirado, Juan D. Machin-Mastromatteo Pages: 101– - 101– Abstract: This article is part of a study that synthesised the origin, evolution, current state, and future trends of information literacy (IL) in Latin America. For this special issue, the first part (the past) is presented as a recognition of the pioneers of this topic in the region; this will be followed up by a future article that will present IL’s current and future developments, following the same methodology and structure. This study employed a quantitative and qualitative review of documents published by Latin American authors to map out IL's development in the region, which was structured around four pivotal “moments” in the development of IL in Latin America: 1) beginnings (1997–2007), which is presented in this article, and marks the initial phase of IL's introduction and early development in Latin America, characterized by foundational texts and the organisation of critical events that set the stage for IL's growth in the region; and three other moments that will be presented in the future article: 2) advances–positioning (2008–2019) pre-pandemic, 3) main trends (2020–2023), and 4) some perspectives (2024–…). The beginnings presented in this article recognise the work of the librarians, professors, researchers and institutions that introduced IL in our region: without these foundations, it would not have been possible to reach the current developments (present) and the emerging perspectives (future). PubDate: 2024-06-02 DOI: 10.11645/18.1.583 Issue No:Vol. 18, No. 1 (2024)
Authors:Anna-Maija Multas Pages: 110– - 110– Abstract: The continuous change in our information environments poses critical challenges to enacting and promoting information literacies (ILs) in contemporary society. These changes are particularly challenging for those in vulnerable positions in society, such as children and young people. To fully grasp this complex issue, we need to deepen our understanding of ILs not just at a theoretical level, but also through empirical research. Drawing on the key findings of my doctoral dissertation on health-related ILs, I propose new perspectives to understand ILs through a sociocultural lens and advocate for more inclusive and sustainable approaches to studying ILs in a state of constant change. PubDate: 2024-06-02 DOI: 10.11645/18.1.576 Issue No:Vol. 18, No. 1 (2024)
Authors:Elizabeth Hutchinson Pages: 118– - 118– Abstract: This article explores the transformative impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on information literacy (IL) in schools, advocating for a paradigm shift. It emphasises the role of school librarians in leveraging AI, especially through the Framework Of Skills for Inquiry Learning (FOSIL), to seamlessly integrate IL into the curriculum. Addressing librarian hesitancy towards AI, the article stresses the urgency for librarians to embrace the technology and position themselves as essential guides in navigating ethical considerations. The discussion underscores the importance of inquiry-based learning, aligning with IL goals and preparing students for an AI-driven future. It envisions a collaborative future where librarians, armed with clear roles and frameworks like FOSIL, actively contribute to shaping education. The article calls for collective exploration by educators, librarians, and policymakers to ensure a holistic approach in preparing students for the challenges and opportunities of the future. PubDate: 2024-06-02 DOI: 10.11645/18.1.553 Issue No:Vol. 18, No. 1 (2024)
Authors:Alison Hicks Pages: 123– - 123– Abstract: Suggestions that information literacy (IL) is being employed in subversive or unorthodox activities, including criminal or anti-democratic aims, have largely been dismissed as evidence for the need for more IL instruction. Possible solutions to situations in which librarian-promoted IL skills advance subversive activities, which include a renewed focus on standardisation or virtue epistemology, introduce additional issues, such as whose values would prevail. In contrast, engagement with IL’s negative space, a design term that refers to the aspects of a composition that surround the main focal object, provides an opportunity to learn about what has been obscured through our focus on more socially acceptable goals — and develop a richer, more responsive understanding of practice. PubDate: 2024-06-02 DOI: 10.11645/18.1.598 Issue No:Vol. 18, No. 1 (2024)
Authors:Maura Seale, Karen Nicholson Pages: 130– - 130– Abstract: Information literacy (IL) is an important means by which academic libraries prove their value within higher education and to broader (sceptical) society. Yet if IL is an array of sociocultural practices that are ultimately about how we find meaning in and engage with the world, then it cannot be taught or obtained in a classroom, even through the most carefully considered (critical) pedagogy. As a result, we find ourselves in a "stuck place", in a relation of “cruel optimism” (Berlant, 2011) with IL, a relation in which we return again and again to the thing we desire, with the expectation that this time, things will be different; everything will work out. What if academic librarians were to acknowledge and refuse the ambivalence of our cruel relation with IL and envision ourselves as helping students learn “how to library” instead' If we de-centred this particular version of IL within academic librarianship, what might we make room for' What alternative spaces for thinking might open up' PubDate: 2024-06-02 DOI: 10.11645/18.1.594 Issue No:Vol. 18, No. 1 (2024)
Authors:Eric Silberberg Pages: 136– - 136– Abstract: This study demonstrates that a library instruction observation instrument can effectively foster critical self-reflection among academic library faculty and staff on their teaching practices. The paper outlines the instrument's design, which gathers low inference observations on instructors’ use of questioning as a pedagogical strategy based on recommendations from the LIS and education literature. To test and refine the instrument's design, the instructors’ utilised the instrument to collect data from classes taught by five participating instructors, who, during post-observation interviews, engaged in thoughtful reflections on their class planning, student participation, and teaching philosophy. They also provided valuable critiques of the usefulness of the instrument. Through analysing the observee reflections and the data from the observation instrument, this study aims to provide academic libraries with a method to incorporate an observation instrument in a peer observation program. PubDate: 2024-06-02 DOI: 10.11645/18.1.54 Issue No:Vol. 18, No. 1 (2024)
Authors:Amanda Folk, Katie Blocksidge, Jane Hammons, Hanna Primeau Pages: 159– - 159– Abstract: Within the past decade, there has been a shift in how our guiding professional documents conceptualise information literacy (IL) — evolving from a skills-based conceptualisation to one emphasising ways of thinking and knowing. This has been both productive and disruptive. Our professional documentation does not provide a framework for making this shift or for scaffolding learning to develop complex and sophisticated ways of thinking and knowing. In this study, we apply Bloom’s revised taxonomy for educational objectives to instructor descriptions of IL (n=51) to develop a draft taxonomy that attempts to build a bridge between these two conceptualisations. The data was drawn from a survey that was administered to instructors and instructional support staff immediately preceding their participation in a multi-day teaching professional development workshop related to IL. We believe that this model has implications for how we approach the development of learners’ IL with intentionality, both in collaboration with faculty and for our own teaching practices as librarians. PubDate: 2024-06-02 DOI: 10.11645/18.1.58 Issue No:Vol. 18, No. 1 (2024)
Authors:Pamela McKinney, Corin Peacock, Andrew Cox Pages: 182– - 182– Abstract: This paper explores the self-tracking information literacy practices of LGBTQ+ students, how the practices connect to LGBTQ+ identities, and whether these practices are perceived as empowering. Six semi-structured interviews were conducted with students who identified as LGBTQ+ self-trackers. Four previously discovered dimensions of IL in self-tracking framed the design. Collaborative thematic analysis revealed participants find it useful to monitor their physical health and tracking supports mental health, which is experienced as empowering. The heteronormative assumptions of apps influenced their perceived usefulness. There was some distrust about how apps used data, but this risk was accepted, typically because the convenience of the app outweighed privacy concerns. Data sharing took place—restricted due to self-consciousness or fear of judgement—and embraced when there was a feeling of working towards a shared goal. IL in this landscape is related to developing critical awareness of when and how self-tracking can support health goals; the limitations of apps and devices, particularly for those undergoing transition; privacy implications; and the nuances of social sharing. PubDate: 2024-06-02 DOI: 10.11645/18.1.561 Issue No:Vol. 18, No. 1 (2024)
Authors:Katie Blocksidge, Hanna Primeau Pages: 203– - 203– Abstract: Information Professionals are avid users of data points to inform their practices, but have we flattened the data to such an extent that we have lost the emotional side of research that students experience' In this article, we will discuss our findings regarding student emotions and information beliefs and share ways in which this data can give depth to our practices. In this qualitative study, we used twenty interviews conducted in 2019 to uncover student information beliefs. Through exploratory data analysis we discovered students expressing a variety of emotions beyond anxiety, not all of which were negative. It is only when we examine student perceptions that we reveal the emotionally fraught process of research. Recommendations based on our findings fall into three categories: encouraging information professionals to find paths to removing access barriers, find ways to move into faculty development, and acknowledging the aspects of research that can make it hard but rewarding for students. Our findings and recommendations focus on how to establish practices that allow students to use their persistence in ways that enhance their learning rather than using cognitive energy on the intricacies of a library specific task. PubDate: 2024-06-02 DOI: 10.11645/18.1.33 Issue No:Vol. 18, No. 1 (2024)
Authors:Amelia Haire Pages: 220– - 220– Abstract: The experience of the LILAC 2024 conference as one of the student Rowena McCrae-Gibson award holders. PubDate: 2024-06-02 DOI: 10.11645/18.1.601 Issue No:Vol. 18, No. 1 (2024)
Authors:Sarah Purcell, Thomas Mandall Pages: 233– - 233– Abstract: LILAC 2024 was hosted at Leeds Beckett University in March 2024. This conference report explores the key themes of compassion and authenticity for ourselves and for our learners, and shares the positive and pragmatic approaches presented during the event. These themes were realised through a range of sessions on topics including: artificial intelligence and critical AI literacy; playfulness, creativity and visual approaches to induction; and inclusive design in our teaching and our libraries. The pragmatic and innovative examples shared at LILAC, within a spirit of compassion and inclusiveness, encourage us to recontextualise existing IL skills and literacies for our learners, which have never been more important. PubDate: 2024-06-02 DOI: 10.11645/18.1.613 Issue No:Vol. 18, No. 1 (2024)
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