Conference Agenda

While the library profession has prioritized values such as equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), “discourses of racelessness” still dominate (Hudson, 2017, p. 17). Some may believe that being “colorblind” is a virtue, that ignoring race will lead to the elimination of racism (Bonilla-Silva, 2018). Instead, this leads to the erasure of the very real ways in which systemic, structural, and institutional racism influence the lives of those who have been marginalized based on racial or ethnic identity. Furthermore, there has been an absence of a consideration of race in information literacy, and several scholars have critiqued the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education for its racelessness and lack of a justice orientation (Battista et al., 2015; Rapchak, 2019). Despite growing interest in inclusive, antiracist, critical, and liberatory pedagogies and the increasing acknowledgement of the sociocultural nature of information literacy, there is scant scholarship that seeks to center the voices and experiences of people of color related to information literacy conceptualizations and practices.

In this paper, we provide an overview of previous scholarship highlighting the racelessness of information literacy as a concept and as a practice. Then, we discuss how we are using critical methodologies and theories, such as critical race theory and critical whiteness theory, to center the experiences and voices of Black and African American students through an exploration of research assignment experiences in secondary and postsecondary education. Research assignments are “literacy events,” which require students to know “the codes used by the community and the customs and conventions in play” (Elmborg, 2006, p. 195). In other words, they are sociocultural practices in which students demonstrate and are assessed on their understanding of information literacy in the higher education context. To do this, we use a modification of phenomenological interviewing (Seidman, 2013) to explore the participants’ experiences with research assignments and how they make sense of these experiences, especially as students of color in predominantly white institutions. Specifically, we ask students how they selected topics for these assignments and made decisions about finding and using information, as well as how their teachers supported or pushed back on their research interests. Were they allowed or encouraged to explore topics that are relevant to their identities and might be considered racial in nature? Were they allowed or encouraged to approach knowledge creation from perspectives other than white, Euro-Western epistemological values? What is it like to do research as a person of color in a predominantly white context, especially when someone else will be assigning a grade to that work? Through this exploration, we hope to uncover if research assignments reify white normativity and share counterstories that can be used to begin to dismantle the whiteness of information literacy and where it might manifest in postsecondary research experiences.

References

Battista, A., Ellenwood, D., Gregory, L., Higgins, S., & Lilburn, J. (2015). Seeking social justice in the ACRL Framework. Communications in Information Literacy, 9(2): 111–125.

Bonilla-Silva, E. (2018). Racism without racists: Color-blind racism and the persistence of racial inequality in America. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

Elmborg, J. (2006). Critical information literacy: Implications for instructional practice. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 32(2): 192–199.

Hudson, D.J. (2017). On “diversity” as anti-racism in library and information studies: A critique. Journal of Critical Library and Information Studies, 1(1): 1–36.

Kendrick, C.L., & Hulbert, I.G. (2023). By any measure: The racial demographics of librarians. Ithaka S+R.

Rapchak, M. (2019). That which cannot be named: The absence of race in the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. Journal of Radical Librarianship, 5: 173–196.

Seidman, I. (2013). Interviewing as qualitative research: A guide for researchers in education and the social sciences. Teachers College Press.

Tewell, E. (2015). A decade of critical information literacy: A review of the literature. Communications in Information Literacy, 9(1): 24–43.

The rapid advancement of generative AI technologies has significantly altered the information landscape, creating both opportunities and challenges. This paper, which builds on chapter 5, Skills and attitudes for new information landscapes,” in OECD Skills Outlook 2023, explores the cognitive, educational, and societal implications of misinformation generated by AI and the role of media, information, and AI literacy in addressing these challenges. Through a rapid literature review and thematic analysis, three key themes are identified: (1) cognitive responses to AI-generated misinformation, focusing on the heuristics and biases that influence trust and perception of generative AI; (2) AI literacy as an essential digital competency, emphasizing its importance in fostering critical thinking and digital citizenship; and (3) the integration of media, information, and AI literacy in educational interventions to enhance critical evaluation skills related to AI-generated content.

The findings over the past two years are limited, suggesting that the scientific community may not yet? view generative AI as a factor necessitating a fundamental transformation in media and information literacy needs. Instead, the current? literature seems to view the influence of generative AI seems to be more incremental, primarily affecting the modalities through which misinformation is disseminated and engaged with. This research gap complicates efforts to draw broad conclusions on the topic, highlighting the need for further study.

The literature also found that, while AI literacy is widely acknowledged as a critical digital skill, it is typically treated as an isolated competency rather than being integrated into established media and information literacy frameworks. This fragmented approach is a potential limitation when equipping policy makers and educators with the tools they need to create interventions and programs to make the public capable of handling the 21st century information landscape. Based on its findings, this paper advocates for a more holistic integration of AI literacy within broader educational and societal frameworks to prepare diverse populations to engage responsibly with generative AI. This paper helps provide an overview of the changes that the development of new generative AI tools has caused in the field of false information and media, information and AI literacy, and provides suggestions for future research in order to get a more complete overview of the field.

References

OECD (2023). OECD Skills Outlook 2023: Skills for a Resilient Green and Digital Transition. Paris: OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/27452f29-en

Background

Library policies on information dissemination should include dealing with misinformation and disinformation. Policies must outline how libraries can help users critically evaluate the information they encounter, including providing access to fact-checking tools, offering media literacy programs, and curating resources that teach users how to discern credible information. (Cooke, 2018). The paper presents the specifics of the experiences of Bulgarian academic librarians in addressing these topics in information literacy (IL) training sessions for library users. The survey follows the structure of a questionnaire developed by Joumana Boustany and Laura Saunders in 2024 for project DisMis.

Objectives

Our goal was to monitor to what extent academic librarians empowered library users to critically evaluate information, recognize mis/disinformation, and navigate the digital landscape effectively. Results identified game-based learning as a possible measure to strengthen the connection with faculty members. Serious games are increasingly recognized as powerful tools for engaging students in learning across various educational contexts (Holmes & Gee, 2016), including the topic of disinformation and fake news.

Methodology

We translated the questionnaire developed by the DisMis project into Bulgarian and distributed it to all fifty-four academic libraries in the country. We collected data from September–December 2024. Forty libraries responded to the survey, answering questions about librarians’ perspectives on various aspects of mis- and disinformation and stressing their role as instructors in IL sessions. We analyed the data through a statistical data processing program.

Findings

We found that Bulgarian librarians did not emphasise issues of mis- and disinformation enough in IL training sessions. Although librarians said they had sufficient educational materials on these issues, they needed to customize content according to national specifics. This required substantial effort and permanent support from university professors. The focus in library training sessions was in direct relation to the willingness of educators to support the librarians. In some cases, the librarians lacked support from the library managers. The librarians could offer their expertise by co-teaching classes, providing resources, and developing lesson plans that align with educational standards. Joint initiatives might involve organizing media literacy weeks, hosting guest lectures, or creating collaborative projects where students critically assess media content. Such partnerships not only enhance the educational experience but also reinforce the importance of media literacy as an essential skill. Results made clear the need for Bulgarian academic librarians to be creative, innovative, and inspiring. Librarians could motivate young people to recognise the academic library as a preferred learning environment if they make a direct link to serious gaming in identifying and avoiding fake information. The future directions of our research include comparison of the Bulgarian academic librarians’ perspectives on mis/disinformation with the perceptions of academic librarians from the countries in Eastern Europe participating in DisMis in order to establish a common platform for learning and exchange of ideas.

References

Cooke, N. A. (2018). Fake news and alternative facts: Information literacy in a post-truth era. Library Technology Reports, 54(8): 5–11.

Holmes, J. B., & Gee, E. R. (2016). A framework for understanding game-based teaching and learning, On the Horizon, 24(1): 1–16

Kellner, D., & Share, J. (2019). The Critical Media Literacy Guide: Engaging media and transforming education. BRILL.