The Journal of Information Literacy (JIL) publishes innovative and challenging research articles and project reports that push the boundaries of information literacy thinking in theory, practice and method, and which aim to develop deep and critical understandings of the role, contribution and impact of information literacies in everyday health, education and workplace contexts. Articles within JIL are from both internationally renowned authors and library professionals who teach or undertake research into information literacy. JIL is published twice a year in December and June. Additional special themed issues are also possible and the editor welcomes suggestions. Please see our About page for specific information about the scope of the journal and our journal policies.
Copyright (c) 2025 Mary Hickford https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Copyright (c) 2025 Kerrianne Orriss https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Copyright (c) 2025 Alison Hicks https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Copyright (c) 2025 Karl Weis-Fogh https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Copyright (c) 2025 Maria King https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
What does it mean to be information literate for an autistic librarian in the academic library workplace?
This study centres on the experiences of autistic librarians in academic library workplaces, delving into how they become information literate—an intricate process influenced by social, epistemic, and physical modalities. Through a qualitative approach combining survey responses from 43 participants and detailed interviews with two autistic librarians, the research sheds light on the conscious, active labour often required to interpret social expectations, navigate sensory inputs, and engage with explicit knowledge. The findings highlight the unique, often hidden, efforts autistic librarians invest in their roles, bringing to the forefront the micro-decisions and strategies they employ daily. This research bridges the fields of IL and neurodiversity, broadening our understanding of workplace inclusivity. By giving voice to autistic librarians and drawing attention to their lived realities, the study invites reflection and action toward creating work environments that not only accommodate but celebrate neurodiverse talents.
Research articles (peer-reviewed articles)
Copyright (c) 2025 Amelia Haire https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Book review of Merga, M. 2023. Creating a reading culture in primary and secondary schools.
Book reviews (and reviews of other relevant literature)
Copyright (c) 2025 Ciara Murray https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Information preservation, a neglected component of information literacy
The issue of information literacy (IL) in contexts where people do not have easy access to libraries and to sources of information has not received much attention in IL research. In particular, rural areas in developing countries where there are no public libraries and travelling to town to access information is arduous and time-consuming need a different approach to IL than what is recommended for societies served by public libraries. This article reports on the findings from 52 semi-structured interviews conducted in January 2023 with villagers in two remote and marginalised areas of Bangladesh where an Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) project had been conducted in 2016-2019. The findings presented in this paper are based on a thematic analysis of the interview transcripts with a particular focus on the interrelationships between IL and information preservation. The interviews revealed an improvement in IL among the participants in the ICT4D project, as well as among those who had not participated in the project, but had benefited from it indirectly, particularly in relation to preserving information that is useful to them. The authors argue that an important component of IL programmes in marginalised rural communities should be information preservation literacy, that is an awareness of and the skills to keep information that can be useful later on.
Copyright (c) 2025 Viviane Frings-Hessami, Lisa Kruesi https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Book review of Hinton, E. G., and Young, L. M. (Eds.). 2019. Framing health care instruction: An information literacy handbook for the health sciences.
Copyright (c) 2025 Isobel Eddyshaw https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Book review of Julien, H., Gross, M., and Latham, D. (Eds.). 2020. The information literacy framework: Case studies of successful implementation.
Copyright (c) 2025 Abdulkader Abdulkader https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Integrating information literacy in multicultural education: the "Pyxida" example
Like other European nations, Greece has experienced a substantial influx of refugees, immigrants, and migrants in recent years. Primary schools, secondary schools, and libraries serve as information centres that can play a critical role in the socio-economic integration of these populations. This is achievable through collaborative information literacy (IL) programmes involving teachers and librarians, focusing on multicultural education. IL plays a vital role in empowering migrants and refugees, as it not only enhances their academic success but also equips them with the skills necessary to integrate into new communities and make informed decisions. In this context, this article discusses the implementation of an IL programme for immigrant and refugee children of the Intercultural Center “Pyxida”. The two-month programme aimed to integrate IL into Greek literature lessons using the Big6Skills model. It aimed to improve students’ Greek language abilities, assess their educational levels, and promote critical thinking. In collaboration with Pyxida’s coordinators, the librarian facilitated lessons that included grammar and syntax exercises, dictation, comprehension questions, paraphrasing tasks, and debates. The research question that arises is whether the collaboration between coordinators and librarians could empower cognitive skills of displaced students through the implementation of an IL course. The results indicate that students improved their critical thinking skills and expressed a desire for the programme’s continuation. The findings suggest that IL programmes can be effectively integrated into multicultural education, particularly benefiting immigrant and refugee students in terms of social inclusion.
Copyright (c) 2025 Georgia Katsira, Professor Alexandros Koulouris, Professor Dimitris Kouis, Professor Eftichia Vraimaki https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
A mindfulness-based information literacy framework for the current information environment
This paper proposes a new information literacy (IL) framework, based around mindfulness, that is suited for the contemporary informational environment. This framework results from a weeklong interdisciplinary dialogue among scholars, theorising and incorporating mindfulness as a significant aspect of healthy information seeking and interpretation. Our framework builds on existing IL frameworks but encourages information consumers to recognise their emotional responses and political biases while providing reminders that information always contains political components. By doing so, this framework updates existing IL guidelines to better reflect the current era of rising polarisation and affective media consumption. We present a mindfulness framework for IL that combines mindfulness practices with critical thinking in addressing the emotional impact of mis/disinformation and conspiracy theories on the current information society.
Copyright (c) 2024 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Combating the spread of misinformation is a struggle that has inspired considerable research in the fields of psychology, education, political science, and information science, among others. Such research has found that “prebunking” or “inoculation” techniques—strategies that reduce the acceptance of misinformation before one has encountered it—have had marked success. However, there is little evidence that librarians are deliberately employing inoculation techniques in their information literacy (IL) instruction. Via a quasi-experimental study, this research explores the effect of prebunking techniques in an IL instruction session on undergraduate students’ ability to recognise misinformation. The prebunking techniques are delivered through a competitive game called Chaos Creator, based on the Bad News game developed by researchers at Cambridge University. Results of the study show that misinformation inoculation techniques are more effective than the popular source evaluation tool, the CRAP test, in helping students identify misinformation. However, misinformation inoculation techniques can backfire, causing students to become overly sceptical of trustworthy messages.
Cultivating critical information evaluation through motivational confidence
From checklists, to processes, to models, information literacy (IL) instructors have sought to better teach students how to evaluate the information they encounter, increasingly through critical information literacy (CIL) pedagogies. CIL engages high-impact pedagogical practices as students direct their learning through dialogue and problem-posing, but there are persistent barriers to implementing CIL pedagogies at scale. Drawing from motivational design can empower librarians to advance CIL and empower students to critically evaluate information. Although many evaluation pedagogies employ general motivational strategies, there is a gap in the literature exploring the application of one specific component of motivation: confidence. This conceptual and exploratory study aims to: 1) determine the connections between motivational design and IL pedagogy, specifically related to confidence-building strategies and critical approaches to evaluating information; and 2) map the integration of confidence-building design and CIL practices to provide suggestions for practical application. The researchers employ a crosswalk analysis to demonstrate how IL instructors can overcome barriers to implement CIL instructional practices through confidence-building design that illuminates students’ abilities to learn and make a meaningful impact. In taking a confidence-building, critical focus to designing evaluation instruction, IL instructors reframe information evaluation as a participatory place for critical questioning, exploration, creative expression, and dialogue.
Already invested or absolutely incandescent?
Book review of Medaille, A. 2024. The librarian’s guide to learning theory: Practical applications in library settings
In an attempt to expand Information Literacy (IL) instruction beyond the one-shot, the Thompson Rivers University (TRU) Library established the English Library Instruction Pilot (ELIP) in 2023-2024. Students involved in the project participated in a series of three tutorials. The outcomes of the tutorials were aligned to both their Introduction to Academic Writing (English 1100) class and the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy. In experimenting with the new model, we asked the following questions: Did the ELIP programme help students succeed in their associated English 1100 courses? Does more integrated instruction aid in relationship-building between the library and the TRU community? How can we improve our instruction practices to better meet student needs? This paper discusses the formation of the programme, the results from our evaluation of it, and reflects on future directions and improvements. Through an examination of student assignments, a faculty feedback survey, and reflective journaling of librarian instructors, we conclude that the programme helped students complete the outcomes of their associated English 1100 class. It also contributed to relationship-building between the library and the university community and helped significantly improve existing teaching practices and materials in the library. The ELIP programme is unique in its departure from both the one-shot and credit course IL models, and we hope that our reflections will encourage other librarians to reflect and experiment with their instructional spaces.
Past, present and future of information literacy in Latin America
This article synthesised the origin, evolution, current state, and future trends of information literacy (IL) in Latin America. 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: 1) beginnings (1997-2007), marking the initial phase of IL's introduction and early development in Latin America, characterised by foundational texts and the organisation of critical events that set the stage for IL's growth in the region; 2) advances-positioning (2008-2019) pre-pandemic, it reflects a period of significant growth and establishment of IL, with the emergence of digital platforms, the creation of regional declarations, and the integration of IL into educational curricula, indicating a broader acceptance and institutionalisation of IL practices; 3) main trends (2020-2023), it focuses on the adaptation and innovation in IL practices influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the shift toward critical thinking, addressing misinformation, and integrating IL with other competencies in response to digital advancements; and 4) some perspectives (2024-…), which includes future directions for IL in Latin America, emphasising the need to adapt IL training to new technological realities such as generative artificial intelligence, and proposing IL as a dynamic research area poised for further integration with global educational and societal goals. The article emphasises the necessity of IL's continuous evolution in Latin America, advocating for its adaptation to technological advancements and its critical role in promoting informed citizenship and lifelong learning. Through the lens of these moments, the study offers a comprehensive overview of IL's progression and potential future impact in the region.
information and communication technologies
Book review of Snipes, G., Karo, M., Faulkner, A. E., & Reiter, L. (Eds.) 2022. Teaching business information literacy
The early development of information literacy instruction for young people as revealed by six volumes
This paper uses six books to investigate the early history of information literacy (IL) teaching to school-aged young people in the UK. The work was inspired by Neil MacGregor’s Radio Four programme, A History of the World in 100 Objects, which explored humankind’s development via a series of artefacts. In my project, the items were chosen with a view to demonstrating the diverse ways in which information skills were promoted up to the introduction of the National Curriculum in 1989. All the texts selected offer ideas that could directly improve the independent learning of young people; documents that are less practical, such as reviews of the state of the field at the time, lie outside the project’s scope. Although attention is mainly concentrated on the volumes themselves, the profiles of the six works are supported with references to literature that includes other books, reports, articles in professional periodicals and academic papers. My piece concludes by isolating the themes with regard to IL that emerge overall, and looks ahead to some of the changes that would take place in the immediate years to come.
Integrating basic artificial intelligence literacy with media and information literacy in higher education
This paper addresses the question of how to introduce basic artificial intelligence (AI) literacy skills to learners in higher education. It proposes that a feasible approach is to integrate AI literacy components into existing media and information literacy (MIL) programmes. The paper discusses elements of intersection between the two literacies, such as search techniques, evaluation, and responsible use of information. The author posits that the MIL curriculum needs to be updated by enhancing the intersecting elements and adding new concepts such as AI algorithm literacy, data literacy, AI ethics, and limitations of AI technologies. The author argues that libraries are best poised to take on the role of delivering basic AI literacy. To this end, MIL frameworks need to be reviewed, and librarians will be required to obtain additional skills through AI courses, workshops, and participation in communities of practice. Pioneering libraries such as the FIU Libraries (comprising the Green Library and Hubert Library) in Florida, US, and Massachusetts Library Systems are demonstrating that libraries have the capacity to deliver basic AI literacy to higher education learners. The author has analysed existing attempts at mapping AI literacy to the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education and built on these initiatives by mapping suggested new AI literacy-related knowledge practices and dispositions to the relevant frames of the framework. The paper concludes by making a clarion call to librarians to rise to the occasion and revamp existing MIL programs to include basic AI literacy.
Book Review of Reale, M. 2018. The indispensable academic librarian: Teaching and collaborating for change
“It is a skill everybody needs to learn”
There is limited research available that investigates current information literacy (IL) needs of Australian secondary school students and teachers from the perspective of teacher librarians. This phenomenological research responds to this problem by exploring the perspectives of Australian secondary teacher librarians regarding the changing information landscape and its effects on supporting IL for students and teachers— “a skill everybody needs to learn” as our participant Mrs. M. highlighted. Data included from interviews with 19 secondary teacher librarians with varying years of teaching experience in different types of schools from across the country. Findings suggest the overwhelming amount of information available means users must develop better evaluation and selection skills in addition to an understanding of the differences among information sources like search engines, social media, and AI. The teacher librarians described similar issues for students and teachers, both struggling to keep up with the rate of changes and unaware of their knowledge gaps. At the same time, the shifting and expanding information environment presents opportunities for deeper discussion and engagement around issues like information ethics and copyright as well as the development of creative and critical thinking skills. This research contributes to a clearer understanding of the needs of secondary students and teachers as information users and demonstrates the diverse approaches teacher librarians employ to foster IL amid a rapidly shifting and unprecedented information context.
Copyright (c) 2025 Kasey Garrison, Kay Oddone https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Lancaster University Library Schools Engagement
This report discusses the findings of Lancaster University Library’s Schools Engagement Project, delivered in partnership with the Widening Participation Advisory Group (WPAG). The project used information literacy (IL) as a vehicle to develop a programme of support for students studying the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). Researchers worked with three colleges in the northwest of England which were all located in Widening Participation neighbourhoods and employed university students as School Engagement Ambassadors. A mixture of qualitative research methods, surveys, interviews, focus groups and fieldwork observations were employed to collect data. Researchers found that IL was a very effective concept for introducing sixth form college students to a range of academic skills including planning, searching for, managing and evaluating information as well as presenting it and treating it ethically. Evidence also points to the importance of understanding the link between IL and the learning process, independent learning and academic transition. Findings also suggest that focusing on Widening Participation can positively influence individuals' perception of university, sense of belonging and confidence. The report also foregrounds the importance of developing effective partnerships with sixth form colleges. The report concludes with key recommendations: to establish a full time Widening Participation post within the library, develop links with outreach teams, and expand the programme to include students studying a more diverse range of qualifications.
Copyright (c) 2025 Paul Newnham, Clare Shaikh https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Copyright (c) 2024 Janice Fernandes https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
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.
Copyright (c) 2024 Sarah, Tom https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Copyright (c) 2024 Alison Hicks https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
Book review of Hicks, A., Lloyd, A., and Pilerot, O. (Eds.). 2024. Information literacy through theory
Copyright (c) 2024 Anders Tobiason https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0