Western Balkan Information Literacy Conference

JUNE 17th-20th 2015

Information & media literacy for lifelong learning: digital citizenship for a digital age

JUNE 17th-20th 2015 Juni na Uni 2015, Hotel Opal Bihać, Bosnia & Herzegovina.
See the conference website for full details.

In this Information Age the rise of digital and social media tools has brought with it some amazing innovations and immense challenges. The challenge to achieve information literacy (IL) in this information rich society is vital for lifelong learning and allows us to capitalise on the diverse and often overwhelming range of information choices which we have been confronted with by the power of the Internet. This great power has forced all of us to develop strategies for confronting issues concerning accessibility, reliability, authenticity and validity as well as information overload. Information Literacy is a vital transferable skill for lifelong learning in both formal and informal learning environments throughout people's lifetimes. Information literacy facilitates active citizenship of individuals. Information literacy prepares people for lifelong learning because it enables them to find the information they need for any task or decision at hand. In helping to provide and expand access to information, helping to facilitate full participation in Society - our role is crucial. We must prepare for a Society full of Information, prepare for Digital Citizenship for a Digital Age.

Second Call for Papers
Theme: Information & media literacy for lifelong learning: digital citizenship for a digital age.
Papers should be prepared using WBIL template and submitted electronically to this email address kbbi.bihac@bih.net.ba. After the second cycle of Peer-Review, selected papers will be published in the WBIL proceedings book and in the Peer Reviewed Education for Information (indexed by SCOPUS) ISSN print: 0167-8329; ISSN online1875-8649.

Keynote Speakers
The keynote speakers for the forthcoming Western Balkan Information Literacy Conference, Bihać, Bosnia & Herzegovina June 17-20th 2015 are:
Dr. Christine Bruce, Professor in the Information Systems School, Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, Australia.
Dr. Tefko Saracevic, Professor Emeritus, School of Communication, Information and Library Studies Rutgers University USA.

Dr Christine Bruce is Professor in the Information Systems School, Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, Australia. She has an extensive research and publication profile in information literacy and higher education teaching and learning. She has investigated information literacy and learning across educational, workplace and community contexts with a special emphasis on peoples experience of information use. Her most recent book publication on information literacy was Informed Learning, 2008. In 2014 Information experience: approaches to theory and practice was published by Emerald. Christine regularly consults and facilitates workshops on information literacy in the university sector around the world. She has delivered 19 keynote addresses in the last ten years in ten different countries. Christine is convenor of the QUT Higher Education Research Network, and Higher Degree Research Director in the Information Systems School. She served as Director and Assistant Dean, Teaching and Learning for the Faculty of Information Technology between 2001- 2006. She was awarded an Australian Learning and Teaching Council Fellowship in 2008. She is a an assessor for the Australian Research Council, a member of the Board of Directors for the US National Forum for Information Literacy, a member of the Reference Group for the University of San Jose SLIS Research Center, and a member of the Board of Directors for the LiNCS Research Centre at the University of Gothenburg, Faculty of Education. In 2010 Christine received a Library Board of Queensland Award for contributions to information literacy research and education. Archived versions of her publications are available on the QUT ePrints website.

Dr. Tefko Saracevic, Professor Emeritus, School of Communication, Information and Library Studies Rutgers University USA. Studied electrical engineering at the University of Zagreb, Croatia and completed his master (1962) and Ph.D. (1970) studies in information science at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. Taught and conducted research at Case till 1985, when moved to Rutgers. Promoted to Professor II (highest academic rank at Rutgers Univ.) in 1991. Associate Dean from 2003 to 2006. Professor Emeritus since 2010.  For more information, please see the website of the School of Communication and Information.

Conference main themes and topics

A.      Information literacy in the modern world

·         Information Literacy in the 21^st century

·         Information literacies (media literacy, digital literacy, visual literacy, financial
          literacy, health

·         literacy, cyber wellness, infographics, information behaviour, trans-literacy,
          post-literacy)

·         Information Literacy and academic libraries

·         Information Literacy and adult education

·         Information Literacy and blended learning

·         Information Literacy and distance learning

·         Information Literacy and mobile devices (M-learning)

·         Information Literacy and Gamification

·         Information literacy and public libraries

·         Information Literacy in Primary and Secondary Schools

·         Information literacy and the Knowledge Economy

·         Information literacy and the Information Society

·         Information Literacy and the Multimedia Society

·         Information Literacy and the Digital Society

·         Information Literacy in the modern world (e.g. web 2.0 ; web 3.0; YouTube,
          trends, emerging technologies and innovation; growth of digital resources;
          digital reference tools; tiered reference services).

·         The future of information literacy

·         Workplace information literacy

B.      Librarians as support to the lifelong learning process

·         Digital pedagogy and Information Literacy

·         Integrating information literacy into the curriculum

·         Putting information literacy theory into practice

·         Information Literacy training and instruction

·         Instructional design and performance for information literacy (e.g. teaching
          practice)

·         session design, lesson plans)

·         Information Literacy and online learning (e.g. self-paced IL modules)

·         Information Literacy and Virtual Learning Environments

·         Supporting users need through library 2.0 and beyond

·         Digital empowerment and reference work

·         Information Literacy across the disciplines

·         Information literacy and digital preservation

·         Innovative IL approaches

·         Student engagement with Information Literacy

C. Media and information literacy – theoretical approaches (standards, assessment, collaboration, etc.)

·         Information literacy theory (models, standards, indicators, Moscow
          Declaration etc.)

·         Information literacy and Artificial intelligence

·         Information Literacy and information behaviour

·         Information literacy and reference services: cyber reference services, virtual
          reference services, mobile reference services, expert crowd sourcing, global
          reference volunteers

·         Information literacy cultural and contextual approaches

·         Information Literacy and Threshold concepts

·         Information literacy evaluation and assessment

·         Information literacy in different cultures and countries including national
          studies

·         Information literacy project management

·         Measuring in information literacy instruction assessment

D. New aspects of education/strategic planning, policy, and advocacy for information literacy in a digital age

·         Branding, promotion and marketing for information literacy

·         Cross –sectorial; and interdisciplinary collaboration and partnerships for
          information literacy

·         Information literacy policies and development

·         Leadership and Governance for information literacy

·         Strategic planning for IL

·         Strategies in e-learning to promote self-directed and sustainable learning in
          the area of information literacy skills.

Paper submission

Submissions in any of the following forms are accepted:

·         Full paper to be published in conference proceedings

·         Presentation

·         Roundtable discussion

·         Poster session

·         Train-the-trainers workshop

·         PechaKucha

Papers submission dateline: Monday 25 May 2015 

Important Dates

Abstracts submission deadline April 30, 2015

Notification of Abstract acceptance May 8, 2015

Deadline for authors to submit papers May 25, 2015

Deadline for authors to submit slides May 25, 2015

Dissemination of final programme June 08, 2015

For further information: please see the Western Balkan Information Literacy Conference website for additional details.

Please note: all expenses, including registration for the conference, travel, accommodation etc., are the responsibility of the authors/presenters. No financial support can be provided by the Conference Committee, but a special invitation can be issued to authors.