Beyond the Headlines: Building Information Literacy to Combat Misinformation in Higher Education
Stephanie Sanger, Education and Curriculum Planning Librarian, Health Sciences, McMaster University
Sarah Cairns, Health Sciences Librarian, McMaster University
In an era marked by rapid information exchange and where misinformation and disinformation thrive, equipping students with the skills to navigate a complex information landscape is crucial. At McMaster University, we developed a misinformation lesson plan that includes in-class and tutorial activities alongside two instructional sessions encouraging critical thinking and digital literacy development. The sessions, titled “Strategies for Inoculating Against Deceptive Narratives,” were delivered to undergraduate Honours Health Sciences students and focused on the misinformation landscape, including the emerging role of AI. Positive feedback, suggestions for further expansion in the curriculum, and expressions of interest from other Faculty of Health Sciences programs have highlighted the impact and the need for continued innovation in (mis)information literacy education. Future plans to extend the reach of this work and adapt it for new audiences include a public library presentation in June 2026. Our conference session will discuss the iterative development of the lesson plan, the integration of practical and engaging activities co-created with students, and our efforts to expand reach to different audiences. By sharing our experiences, we aim to provide insights into effective information literacy instruction and engagement strategies to counter misinformation and highlight the crucial role of library workers in these endeavors.
Teaching Data Literacy in the Wild: Hazards and Other Field Notes
Anneliese Eber, Research Data Management Librarian, University of Waterloo
Antonio Muñoz Gómez, University of Waterloo
At primarily STEM-focused academic institutions, it is often difficult to meet diverse instructional needs across all faculties while remaining responsive to current events. As such, librarians have had to rethink data literacy instruction. To address these challenges, UWaterloo librarians across two portfolios collaborated to develop a framework for data literacy instruction. This framework encompasses the entire data lifecycle, from pre- to post-project planning, highlighting the interconnectedness of data lifecycle stages, and demonstrating how decisions at one stage may impact others. This approach emphasizes the iterative nature of research and challenges the assumption that working with data is a linear process, fostering a deeper understanding of the research process, and encouraging critical thinking about data from start to finish.
Key aspects of this framework include flexibility, focusing on online delivery, and breaking down complex concepts into smaller chunks, facilitating concept- and tool-specific content while tying it back to the broader concepts. Even during sessions focusing on an individual task or skill, the framework allows participants to understand how that skill will be relevant to not only their entire research process, but also contexts outside academia. The framework reinforces a cohesive structure to develop and deliver content about different tools and methods for each research stage. This supports adaptation to changing institutional contexts while remaining flexible and responsive to feedback and current events. Lastly, instructional language and materials are intentionally selected to resonate with and encourage participants to see themselves as individuals who interact with data in their daily lives.
Pseudohistory and Habits of Mind: An Alternative Approach
Meredith Fischer, Liaison Librarian, Wilfrid Laurier University
Pseudohistory is a form of pseudo scholarship that is based on false belief and deficient sources but is presented as legitimate historical fact. This topic can offer an effective avenue into discussions with undergraduate history students about navigating mis- and disinformation. It is a jumping-off point for considering characteristics of ethical scholarship while confronting the epistemic challenges of everyday life in an online world. However, the line between pseudohistory and legitimate history can be challenging to determine, and formulaic methods for evaluating sources (e.g. SIFFT, CRAAP) fall short outside of classroom activities. Educating for intellectual virtue is an alternative method that integrates habits of mind (e.g. intellectual humility and tenacity) into learning outcomes. In this presentation, I will give an overview of my experience integrating pseudohistory and intellectual virtue into instruction as a Social Sciences & Humanities Liaison Librarian, as well as a critique of my own approach that intersects with current scholarship about teaching for intellectual virtue. I will provide background and insight into the framework I used to plan instruction and describe how a modified version of the Ideas-Connections-Extensions (ICE) model facilitated design. Critically, leveraging aspects of the ICE model proved to be an effective method for developing active learning opportunities with clear learning goals around topics that can be challenging to articulate. Attendees will learn about (1) an alternative approach to teaching information evaluation and (2) a practical adaptation of the ICE model.
Foundations First: Insights from First-Year Humanities Library Instruction and Research Consultations
Heather Buchansky, Head, User Services, Trinity College, University of Toronto
In attempting to make a first-year humanities library session for (mainly) non-humanities students informative and accessible, I invited a seminar class of 24 students into the library for some hands-on learning, which involved locating a book on the shelf. This activity was inspired by conversations with undergrad students who mentioned using ChatGPT to help them find a book in the library (with poor results!). Students were also encouraged to request a research consultation with me to discuss their assignment, with this meeting worth 7.5% of their final grade.
For many students, this was their first time being in an academic library, locating a physical book, and meeting with a librarian. My goal was to alleviate some common research roadblocks for students in the future by focusing on the foundations of library research and placing value on in-person activities and interactions.
The insights they shared during and after these activities provided me with a better understanding of a current first-year student’s research process in the age of generative AI. This lightning talk will outline what I observed, and what students asked during the library session and consultations.
Teaching Students about Evaluating AI Outputs: Why CRAAP shifted CARE
Joanna Blair, Liaison Librarian, Science, Wilfrid Laurier University
Evaluating information sources for credibility and authority has long been a core concept when teaching students about the process of identifying quality research. However, increasing use of AI and Large Language Model (LLM) research tools has altered the conversation about evaluating sources. This new research landscape has changed the tips and tools we need to share with students when teaching them how to evaluate AI generated results. This talk will provide a rapid-fire overview of several new and useful mnemonics for AI-output evaluation, explore the commonalities among them, and show how they fit with the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy. The session will cover why CRAAP has turned into CARE as well as other evaluation frameworks such as SIFT for AI, ZODIAC, and ROBOT.
Navigating Changing Information Landscapes in First-Year Chemistry
Tara Stieglitz, Data Services and Science Librarian, MacEwan University
This presentation will provide a history of my collaboration with chemistry faculty to develop and adapt an assignment for first-year students that evolved over time to reflect changes in the information landscape and how students interact with information. I’ll discuss how we changed the focus of the assignment from using print reference materials to digital reference materials and then finally how we changed focus completely to emphasize information evaluation.
In the midst of this evolution, the launch of ChatGPT necessitated a reevaluation of how we approach information seeking and evaluation in first-year chemistry. I will share insights on how I adapted the assignment to reflect the challenges and opportunities posed by generative AI, as well as my plans for ongoing revisions to ensure it continues to foster critical thinking among students.
Additionally, I will provide recommendations for effectively collaborating with faculty in tailoring assignments, highlighting lessons learned during this period of significant change in the information landscape. Join me to discover practical strategies for enhancing student engagement and critical evaluation skills in our rapidly evolving information environment.
Cultivating Cross-Disciplinary Literacies in Data and Digital Tools Through Certificate Pathways
Alexis-Carlota Cochrane, Digital Scholarship Coordinator, McMaster University
Jay Brodeur, Director, Digital Scholarship Infrastructure and Services, McMaster University
Across higher education, interest in data and digital tools training has grown significantly, with students and researchers across disciplines seeking accessible opportunities to strengthen their skills. Libraries have become central sites for this work, offering interdisciplinary, low-barrier programming that complements formal curricula and supports learners who may not have access to such training within their home departments (Kang & Sinn, 2024). However, sustaining attendance across offerings can be challenging, with many libraries experiencing high attrition and inconsistent participation (Schultz, 2025). Certificate-of-completion programs have emerged as an effective approach to encourage sustained engagement, providing structured milestones and formal recognition of learning.
This presentation introduces the Sherman Centre for Digital Scholarship’s certificate program, which supports interdisciplinary engagement with data and digital tools through library-based instruction. Developed to create formal mechanisms for acknowledging the skills learners develop through participation across the workshop series, the program supplements degree training by cultivating competencies in data analysis, research data management, digital mapping, data visualization, and artificial intelligence tools. Through collaborations across library units, faculties, and with community partners, the certificate program expands access to digital scholarship learning opportunities while maximizing the reach of existing libraries resources, an increasingly important consideration as universities navigate ongoing fiscal constraints. By centering flexible learning, interdisciplinarity, and skill recognition, certificate programs demonstrate principles that can support libraries broaden their instructional impact, use resources more efficiently, and meeting the growing need for training opportunities across campus.
Unpacking with Practice: Exploring the Differences between Researching with the Library Versus GenAI in an Upper Level Commerce Course
Jesse Baker, Research, Instruction, and Online Learning Librarian, Queen’s University
In this presentation I will discuss what I learned through the development and delivery of a course integrated information literacy workshop created in collaboration with a faculty member to explore the differences between researching using more traditional library tools and GenAI tools with students permitted to use GenAI during their research process. These sessions sought to assist upper-year commerce and engineering students in developing awareness of the inherent challenges and opportunities of GenAI in the research process through hands-on activities and discussion to tease out these complex concepts and illuminate the way that GenAI functions. Drawing on my experience teaching multiple sessions over the last two years, I will unpack what worked and what didn’t, the techniques I used to actively engage students in exploring these concepts, and the insights I gained into the student perspective on using GenAI in their research.
The One-Shot Is Dead—Now What? Building Research Support Through Study Groups and Writing Centre Partnerships
Amal Hussien, Outreach and Engagement Librarian for Black Studies, University of Toronto
Johanna Hill, User Services Generalist, University of Toronto
Sahar Kasiri-Motlagh, Access/Information Services Specialist, University of Toronto
As the limitations of the traditional one-shot become increasingly clear, many librarians are turning toward more flexible, relationship‑based models of research support. This session highlights how informal structures, such as student study groups, drop‑in research circles, and writing centre partnerships can create meaningful, sustained engagement with research skills without requiring a major overhaul of curriculum.
Drawing from examples at our own institution, we will share how small, recurring research‑focused study groups have supported students working on capstone projects, first‑year writing assignments, and discipline-specific research tasks. These groups, often co-facilitated with writing centre staff, create low‑pressure spaces where students can ask questions, get feedback, and build confidence over time.
Attendees will leave with practical templates, partnership ideas, and simple conversation starters to collaborate with writing centres or faculty to pilot their own informal, community-driven research support programs.
Game-Based Learning and Playful Pedagogy in the Library
Usman Malik, Liaison Librarian, Humber Polytechnic
Arvind Kang, Liaison Librarian, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences and Faculty of Media & Creative Arts, Humber Polytechnic
Lindsay Bontje, Collections Librarian, Humber Polytechnic
Ewan Gibson, Digital Fluency Librarian, Humber Polytechnic
Academic Libraries can support new opportunities for learning and social well-being by providing access to games. In 2025, Librarians at Humber and University of Guelph-Humber Library created a board game and video game collection for the library. Since its launch, the Games Collection has been popular with students, staff, and faculty for recreational and academic use inside and outside the library and classroom.
Games can re-imagine learning by centering on the playful. Games break the ice, foster collaboration, introduce new concepts, and help students engage with complex issues in approachable, meaningful ways. Library staff can work with faculty and other college departments to incorporate games into various aspects of curriculum and campus life.
Firstly, this presentation will detail how this collection was developed vis-à-vis collection development principles and institutional policies. Afterwards, the Librarian presenters will discuss their collaboration with Professors in the Faculty of Media, Creative Arts, and Design to facilitate a two-day in-class workshop where students played games before prototyping their own. This collaboration fostered play-centered pedagogy by promoting creativity, embodied learning, and active engagement. Finally, this presentation will consider future directions for this collection with respect to game-based pedagogy in the classroom and broader campus life.
By the end of the session, attendees will be able to describe collection development principles and steps for game-based materials, summarize the benefits of playful pedagogy, evaluate opportunities for game-based learning, and percolate strategies to pitch and build games collections at their institutional libraries.
Reclaiming Teaching and Learning as a Mid-Career Reset
Kathryn Ruddock, Director, Digital Services, University of Calgary
Mid-career in academic librarianship may seem stable, yet research on career development shows that this stage frequently includes unexpected transitions, identity shifts, and periods of reassessment (Ibarra, 2003; Bridges, 2009). Leadership and administrative responsibilities can expand quickly, sometimes crowding out earlier teaching and student-facing work. Burnout risk increases when values and daily work diverge (Maslach & Leiter, 2016). Library management and professional identity literature describes diverse and non-linear career pathways in academic libraries, including parallel specialist and administrative tracks with differing advancement and recognition patterns (Moran, Leonard, & Zellers, 2018; Hicks, 2014).
This presentation reflects on a mid-career path that moved from subject and instructional librarianship into repository, technology, and leadership roles, and then intentionally added back front-facing teaching and faculty engagement work. The session analyzes a single-case professional journey to identify recurring patterns such as accidental management tracks, role overload, loss of preferred practice areas, and intentional step backs.
The session connects career stage shifts and changing role scope with professional renewal through teaching and student-facing work. It focuses in particular on what it means to come back to teaching after years in primarily administrative and technical roles: relearning instructional habits, updating approaches, and building confidence with current teaching practices. The aim is to normalize nonlinear careers and give participants practical ways to reassess and rebalance their paths.
References
Bridges, W. (2009). Managing transitions: Making the most of change (3rd ed.). Da Capo Press.
Hicks, D. (2014). The construction of librarians’ professional identities: A discourse analysis. Library Quarterly, 84(3), 298–314.
Ibarra, H. (2003). Working identity: Unconventional strategies for reinventing your career. Harvard Business School Press.
Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2016). Burnout: A brief history and how to prevent it. Harvard Business Review Press.
Moran, B. B., Leonard, E., & Zellers, J. (2018). Library and information center management (9th ed.). Libraries Unlimited.