The Workshop for Instruction in Library Use is an annual Canadian conference where delegates meet to discuss timely topics on information literacy. In May 1972, five Canadian participants at a conference on library instruction in Ypsilanti, Michigan, discussed ways to share their experiences with other Canadian librarians. Within a few months, a steering committee was formed consisting of Boris Chumakov (York University), Richard Dewey (Sir George Williams University, now Concordia University), Lucie Greene (University of Western Ontario), Patricia Grieg (University of Western Ontario), and Sheila Laidlaw (University of Toronto).
Based on enthusiastic comments received from participants at a workshop that occurred in August 1972, a basic set of guidelines was established for the formation of WILU. The conference initially targeted staff and librarians from universities and colleges in Ontario and Quebec, and a committee was formed consisting of representation from several different institutions. Today, oversight passes from one hosting institution to the next, and WILU attracts librarians from across Canada, the US, and beyond.
The workshop continues to exist independently from library organizations in order to facilitate grassroots participation at the lowest possible cost, and registration fees are set as low as possible. Outside speakers are kept to a minimum, and input is sought from librarians, faculty members, and students for whom library instruction is designed. The workshop emphasizes experience and learning, and has evolved to blend practice with meaningful theory and research. As the information landscape evolves, WILU continues to redefine itself as Canada’s premier information literacy conference.
The WILU conference is committed to hosting a high-quality and affordable event that is an inclusive and equitable experience for both presenters and attendees.
WILU 2025
Join us in beautiful Hamilton, ON, for Canada’s premier conference on information literacy and library instruction! WILU 2025 is hosted from June 9th – 12th, 2025 at McMaster University.
If you have questions, require assistance, or would like to share feedback, please email our planning committee at wilu2025@mcmaster.ca.
In a world full of uncertainty, the library classroom brims with potential to be a space of care and criticality. Our approaches to teaching and learning have the power to cultivate connections, exemplify our values, and extend our reach beyond the walls of the library itself. In doing this work, our relationships are paramount: with our colleagues, learners, communities, and the Earth.
With this in mind, we ask: how do we create learning environments, in person or online, that inspire feelings of belonging and inclusion, where everyone has a place? How is our work shaped by the institutions, communities, and spaces in which we find ourselves? How do we invite learners to grow and shape their learning alongside us? How might commitment to climate sustainability and stewardship be mirrored in our library instructional practices? How do we, as practitioners, support one another, enhance our collective impact, and build professional communities where our identities can flourish?
As we reflect on both distant and recent pasts to look ahead to what’s next, we want to hear how you are imagining and preparing for the future of library instruction, no matter where or what it looks like.
To be the first to hear news regarding Call for Proposals, Registration, and more, please fill out our Save the Date. See you in June 2025!
2025 Planning Committee
Co-Chairs
- Anna Flak
- Ariel Stables-Kennedy
Steering Committee
- Jeannie An
- Krista Dalgleish
- Nicole Doro
- Susanna Galbraith
- Katie Harding
- Emily Hector
- Crystal Mark
- Crystal Mills
- Katie Merriman
- Paige Roman
- Subhanya Sivajothy
- Nancy Waite
WILU 2026
Want to host WILU 2026? Submit a proposal.
