Ana Williams – Librarian, UK Health Security Agency
I was extremely fortunate to win a bursary to this year’s LILAC Conference in Leeds, an event which included three full days of amazing talks centred on AI and all things pertinent to information literacy (IL), an awards ceremony and a dinner. To anyone considering whether to apply for a bursary next year, who perhaps like pre-Leeds me, is not sure what to expect, or wonders whether it is for them and where they are now in their career; take that leap and embrace the possibilities of community, connection and professional development. I am so pleased that I did.
I feel strongly about the importance of IL in today’s fast-paced digital world, and within my new role as a librarian in public health I am very interested in mis and dis-information, and information seeking behaviours around vaccines and health decisions. As a mature student about to start my dissertation, I had some professional development goals around practical IL applications and current practices, but I also had some reservations about attending such an established and well-respected conference. Would there be anyone like me, at the beginning of a new career but with a wealth of experience in other fields? Would ‘they’ be open to new ideas and creative solutions beyond a (perceived) established stance? I have a strong sense of the value of life-long learning and a mind-set of curiosity and exploration, and I hoped that the talks and people I met would reflect this.
I was not disappointed! Key qualities that came through in the talks, and conversations I had, included listening, compassion and true enquiry. I found a genuine desire for understanding, solutions and context that did not stop at the first possible answer. The panel discussion acknowledged AI sceptics alongside AI enthusiasts, and how although AI can be a great leveler it can also reflect social inequalities. For the panel, the multiple facets of AI, and individuals’ unique situations, raised the need for critical engagement, continual reflection and acceptance of a new, messy, reality. Maha Bali, a keynote speaker from the American University in Cairo, spoke about AI as comparable with fast food, and whether the question was whether its use in education should focus on monitoring students use of AI, or making information more accessible. Kindness, equity, community-building of resources and sharing best practice were at the heart of Maha’s talk. This struck a chord with me. There is growing evidence of a need for a coordinated effort to enhance multiple literacies in the community (as I discovered in my research proposal) and the LILAC conference was the ideal opportunity to discover and discuss approaches.
Attending the conference was so helpful in seeing how different sectors observed and tackled information literacy in terms of support, education and practical strategies. I came away with many new ideas for researching further. But perhaps most important for my professional development were the connections I made with some amazing researchers and practitioners who shared generously of their work and ideas. I came away feeling inspired, with not just new information and role models for how much can be done, but new professional friends.
Health Libraries Group 