Information Literacy Award

Winner for 2023 announced!

We are pleased to announce the winner is Louise Speakman for "Systematic Review Conversations".

Our judges commented: "This work presents an important initiative for tackling the development of health information literacy. The ‘Systematic Review Conversations’ programme provides a key communication channel for sharing expertise with an external audience, and several successful events have formed part of the initiative. Opening the material to a wider audience via the YouTube Channel provides a needed accessible route to learning about the process of searching, evaluating and synthesising health information for the purposes of informed decision-making for all, breaking the barriers of institutional silos and opening a route to online sharing and collaboration. We are looking forward to how this programme progresses in the future".

Other shortlisted nominees were:

• Global Banking School Library Team for creating and developing seven higher education libraries in turbulent times.
  
• Technology Libraries Team, University of Cambridge, for opening their information literacy programme to reach new audiences and communities.
• Geoff Walton, Reader in Information and Digital Literacies at Manchester Metropolitan University, for his information literacy research, teaching and service contributions to the broader information literacy sector.

The awards have been judged by:

• Dr. Konstantina Martzoukou, Associate Professor, Robert Gordon University
• Clare Trowell, Marshall Librarian, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge
• Katie Wise, Knowledge Specialist, Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

The CILIP Information Literacy Group and the Information School at the University of Sheffield are proud to offer an award for achievement in the field of information literacy (IL). IL “is the ability to think critically and make balanced judgements about any information we find and use. It empowers us as citizens to reach and express informed views and to engage fully in society”.

 IL applies within a number of contexts, including:

• Everyday – when people find information online
• Citizenship – helping people to understand the world around us
• Education – developing critical thinking skills at all stages of education, from school to higher education
• The workplace - contributing to employability
• Health – finding reliable sources of health information.

(CILIP Definition of Information Literacy 2018).

The award is open to all practitioners, researchers and academics working in the IL field within the United Kingdom. Nominations may be from any sector. We welcome nominations for individuals as well as for groups/teams. The winning individual or team will receive £500 for personal use and £500 for their nominated charity.

Criteria

Nominations must demonstrate impact, innovation, initiative and originality in one or more of the following areas:

• Raising the profile of IL within an organisation / community or sector
• Initiating or contributing to national, regional or local projects / initiatives which enhance IL skills for an identified client group(s)
• Developing a digital resource (e.g. online course, service, product or app) which develops and enhances IL skills
• Undertaking original research in the field of IL and making a significant contribution to the literature.

There should be evidence that the nominated individual or team is committed to sharing knowledge and expertise and/or disseminating their learning and/or research within their organisation and beyond.

Nominations will be judged upon evidence of impact within the past 3 years only.

Nominations

Individuals and teams may self-nominate or be nominated by colleagues. Nominations should take the form of:

Either

A written statement of evidence of the nominee contribution(s) in one or more of the areas above. This should not exceed 1500 words and may include visual elements e.g. images, graphics etc. where appropriate - please provide URLs to these where necessary.

Or

A short video (10 minutes maximum) addressing the nominee contribution(s) in one or more of the areas above. If this option is selected, the video should be uploaded to YouTube as unlisted content and the URL provided on the application form.

How to apply
To apply for the award you will need to register as a member, or if you have already registered, just login to your account using the link at the top of the page. Once logged in to your account, scroll down to the awards section and select 'apply now' to complete your application.