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Winners for 2026 announced!

We're pleased to announce the winners of the Rowena Macrae-Gibson Student Award for 2026. Ellen and Madeleine will be joining us at LILAC 2026.

Ellen Chifuniro

Ellen Chifuniro is a visionary Information Scientist from Malawi, passionate about advancing Information Literacy and digital inclusion. She is committed to promoting equitable access to information and building inclusive, informed societies through a transformative, service-driven approach.

Ellen is currently studying Information and Library Studies at the University of Strathclyde.

Madeleine Williams

Madeleine Williams is a Subject Library Officer at St Mary’s, supporting and teaching information and digital literacy across all academic year groups. She is particularly interested in AI’s role in information literacy and hopes to centre her future research on this area.

Madeleine is currently completing MA Library and Information Studies at UCL.

The award (named in honour of former Information Literacy Group Vice Chair Rowena Macrae-Gibson) entitles two students to attend LILAC. The award includes a full conference place, including networking evening and conference dinner, and UK reasonable travel and accommodation expenses up to the value of £250. The award is aimed at newly qualifying professionals. We welcome applications from full-time or part-time students (including distance-learners) registered for a UK-based first degree or taught postgraduate qualification in information/library studies or information literacy (IL). It is not essential that applicants are current members of CILIP or its Information Literacy Group.

To apply applicants must write a statement as detailed below

Write a reflection on what inspired your interest in Information Literacy. Perhaps a teacher, lecturer or colleague sparked you to think about the importance of IL; maybe a book or journal article you read stimulated your interest; did you attend a particular IL workshop, talk or webinar, or perhaps you were inspired by the users of the library where you worked, or your own experiences as a library user? How do you see yourself as part of the future of IL? We are looking for a personal and individual piece of writing that reflects your own experience (Maximum 500 words).

To apply 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. Winners will be notified mid to late march.

Applications are closed. 

The awards was judged by:

• Dr Alison Hicks, Associate Professor at University College London
• Rosie Jones, Director Student and Library Services at Teeside University
• Dr Pam McKinney, Senior Lecturer at University of Sheffield