Maddie is online: the ethics of online safety and security: an innovative co-creation cartoon story-telling project with schools.

This presentation gives an overview of "Maddie is Online", an innovative educational project that uses creative storytelling to produce learning and teaching material for those involved in the education, support and safeguarding of children (aged 9-13 years old). The project focuses on children's development of online information, digital and media literacy skills through digital cartoon animated stories, which draw attention to critical issues in a way that is fun and engaging, and which links to the children's own experiences

Maddie is online.

This poster presents Dr. Konstantina Martzoukou's perspective on incorporating entrepreneurship into her teaching and research practice. It uses the "Maddie is Online" project as an example of how Dr. Martzoukou has achieved this

An investigation into the information-seeking behaviour of professionals, working within the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector in Ireland.

Purpose: This research aimed to investigate the information-seeking behaviour (ISB) and information needs of different professional groups within the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector in the Republic of Ireland (i.e. for what purpose information is acquired), the information sources professional groups use (including in-house documentation, regulations, industry guidelines, standards and colleagues) and the factors, which influence professional groups' choice of information sources. Furthermore, the research explored the perceived level of support that exists towards knowledge and information sharing. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative non-experimental research design, comprising of a self-completion survey questionnaire, was used to examine a number of information-seeking variables: information triggers, information sources and source influencers as well as information sharing enablers. It was related to four professional tasks: process technology/process development, regulatory support and quality/compliance support and engineering. Findings: The research provides new insights into the ISB of pharmaceutical professionals working within a highly regulated and high-performance production environment, including a greater understanding of the context in which professional groups experience information needs. The levels of agreement observed in relation to employees' perception of information-sharing enablers indicated an overall positive level of information sharing. Research limitations/implications: The study points to largely echoed previous findings which suggest that individual work role associated tasks prompt particular information needs. Further to this, work role associated tasks have a bearing on information source selection. Pharmaceutical professionals engaged in positive levels of information and knowledge sharing, relying on procedures, other colleagues and internal documentation as information sources. The participants also indicated a high level of agreement in respect to the value of available subject matter experts as information-sharing enablers. Practical implications: Organisations should aim to create opportunities for adequate time to share information and organisational structures, facilitating an overall organisational culture of sharing. A focus on information sharing through forums, seminars, meetings and working groups could enhance information sharing, through the development of communities of practice. Social implications: Pharmaceutical professionals relied on trustworthiness and quality as professional' top information source-influencing factors. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that working within a high-performance, target-driven and time-constrained production environment brings a particular contextual impact, where frequent urgent information triggers are experienced. These contextual factors warrant further investigation. Originality/value: A paucity of information exists with respect to the ISB of professionals, working within the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector, which is a sector known for its high level of information use and production. This paper offered an original empirical investigation of the ISB of professionals, working within the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector in the Republic of Ireland, focussing on key professional tasks. The research also addressed the level of support available for knowledge and information sharing

Creative and innovative online learning and teaching in LIS education: building student confidence via co-creation and partnership.

This presentation looks at different projects and initiatives that have been organized in collaboration with academic staff at Robert Gordon University (RGU), as well as the RGU Library and other external organisations - including the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland (CILIPS) and OneHE, an organization that offers microlearning with the aim of supporting Higher Education Institutions to improve student outcomes though effective teaching. Projects and initiatives covered include: CILIPS New Voices; a professional skills enhancement module; the Reflective Professional journal; the OneHE "Information, Digital and Media Literacy: Mindsets" community; and the "Maddie is Online" and "Digital Competencies" projects

The role of the public library as an enabler of accessible and inclusive information literacy.

This keynote presentation explores the concepts of accessible and inclusive information literacy, from the perspective of understanding and connecting with the diverse needs, backgrounds, experiences and mindsets of the user communities served by public libraries

Maddie is online: co-creating with young people for safer and resilient online connectivity. [Blog post]

According to the World Health Organization (2024) "Children's lives are increasingly blended between the digital and physical worlds, intertwining virtual and real experiences in their daily routines. Ensuring online safety for children is becoming a growing concern within the WHO European Region". This is because most children grow up using digital devices from a young age and are used to continuous connectivity. While there are many advantages and opportunities created in the online world, it still presents significant online harms, which may have an impact on young people's development both at a physical and mental health level. School nurses' specialist roles in encouraging a healthy and resilient lifestyle also extend to the online public health landscape. They are key in supporting children and young people to develop important skills (such as problem solving, communication, digital resilience) that are vital for navigating the online environment, building awareness and knowledge of online safety and encouraging positive online interactions with confidence

Maddie is online: a creative learning path to digital literacy for young people.

This presentation gives an overview of the "Maddie is Online" project, which aims: 1) to improve young people's digital literacy skills; 2) to increase the number of schools that deliver digital literacy education; 3) to involve students directly in the delivery of training, so that they can express themselves and have dialogue about the challenges/opportunities of online connectivity; and 4) to dispel negative perceptions about the dangers of online connectivity, focusing instead on positive skills development

Scottish public libraries welcome Syrian new Scots: a transition from being a refugee to becoming an active part of the community.

This chapter offers an overview of the information needs and experiences of Syrian refugees in Scotland, drawing from data collected as part of ‘Lost in Information: Syrian new Scots’ Information Literacy Way-finding practices’, a research project which was funded by the CILIP Information Literacy Group (ILG) in the UK. The aim of the research was to explore the information needs of Syrian refugees, their habitual and adaptive information literacy practices and the barriers and enablers they encountered within their new socio-cultural setting via their interaction with people, tools and processes. The chapter begins by discussing the Scottish government strategy for welcoming Syrian refugees and by exploring the fundamental everyday life needs of Syrian refugees during the first few months after relocating to Scotland. These included learning English, reuniting with family members, securing employment and achieving financial security. In view of this focus and based on the emphasis of this book on the role of information for democracy, civic rights and participation, the chapter discusses Scottish public libraries’ vision of supporting vulnerable communities and helping to build capacity for the active contribution of refugees to their host society, enabling information support and activities that create a sense of belonging for all. The chapter concludes with presenting a number of Scottish public libraries’ case studies from the Northeast of Scotland, showcasing how they have responded to the social needs of Syrian refugees, offering information related services, organising specific integration related activities and programmes and making library space a place for learning. Public libraries in Scotland have developed impactful work to support Syrian refugees in their local communities, which could be further empowered by creating close partnerships with refugee support services and organisations. There is potential for public libraries to make a sustainable difference to the lives of Syrian new Scots and the communities which have welcomed them supporting civic participation and inclusion for all

Academic libraries in COVID-19: a renewed mission for digital literacy.

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has placed online learning, blended or hybrid provision as the ‘new normal’ in Higher Education. For most universities and their academic libraries, especially those with a less strong online presence, the pandemic has caused numerous challenges. However, it has also been a catalyst for change and resifting of priorities. For academic librarians involved in the delivery of information skills/literacy training, a renewed mission is emerging, addressing access and connectivity to resources, designing for online education and fostering the development of digital literacy of students. Design/methodology/approach: This is a conceptual paper based on the author’s personal experiences and subjective opinion as a Library and Information Science educator with considerable expertise in online distance learning in the U.K. Reflecting critically on the impact of the pandemic from an educational point of view and on key changes experienced, the paper centres on the argument that academic librarians could emerge as strategic partners in Higher Education, towards the direction of enhancing students’ digital competences development. Findings: The complete and involuntary shift to online learning due to COVID-19 restrictions, has opened the door to multiple challenges in Higher Education, which are complex and ongoing: the implementation of remote tools and practices en masse in online teaching and learning in a way that ensures accessibility and equity for all, issues connecting to online pedagogy, and how to prepare students with the information and digital literacy competences required for the new online learning ‘normal’. As academic libraries move forward, they have a renewed mission to help learners in the online space to become both information rich and digitally competent. There is an opportunity to act as the connecting link that will help to move a step forward a strategic vision that places design for equity at the center of education. Originality/value: The impact of COVID-19 within Higher Education and academic libraries more specifically, is a theme that has not been yet sufficiently discussed, researched or critically debated as the world is still currently going through the pandemic crisis. This paper aims to initiate some early thoughts and conversation as well as put forward the author’s personal critical positioning on the issues, challenges and potential opportunities emerging in the current educational climate for academic librarians and to highlight areas of importance for the design and direction of information and library science curricula

Prosodic effects in the production of structural ambiguities: Do they exist?

The aim of the present study is to explore whether Greek adults, who are non-trained speakers and naïve to the purpose of the task, use distinguishable prosodic cues, while producing ambiguous sentences. We report on the findings from a production task conducted with 30 participants (15 females), which contained subject/object ambiguities. Results revealed that participants use prosodic cues to denote the subject or the object reading, but not consistently so in order to distinguish the two meanings. We argue that our findings are in line with the Syntax-Phonology mapping, according to which prosodic phrasing goes in tandem with syntactic segmentation, though prosodic phrasing was not consistently employed by our speakers to differentiate the two meanings of the ambiguous sentences