The IFLA Information Literacy Section (ILS) announces its call for speaker proposals for presentations at their Open Session at the IFLA World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) in Rotterdam, Netherlands, August 21-25, 2023. 

Theme: Let’s Work Together to Develop Critical Thinkers in the ChatGPT Era

As we continue to move into a more digital age, it is becoming increasingly important to develop critical thinking skills to navigate the vast amount of information available. 

Libraries should be working together to 1) develop policies, lesson plans and strategies while embracing ChatGPT and related AI technologies; 2) address issues and concerns about the use of AI in libraries through critical lenses; 3) prepare learners for a sustainable future. 

ChatGPT can be a powerful tool for teaching and developing information literacy skills, but it can also be a source of misinformation. It is important for users of ChatGPT to be aware of its limitations and to critically evaluate the information it provides. 

We are looking for innovative and practical solutions that can equip individuals with the necessary skills to navigate and evaluate information in an era where machine-generated content is ubiquitous.

Possible sub-themes may include, but are not limited to:

  • policies, best practices, and issues with including AI in academia and library information literacy instruction
  • strategies to develop critical thinkers collectively in the ChatGPT era
  • research on combatting misinformation and disinformation in media, including machine-generated content
  • best practice in using ChatGPT and other AI technologies and the ethical implications of using them.

Each presentation will be 10 minutes. There will be a 10-minute Q&A to conclude the one hour session. 

Proposals must be in English and submitted in an electronic format and must include the following information:

  • Email subject “IFLA WLIC 2023 Abstract Proposal ILS”
  • Title of the proposed presentation
  • Specify the sub-theme the abstract addresses
  • Abstract of the proposed paper (no more than 500 words)
  • Name(s) of presenters and positions and or titles
  • Employer or affiliated institution
  • Contact information including email address
  • Short biographical statement of no more than 100 words
  • A statement of below agreement: 

        ___I understand if my presentation is accepted myself, or at least one presenter from my group, if more than one        author is included in the proposal, will be expected to make this presentation by attending the WLIC in Rotterdam and will assume all financial responsibilities to do so. 

Send proposal abstracts (500 words or less) by May 1, 2023 (submitter’s local time) to Ning Zou, ning_zou@gse.harvard.edu with the subject line: IFLA WLIC 2023 Abstract Proposal ILS

Important dates:

  • May 1, 2023 – Deadline for submissions of Proposal Abstracts
  • May 22, 2023 – Presenters will be notified – all submissions will be confirmed at time of receipt & about the decision.
  • July 17, 2023 – Presentation slides in English due preferably with paper (in any of the IFLA languages) to be published in IFLA Repository

Please note:

At least one of the paper’s authors must be present to deliver a summary of the paper during the Open Session in Rotterdam. Abstracts should only be submitted with the understanding that the expenses of attending the conference will be the responsibility of the author(s)/presenter(s) of accepted papers.

The paper must be an original submission not presented or published elsewhere.

All papers that are presented at the WLIC 2023 will be made available online via the IFLA Library under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

Authors of accepted papers must complete the IFLA Authors’ Permission Form. 

All expenses for attending the IFLA conference, travel, accommodation, etc., are the responsibility of the authors/presenters. No financial support can be provided by IFLA, but a letter of invitation/visa requirements can be issued to author(s)/presenter(s) of accepted papers.

Single-day registrations are possible. More information is available on the WLIC 2023 website. 

A number of grants and awards are available every year for supporting delegates to attend the IFLA World Library and Information Congress. Visit the IFLA WLIC 2023 website for more information.