iSchools Community Keynotes
The iSchools Community Keynotes seek to highlight the diverse and substantive research areas represented across the iSchools community.
Experts from all regions are invited to present a topic of their choosing, contributing to a shared understanding of emerging and established themes in the information field.
2026
2026
Date: 14h October
Time: 5 AM New York / 10 AM London / 5 PM China
Join here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88458366166?pwd=lywlaxvfbkh1wSVIyi7wnKSVtn1l9F.1
Theo JD Bothma
Rethinking Lexicographic Information Behaviour in the Age of Generative AI
Information behaviour and information literacy are well-established areas of research in information science. Dictionary literacy and the information behaviour associated with dictionary consultation, however, have received comparatively little attention within information science and have remained primarily within the domain of lexicography. This presentation argues that dictionary consultation constitutes a distinctive form of information behaviour, and that the emergence of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) makes the relationship between information behaviour, information literacy, dictionary literacy and lexicography increasingly important.
The discussion focuses on end users experiencing lexicographic information needs, particularly cognitive and text-reception needs as distinguished in the Function Theory of Lexicography. Traditionally, such needs have been addressed through consultation of printed or electronic dictionaries and related information resources. Electronic environments have already changed this process through simple and advanced search technologies, linking, filtering and information on demand, and, to a lesser extent, context-sensitive access. GenAI introduces a more fundamental change: instead of merely retrieving predefined lexicographic data, conversational AI systems can interpret a user's information need based on a prompt / question and the context of the content, generate a contextualised response, explain their interpretation, provide references and respond to follow-up questions.
This transition from information retrieval to AI-mediated information interaction raises important theoretical and practical questions. What constitutes a dictionary or lexicographic information resource when the boundaries between dictionaries, search engines, corpora, encyclopaedic resources and conversational AI become increasingly blurred? How does GenAI affect established models of information behaviour? What forms of dictionary, information and AI literacy are required when users must evaluate not only retrieved information but also generated answers whose sources and evidential basis may be opaque?
Using examples of lexicographic information needs arising during text reception, the presentation considers contextualisation, information on demand, information overload, personalisation, trust, source provenance, misinformation and hallucination, as well as the changing role of dictionaries and GenAI as information tools. It concludes by considering the implications of AI-mediated lexicographic information behaviour for end users, information literacy, information-behaviour theory, lexicography and metalexicography, and argues for closer interdisciplinary engagement between information science and lexicography.
Date: 19th May
Time: 8 AM New York / 1 PM London / 8 PM China
Allan A. Martell
The intersections of Information Activism and Memory Activism: Towards an Action-Oriented Research Agenda
In this presentation, I will examine the conceptual and practical relationship between memory activism and memory activism, arguing that memory activism can be understood as a distinct yet embedded form of information activism. This intersection matters because it can provide ideas for activists of both communities to expand their repertoire of advocacy tactics and awareness about challenges and opportunities.
Information activism centers on the strategic production, organization, and circulation of information to empower communities and increase transparency. It includes activities such as data advocacy, open access initiatives, counter-information campaigns, and the development of alternative media platforms. Information activists work to ensure that information is accessible, reliable, and mobilized in ways that promote accountability and social change. On the other hand, memory activism focuses on the preservation, reinterpretation, and dissemination of collective memory, particularly in contexts marked by historical injustice, trauma, or marginalization. Activists engage in documenting testimonies, building community archives, organizing commemorations, and curating digital repositories to contest official or state-sponsored narratives. These practices seek not only to preserve memory but also to reshape public understanding of the past in ways that affirm marginalized identities and experiences.
Research about these types of activism also is driven by different foci. Memory studies centers on narrative, trauma, identity, and commemoration, while information science has foregrounded access, preservation, knowledge organization, and information behavior. Bringing these perspectives together reveals that memory is not only a cultural phenomenon but also an informational one.
Despite these differences, both types of activism are concerned with how individuals and communities mobilize information to challenge dominant narratives and promote justice and foster social transformation. However, despite their shared commitments and overlapping practices, the relationship between these two areas has not been systematically analyzed. This presentation will address this gap by presenting the findings of a systematic literature review, and the design for an empirical case study to explore how activism in both areas can benefit from interdisciplinary research collaborations with researchers from memory studies and information science. Drawing from narrative analysis of social movement records and interviews, the research team will seek to suggests areas for interdisciplinary collaborations.
Date: 15h July
Time: 5 AM New York / 10 AM London / 5 PM China
Ellie Sayyad Abdi
From Information Literacy to Gen-AI Literacy: Continuity or Change?
Generative AI is now embedded in everyday academic, professional, and personal contexts, reshaping how people interact with information: how they search, produce knowledge, and make decisions, while introducing issues such as inaccurate, biased or discriminatory content, the amplification of mis/disinformation, and questions around authorship and intellectual property, among the many.
As Gen-AI tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot, and Claude become more widely used, increasing attention is being given to the capabilities people need to engage with them effectively and responsibly. In response, the concept of “Gen-AI literacy” has emerged to describe the capabilities required to use generative systems critically, with a focus on areas such as evaluation, ethical judgment, and reflective, responsible engagement with AI-generated information. This raises an important conceptual question: are we dealing with a genuinely new form of literacy, or a reconfiguration of established understandings of information literacy in a new technological context?
This question becomes more pressing in light of earlier technological shifts. Technologically enabled information environments have continually evolved, from computers to the internet to social media, each reshaping how people encounter, interpret, and participate in information ecosystems. Across these transitions, information literacy has remained a central capability, supporting effective and meaningful engagement with information despite changing tools and platforms.
This keynote explores whether this pattern continues in AI-generated information environments, and considers whether Gen-AI literacy should be understood as a distinct literacy domain or as a contemporary expression of information literacy.