I am sure you will all join us in welcoming the new Associate Editors of the Journal of Information Literacy! In this blog post, Yucong, Sarah, Yvonne, and Charlotte tell us a little bit about themselves, their professions, and their interests.
Congratulations and good luck to you all!
Yucong Lao
I am an Associate Editor of the Journal of Information Literacy, which I joined in December 2025. This role aligns closely with my research background, particularly my focus on media and information literacy. I am keen to contribute to JIL, especially by advancing research on people’s information literacy practices involving AI artefacts.
I am a doctoral researcher in Information Studies at the University of Oulu. My doctoral thesis, titled Youth Meeting GenAI: Young People’s Media and Information Literacy Practices in the Information Ecosystem Shaped by Generative Artificial Intelligence, has recently been published. My doctoral research primarily focuses on young people’s media and information literacy practices with generative AI and its artefacts.
My broader research interests include generative AI–related topics, media and information literacy from a practice-based perspective, and people’s credibility assessment of information”.
Sarah McNicol
I’m excited to be joining the editorial team at JIL. I’m currently an independent researcher working on research and evaluation projects in the library, education and cultural sectors. I started my career as a school librarian in the 1990s and I’ve also worked as an FE/adult education tutor, but I’ve spent most of the last 25 years involved in research. I’ve mainly worked in university departments and on a freelance basis. I’ve been involved in research projects with various library sectors, including public, academic, health and school libraries. In recent years, I’ve been particularly interested in bibliotherapy programmes and services; library provision for people living with dementia; critical literacy; and the use of comics and graphic novels in research. I’m keen to see research shared and discussed widely, so I’m looking forward to working with authors to help to make sure their research can have as great an impact as possible.
Yvonne Eadon
I am a Lecturer in Information Studies at the University of Glasgow. I lecture in the new MSc in Libraries, designing and teaching a class about information behaviour and information literacy. I am new to the UK research landscape, by way of the University of Kentucky in the U.S., but have been keeping up with JIL for years and am excited to be part of the new editorial team. My research looks at gendered mis- and disinformation, specifically knowledge production in ‘feminised’ online conspiracy theory communities. I am also constantly searching for new and effective ways to teach IL to future information professionals (or rather, teach how to teach IL!), and look forward to how working as an Associate Editor will inform both my teaching and my research.
In my dwindling spare time, I enjoy crafting (knitting, sewing, and collage), reading fiction, and staring at my cats, which is not helping the librarian stereotype whatsoever. I have also been enjoying exploring Scotland, visiting the many castles that are a train ride away from Glasgow.
Charlotte Im
I’m delighted to join the Journal of Information Literacy (JIL) Editorial team as an Associate Editor. As an avid reader of JIL for years, this opportunity feels a bit like a dream come true. The chance to contribute to such an important journal is especially meaningful in the times we live in.
My research explores how information trustworthiness is being negotiated and mediated in digital spaces. Increasingly, we can see that information literacy is a sorely needed skill for everyone seeking to participate in a healthy, civic, and democratic society. These questions have never been more urgent.
I am also a Lecturer in Information Science at the University of the West of England (UWE), where I teach on tech ethics, data ethics, knowledge organisation, and literacy. Media and AI literacy have emerged as critical topics to discuss with our students and with technology users at large, and I look forward to bringing these perspectives to my work with JIL.
Outside of academia, I’m a crocheter, and the proud owner of the Lego Rivendell set. On days off, you’ll find me holed up in my room, podcast on, hands kept busy with either yarn or Lego!
