Nominations for the 2025 Information Literacy Award open in the new year. The award is open to all practitioners, researchers and academics working in the information literacy field in the UK, both individuals and teams, and recognises excellent practice. You can nominate colleagues or self-nominate, so why not start thinking about which person, team, project or initiative you want others to know about.
The prestigious award, the only of its kind for information literacy in the UK, is presented by the CILIP Information Literacy Group. Previous winners found it has demonstrated their innovation and expertise nationally and helped them become involved in strategic conversations advocating and developing information literacy in their fields.
It’s an amazing way to have your work recognised, both in and outside of the information literacy field, but don’t just take our word for it. We asked past winners to share their thoughts on what winning the Information Literacy Award meant to them. In 2024 we had two winners of the award due to the exceptional nominations.
Ruth Powell, Senior E-learning Project Manager, University of the Arts London
(winner of the Information Literacy Award 2024) said the following:
“As an arts-based institution, learning at UAL thrives through playful, creative exploration. Our program, The 12 Days of AI, invited participants to engage with various AI tools for 20 minutes a day over 12 days, encouraging them to explore, reflect, and discuss AI’s role in teaching and learning. The experience was designed to allow busy colleagues to immerse themselves in AI’s potential, limitations, and ethical considerations in a meaningful yet manageable way.
Winning the LILAC Award 2024 was a wonderful acknowledgment of our goals: to create a learning experience that is both thought-provoking and accessible. For our new team, this award has been invaluable in raising awareness within UAL of our work, expertise, and commitment to enhancing digital literacy across the institution. The Award has also helped promote UAL’s contributions to the broader higher education sector, particularly in digital literacy within Creative Arts education.
Colleagues contributing to the development of 12 Days of AI have used the award as evidence of impact for professional recognition schemes, including CMALT and HEA Fellowship. For anyone considering nominating others, this award not only celebrates excellence but supports professional growth and sector-wide engagement”.
Jo Spiller, Director of Operations and Partners, University of Edinburgh
(winner of the Information Literacy Award 2024) said the following:
“The Data Education in Schools team were truly delighted to win this award and to have our work recognised in this way by the LILAC committee. For us, it opened up new ways to champion data and information literacy, recognising the way that emerging technologies, data and AI are already shaping these literacies, and the skills and knowledge young people need in order to navigate this data-rich world both now and in the future.
In the past year, we have established some exciting new collaborations and partnerships, both internally within our organisation and as part of research teams. Activities have included: exploring arts-based methods and approaches to AI literacy, creative approaches to science education, and data skills within archival research. We have new emerging partnership with schools and the profile of our work has certainly been raised within our institution as well as within the wider sector. Winning the Information Literacy award has undoubtedly contributed to that profile-raising”.
Louise Speakman, Information Specialist (Systematic Reviews), University of Lancaster
(winner of the Information Literacy Award 2023) said the following:
“Winning the IL Award in 2023 has provided recognition for the SR (Systematic Review) Conversations initiative, leading to an impact I could never have imagined, conversations with many internal and external colleagues have happened since winning, with further innovations and developments of the project. On a personal level my role has blossomed since winning this award. The IL Award continues to open further opportunities, and I am certainly using this as motivation for new goals and challenges for myself and have recently started in a new role as Information Specialist (Systematic Reviews).”
You can find more information about the criteria for nominations and the nomination process on the LILAC website. We look forward to receiving your nominations in the new year!
The LILAC Committee
