We are pleased to announce that the preliminary programme for the KRIK 2026 Conference is now available.

This year's programme brings together an exciting line-up of keynote speakers, paper presentations, poster sessions and a round table exploring critical librarianship, academic libraries, artificial intelligence, information literacy, professional identity and the future of higher education.

The Conference features keynote lectures by David White (University of the Arts London, UK), Mario Hibert (University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina), Laura Saunders (Simmons University, USA) and Michael George (St. Thomas University, Canada), alongside paper and poster presentations from colleagues across Croatia and abroad.

We are also looking forward to the round table 'Academic Libraries between their Critical Mission and Institutional Constraints', bringing together Monika Batur, Sunniva Evjen, Dejana Golenko and Mario Hibert, with an invited commentary by Marko Kovačić, and moderated by Dijana Šobota.  

In keeping with the conference's discussion-oriented format, the programme also includes Conference Invited Commentators - our distinguished fellows Bill Johnston (Independent scholar, UK) and Sheila Webber (University of Sheffield, UK) - who contribute reflections and perspectives across the conference. 

We are also pleased to publish the preliminary programme of the co-located KIKZ.02 Doctoral Workshop. The workshop offers doctoral students an opportunity to participate in interactive sessions on academic publishing, the peer review process and the responsible use of generative AI in doctoral research. It will feature Associate Professor Sunniva Evjen (Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway) and Nikica Gardijan together with the team of our doctoral students (University of Zagreb, Croatia).

Take a look at the programmes, discover the sessions and speakers, and start planning your conference experience. We look forward to welcoming you to Zagreb this September!

We are delighted to announce that Bill Johnston (Independent scholar, United Kingdom) and Sheila Webber (University of Sheffield, United Kingdom) will join the KRIK Conference as Conference Invited Commentators. 

Both scholars have made foundational contributions to the development of information literacy as an international field of research and practice. Their work has significantly shaped contemporary understandings of information literacy, critical pedagogy, academic librarianship and higher education, inspiring generations of researchers, educators and information professionals around the world. 

As Conference Invited Commentators, Bill Johnston and Sheila Webber will contribute to the conference dialogue by sharing their reflections and perspectives throughout the programme. 

Their participation reflects KRIK's commitment to creating a collaborative and discussion-oriented environment in which keynote lectures, presentations and informal exchanges become part of a broader intellectual conversation. We are particularly honoured to welcome Bill and Sheila to Zagreb and look forward to the insight, experience and inspiration they will bring to our conference community. 

Registrations for the KRIK Conference have now been closed. 

We would like to thank everyone who expressed interest and registered for the Conference. The response has exceeded our expectations, and we are grateful for the strong interest in joining this event and contributing to discussions on the role of libraries, knowledge and information practices in contemporary society as well as collaborative exchanges during the Conference. 

Due to the limited capacity of the Conference venue, we are unfortunately unable to accept additional registrations. The Conference has been intentionally designed as a small-scale event to foster active participation, meaningful dialogue and exchange of experiences among all attendees. 

We kindly remind registered participants that, if they are no longer able to attend, they should inform the Organising Committee as soon as possible, and no later than 1 September 2026, by replying to their registration confirmation email (by writing at npoo.krik@ffzg.unizg.hr). Timely cancellations will allow us to offer places to colleagues currently on the waiting list. 

Further information, including the Conference programme, instruction for presenters and other important updates, will be published soon. Stay tuned! 

You may register for the KRIK conference per day from 17-18  September by following this link.

Register separately for the Doctoral Workshop KIKZ.02 to be held on Saturday, 19 September by following this link. 

Joining the KRIK Conference from St. Thomas University in Canada, Michael George will invite us to reflect on some of the most fundamental questions facing higher education and society today: How do we understand our responsibilities to one another? What role do critical judgment, truth, imagination, and historical consciousness play in shaping our actions? And how can critical literacy help us navigate increasingly complex social and information environments?

Michael George is an Associate Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at St. Thomas University, Fredericton, Canada. His research spans ethics, religion and culture, integrative bioethics, and the philosophical dimensions of media, narrative, interpretation, and information. He has long collaborated with Croatian academic institutions and is currently affiliated as a visiting scholar with the University Centre for Integrative Bioethics in Zagreb.

Keynote address title: Agency, Responsibility and Critical Literacy – Social Demands and Challenges: The Academy and Beyond 

We are pleased to announce the round table discussion “Academic Libraries Between Their Critical Mission and Institutional Constraints” as part of the KRIK Conference programme! 

Bringing together scholars and practitioners from Croatia, Norway, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the panel will explore how digital transformation, AI, marketisation, and changing higher education policies are reshaping the professional role, autonomy, and democratic mission of academic librarians.

The discussion will address the tensions between service-oriented expectations and the broader civic and educational roles of libraries, as well as the everyday realities of academic library work and possible strategies for strengthening the position of librarians within higher education.

Find out more about the round table and panellists here.

We invite researchers, practitioners, and doctoral students to submit abstracts for presentation at the conference!

More information is available here!

Guiding us through a deep dive into the philosophical and sociopolitical implications of technology, the KRIK conference is joined by Mario Hibert from the University of Sarajevo.

Mario Hibert is a Full Professor at the Department of Comparative Literature and Information Science, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Sarajevo. He has written in Bosnian and English numerous articles on different aspects of critical librarianship, information society, digital culture, media literacy, information ethics. In 2018 he published a book „Digital degworth and postdigital commons: critical librarianship, disruptive media and tactical education“.

Keynote address title: The Postdigital Condition and Critical AI Literacy

Check out the KRIK Conference Programme outline! Two days packed with keynote lectures, a round table discussion, short paper and poster sessions and lots of networking!

See the full outline here.

We are also happy to host the KIKZ.02  Doctoral Workshop as a co-located event on Saturday, 19 September! More information here.

Btw., did we mention DANCING? Join us at the KRIK Conference party on Friday and connect with conference attendees in a casual atmosphere!

What happens when technology makes things too easy? Our second Keynote speaker, David White, is here to challenge the status quo. 

David‘s career began with online innovation for the BBC Natural History Unit and has led to his current role as Dean of Academic Strategy at the University of the Arts London (UAL). He has taught and researched at the University of the West of England and managed the development of the University of Oxford’s first online courses. In his current role David is responsible for leading thinking on emerging technologies, such as AI. He is also the academic lead for UAL’s new fully online Postgraduate courses. Through this work he supports the university to constructively respond to the educational opportunities and risks of digital technologies. David is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and President of the Association for Learning Technology.

Keynote address title: The Inconvenient Library: Friction and Dissonance as Central to Developing Critical Literacy

We are extremely happy to be able to host our colleague Laura Saunders as one of the keynote speakers at the KRIK Conference! Laura is a Professor and Associate Dean at Simmons University School of Library and Information Science as well as the Director of the Simmons Center for Information Literacy. Her teaching and research focus on the areas of information literacy including news/media literacy and mis- and disinformation as well as reference services, and academic libraries. More info on Laura's biography here!

Keynote address title: Information Literacy and Intellectual Freedom at the Nexus of Social Justice: Imagining a Path Forward

Don't miss a beat about this event and save the dates from our Important dates page!

We invite researchers, practitioners, and doctoral students to submit abstracts for presentation at the conference!

More information is available here!