GSLIS eUpdate: Volume 12, Number 4

Wednesday January 30 2013

GSLIS eUpdate

Volume 12, Number 4: January 2013

The GSLIS eUpdate, published every other month, summarizes current news, events, alumni and advancement highlights, and continuing professional development opportunities. Other publications that may be of interest to alumni and friends are listed on the GSLIS Publications web page.

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IN THIS ISSUE

1. GSLIS Spotlight
2. News Summary
3. Continuing Professional Development
4. Alumni and Advancement Highlights
5. Calendar of Events
6. Unsubscribe and/or contact us

Note: We enjoy receiving and sharing news about your career and life accomplishments. Please take the time to update your contact information and/or share a Class Note about your recent activities using our Alumni Update Form.

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1. GSLIS SPOTLIGHT

Diesner Receives Grant to Explore Impact of Social Justice Documentaries
Assistant Professor Jana Diesner has received a $150,000 grant from the Ford Foundation to develop, evaluate, and apply a computational solution for measuring the impact of social justice documentaries. "The broader question is, what is the impact of documentaries on the knowledge and behavior of individuals, communities, and society, and how can we assess that?" Diesner said. Diesner sees the project as a demonstration of the broad scope of research in GSLIS. "This project allows us to be part of a larger, current, real-world initiative, and to bring our advanced expertise in socio-technical data analytics to the table. I am thrilled to contribute to the Ford Foundation's mission to 'advance social justice worldwide' with our scientific work, and to 'work with visionaries on the frontlines of social change'" she said.

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2. GSLIS NEWS SUMMARY

News stories recently featured on the GSLIS home page include:

2012 Downs Award Winner Covered in NBC Latino, Huffington Post
The 2012 recipient of the Robert B. Downs Intellectual Freedom Award is Librotraficante, a movement led by Tony Diaz opposing the elimination of Tucson's popular Mexican American Studies (MAS) program from the public school system and the removal of dozens of MAS textbooks and reading list books. Librotraficante's efforts have included the development of a magazine, the collection of books for underground libraries, and multiple events to raise awareness of the situation. The Downs Award is given annually by GSLIS faculty to acknowledge individuals or groups who have furthered the cause of intellectual freedom, particularly as it affects libraries and information centers and the dissemination of ideas. The award honors Robert Downs, a champion of intellectual freedom, on his twenty-fifth anniversary as director of the School.

Wolske, Volunteers Transform Public Computing Lab at Urbana Free Library
Martin Wolske, senior research scientist for the Center for Digital Inclusion (CDI) and adjunct lecturer at GSLIS, recently completed a redesign of the computer lab located on the second floor of the Urbana Free Library (UFL). Preliminary redesign plans were derived from Wolske’s Community Informatics Studio class, through which students created partnerships with local community organizations and libraries to design, apply, and lead technology workshops that addressed the needs of each institution. The planning and building of the UFL lab, which occurred over the course of several months and with the help of numerous volunteers, is now complete. Watch video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjDgm4CiPVK.

GSLIS Social Media
For up-to-date news and announcements, you are invited to follow the GSLIS Twitter and “like” us on Facebook: Graduate School of Library and Information Science at Illinois.

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3. CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Certified Public Library Administrator (CPLA) Courses

Current Issues in Libraries
Dates: February 25 – April 5, 2013
Times: Asynchronous
Instructor: Rose Chenoweth
Cost: $300

Fundraising and Grant Writing for Your Library
Dates: March 4 – April 12, 2013
Times: Asynchronous
Instructor: Jason Kovac, Ph.D.
Cost: $300

For more information and to register, visit CPLA Program and Courses.

Please forward your ideas for continuing education topics to Marianne Steadley.

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4. ALUMNI AND ADVANCEMENT HIGHLIGHTS

GSLIS welcomes January LEEP cohort
For the first time since January 2001, GSLIS welcomed a new cohort of 29 LEEP students in January 2013, bringing together students from Minnesota, Missouri, Louisiana, and New York as well as several locations in Illinois. Professor Emerita Leigh Estabrook and doctoral students Sarah Roberts and Miriam Sweeney served as instructors for the course LIS 502 Libraries, Information and Society during an intensive week of face-to-face meetings. The students will continue with other courses online during the spring semester.

GSLIS is still accepting applications for summer LEEP admissions. Preference will be given to complete applications received by February 1; however, we will accept applications as long as space is available. More information can be found on our Admissions web page.

Search for University Librarian
A search for a new Juanita J. and Robert E. Simpson Dean of Libraries and University Librarian at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is underway, with initial review of applications beginning on February 15, 2013. More information is available at: http://www.provost.illinois.edu/about/positions/library.html.

2013 Alternative Spring Break (ASB)
Sixty GSLIS students have applied to participate in the 2013 Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program. ASB exposes students to professional work environments at institutions and organizations across the country during the week of spring break (March 18-22). Placements continue to be a good mix of academic, public, government, archives, and corporate/special information settings, thanks to the hospitality of many alumni and friends. The Alpha Chapter of Beta Phi Mu, which provides valuable funding for ASB, renewed its support for this year. The LIS Annual Fund continues to provide critical student financial assistance for the program. If alumni wish to donate $300 to sponsor a student’s trip, please contact Diana Stroud by March 1.

LSAA Alumni Awards
Your help is needed to nominate individuals for the LSAA Distinguished Alumnus Award, Leadership Award, and Distinguished Service Award. The awards will be presented in June at the LSAA Annual Meeting in Chicago. For award criteria and more information, visit our LSAA Awards web page.

James Obst (MS ’01) is chair of the LSAA Awards Committee this year. Nominations will be accepted via email until April 1, 2013.

LEEP Cohort Challenge Quarterly Update
More than $5,000 was raised in 2012 for the LEEP Scholarship Fund*, thanks to generosity of many alumni (both LEEP and on-campus) and dedicated cohort leaders. The LEEP Cohort Challenge is now just $4,600 away from reaching the $25K goal set in May 2009. If every past donor to the fund made an additional $40 gift this year, the campaign would be complete.

The cohort rankings are very close at the mid-level. Following is the current standing by cohort:

Cohort 3 - $3,725 (Marci Cohen, Leader)
Cohort 7 - $3,450 (Brooke Johnson, Leader)
Cohort 1 - $1,975 (Kendi Kelley, Leader)
Cohort 8 - $1,385 (Amanda McKay/Jomichele Seidl, Co-Leaders)
Cohort 10 - $1,025 (Judi Bikel/Helen Linda, Co-Leaders)
Cohort 9 - $790 (Kathleen Mahoney, Leader)
Cohort 11 - $565 (Jodi Schneider, Leader)
Cohort 6 - $485 (James Obst, Leader)
Cohort 5 - $450 (Melissa Henderson, Leader)
Cohort 14 - $420 (Cohort Leader Needed)
Cohort 2 - $400 (Connie Frankenfield, Leader)
Cohort 13 - $325 (Shannon Farrell, Leader)
Cohort 12 - $300 (Cohort Leader Needed)
Cohort 15 - $100 (Cohort Leader Needed)
Cohort 4 - $100 (Cyril Oberlander, Leader)

On-Campus Alumni Support: $4885

Total Raised - $20,380

To boost your cohort in the rankings, please make a gift to the LEEP Scholarship Endowment.

*Be sure to read story in GSLIS Magazine 2012, page 30.

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5. CALENDAR OF EVENTS

All alumni are invited to attend receptions and other GSLIS events organized around a conference, regardless of their participation in conference activities. Please stop by and see us! We also encourage you to bring a potential MS or PhD student to meet our faculty and other alumni.

CIGG (Central Illinois GSLIS Grads) Lundi Gras Party
February 11, 2013
5:30-8:30 p.m.
The Brewhaus, 617 East Washington
Springfield, Illinois
All alumni, faculty, students and prospective students are invited to attend. Please RSVP to GSLIS Advancement prior to February 8.

iConference 2013
February 12-15, 2013
Fort Worth, Texas
Annual gathering of researchers and professionals from around the world who share the common goal of making a difference through advancing the boundaries of information studies, exploring core concepts and ideas, and creating new technological and conceptual configurations—all situated in interdisciplinary discourses.

iConference Alumni Reception
February 13, 2013
6-8 p.m.
Worthington Renaissance, Vidalia Restaurant
200 Main Street
Fort Worth, Texas
Alumni, faculty, students and prospective students are welcome to stop by. Please RSVP to GSLIS Advancement prior to February 8.

CCB 12^th Annual Book Pre-Sale
February 17, 2013
1-4 p.m.
GSLIS East Foyer
Advance Ticket: $20

CCB 12^th Annual Book Sale
February 18-20, 2013
10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
24 LIS

GSLIS Corporate Roundtable & Applied Project Poster Session
March 1, 2013
11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
EnterpriseWorks, University of Illinois Research Park
“The Only Constant is Change: Are you Prepared to Lead?”
Speaker: Jeff Limp, GSLIS Adjunct Lecturer and Senior Vice President, Ipsos ASI
Immediately followed by 3^rd Annual Applied Poster Project Session, featuring lightning talks and posters highlighting selected MS/CAS students’ projects to further the understanding of corporate partners to the relevance of information science in their work. To learn more please contact Sharon Johnson, corporate roundtable coordinator and associate director of advancement.

Alternative Spring Break
March 18-22, 2013

GSLIS Research Showcase 2013
March 29, 2013
1:30-4:30 p.m.
GSLIS East Foyer and Rooms 126/131
GSLIS faculty and students will present short talks and posters highlighting their scholarly work at this annual event, which is open to the general public.

ACRL Conference/Reception
April 10-13, 2013
Indiana Convention Center
Indianapolis, Indiana
Visit GSLIS Booth #537
Stop by for the latest news and catch up with other alumni.

ACRL/GSLIS Reception
April 11, 2013
6-8 p.m.
JW Marriott, 10 South West Street
Indianapolis, Indiana
Alumni, faculty, students and prospective students are welcome to stop by. Please RSVP to the GSLIS Advancement Office prior to April 5, 2013.

Convocation
May 12, 2013
12-3 p.m.
Smith Memorial Hall

SLA Conference
June 9-12, 2013
San Diego, CA
Booth and Reception details to follow

ALA Conference
June 27-July 2, 2013
Chicago, IL
Visit GSLIS at Booth #141

LSAA Reception/Annual Meeting
June 30, 2013
Petterino’s Restaurant, 150 North Dearborn Street
6-8 p.m.
Alumni, faculty, students and prospective students are welcome to stop by. Please RSVP to the GSLIS Advancement Office prior to June 21, 2013.

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6. UNSUBSCRIBE AND/OR CONTACT US

This eUpdate is delivered to all GSLIS alumni with email addresses on record at the University of Illinois Alumni Association. If you do not wish to receive further issues, please contact us and ask to be removed from the email list. GSLIS will not release your email address or share any other personal identifying information.

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We always are interested in learning about your career and life accomplishments. To submit items, please complete and email our Alumni Update Form.

The GSLIS website is an important resource for job seekers and employers alike, Visit our Careers page to post a job, explore mentorship opportunities, and learn how to host students for practica, internships, and/or Alternative Spring Break.

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Have a comment about one of the stories you’ve read here? Have news that you think should be included in an upcoming issue? Contact us.