School of Information Sciences

Alumna receives First Step Award

Beth Kumar (MS '06, CAS '07), e-resources and serials librarian at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, is the recipient of the 2012 First Step Award-A Wiley Professional Development Grant presented by the ALCTS Continuing Resources Section. The award will be presented on Sunday, June 24, at the ALCTS Awards Ceremony during the 2012 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference in Anaheim, Calif.

Kumar was reference, research and government information sources assistant at the University of Illinois Library from August 2009-mid 2010 and began her current position in August 2010, providing daily management and troubleshooting of subscription databases and individual journals, both print and electronic. She is currently web master for the Education and Behavior Sciences Section of ACRL. And now, as librarian managing continuing resources in her library, Kumar expressed a strong desire to network with, and learn from, other librarians at ALA conference and become involved similarly in the ALCTS Continuing Resources Section.

Kumar graduated from University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, with a bachelor’s in History. She earned her master’s in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois in 2006. In addition, she obtained a Certificate of Advanced Study in Library and Information Science at University of Illinois, 2006-2007, and earned a Master of Education in Educational Organization and Leadership in Higher Education, with a certificate in the Foundations of Teaching, University of Illinois, 2009-2010.

John Wiley & Sons sponsors this $1,500 grant, which offers librarians new to the serials field an opportunity to broaden their perspective by attending an ALA Annual Conference and by encouraging professional growth through participation in ALCTS Continuing Resources Section activities.

 

Updated on
Backto the news archive

Related News

Vaez Afshar selected as 2026 APT Student Scholar

The Association for Preservation Technology (APT) International has named Informatics PhD student Sepehr Vaez Afshar as a 2026 Student Scholar. Established in 1985, the APT Student Scholarship annually recognizes ten students worldwide whose work advances preservation technology through innovative and impactful approaches.

Sepehr Vaez Afshar

Stier selected for I Love My Librarian Award

Adjunct Lecturer Zachary Stier has been selected for a 2026 I Love My Librarian Award. Honorees were recognized for their outstanding public service accomplishments. 

Zachary Stier

Nguyen receives Critical Language Scholarship

MSLIS student Christine Nguyen has been awarded a U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) to study Japanese this summer. She is one of four University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign students who received full scholarships to spend 8-10 weeks abroad and study one of 14 critical languages. The program is part of an initiative to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering critical foreign languages and cultural skills to enable them to contribute to U.S. economic competitiveness and national security.

Christine Thuy Minh Nguyen

Bailey joins the communications and marketing team

J.B. Bailey joined the iSchool on April 13 as coordinator of events. In this new role, he will be responsible for the development, management, and implementation of iSchool events with a cohesive brand identity. He will also provide support to the communications and marketing team.

JB Bailey

iSchool researchers to present at CHI 2026

iSchool faculty and students will present their research at the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2026), which will be held from April 13–17 in Barcelona, Spain. The conference, considered the most prestigious in the field of Human-Computer Interaction, attracts researchers and practitioners from around the globe.

School of Information Sciences

501 E. Daniel St.

MC-493

Champaign, IL

61820-6211

Voice: (217) 333-3280

Email: ischool@illinois.edu

Back to top