GSLIS remembers Maggie Kimmel, former adjunct professor

Margaret Mary "Maggie" Kimmel, a former GSLIS adjunct professor who taught summer LEEP courses from 1997 to 2007, passed away on June 10. Kimmel team-taught the summer LEEP offering of Libraries, Information and Society with Dean Emerita Leigh Estabrook beginning with LEEP cohort 2 and ending with cohort 12.

Kimmel earned bachelor of arts and master of library science degrees in Illinois at Dominican University and received her doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh's School of Library and Information Science. She joined the PittsbuRgh iSchool faculty in 1978 and became a professor emerita in 2006. A storyteller and advocate for children's librarianship, Kimmel's work centered around resources for children and young adults, library service for special groups, library and information science education, and emergent literacy.

A memorial service will be held Tuesday, June 17 at St. James Catholic Church in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania. For more information, visit the University of Pittsburgh iSchool's website.

Tags:
Updated on
Backto the news archive

Related News

Students put designs into practice in escape room course

In the past few years, escape rooms have been on the rise, evolving from simple locked boxes in an open room to complex adventures spanning multiple rooms involving electronics, sound design, and even live actors. This past semester, students enrolled in the Makerspace: Escape Rooms (INFO 418) course brought that same spirit of creativity and design to the Fairy Tale Ball at The Urbana Free Library. 

Children lined up at a station at the Fairy Tale Ball at The Urbana Free Library.

Weech passes away

Associate Professor Emeritus Terry Laverne Weech passed away on June 5, 2025, in Staunton, Virginia. He was the widower of Eunice Hovis Weech, who passed away on October 16, 2022. He is survived by his sister-in-law, Brenda Bruce, and her husband, Timothy, and cousins, Wilber Rehmann and Susan Henry Anderson.

Terry L Weech

Library Trends examines generative AI in libraries

The iSchool at Illinois is pleased to announce the publication of Library Trends 73 (3). With the rapid adoption of AI, coupled with increasing ethical concerns relating to AI usage, bias, and authorship, "Generative AI and Libraries: Applications and Ethics, Part I" is the first of two special issues that examine how librarians are grappling with the effects of AI on the field.

Cover of Library Trends 73 (4), Generative AI and Libraries. The cover design is shades of blue with abstract connection points.

Sanders joins Academic Affairs

Rachael Sanders joined the iSchool last month as office manager for Academic Affairs. In her new position, she will work closely with faculty, staff, and university administration to ensure accurate scheduling and efficient course management for the iSchool's undergraduate programs.

Rachael Sanders

2024 Downs Intellectual Freedom Award given to Shannon M. Oltmann

For translating her research on censorship and intellectual freedom into practical guidance for library workers, Shannon M. Oltmann, associate professor in the School of Information Science at the University of Kentucky (UK), has been named the 2024 recipient of the Robert B. Downs Intellectual Freedom Award. 

Shannon M. Oltmann