Assistant Professor Nicole A. Cooke will be the featured speaker at the inaugural event of the newly-formed Midwest Chapter of REFORMA: The National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking. The event, which is open to the public, will be held on February 5 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in room 1-470 of the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Richard J. Daley Library.
In her talk, “Cultural Competence and Diverse Communities,” Cooke will “introduce audience members to concepts such as cultural competence, intersectionality, and privilege in hopes that this knowledge will empower librarians and enable them to better interact with and serve their diverse communities,” she said.
Later in February Cooke will deliver two talks at the University of Arizona. On February 25 she will give an invited lecture titled, “The GSLIS Carnegie Scholars: Guests in Someone Else’s House.” Her visit will be hosted by the Africana Studies Program and the School of Information.
Abstract: During the late 1960s and early 1970s the University of Illinois took many, and often controversial, risks in an effort to diversify the ranks of their student body, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. One such initiative was the Carnegie Scholars experiment; thirty minority students were recruited to the Graduate School of Library Science, and twenty-nine graduated. A flawed but unique program, the experiences of these Scholars can inform current discussions about the recruitment and care of minority students in library and information science graduate programs.
Cooke will also speak at the Critical Librarianship and Pedagogy Symposium, hosted by the University of Arizona Libraries and ConfluenCenter for Creative Inquiry on February 26. She will give a lighting talk titled, “Reference and Beyond: Aspiring Librarians and Intersectional Feminist Strategies in the LIS Classroom.”
Abstract: When discussing critical librarianship and pedagogy, LIS graduate education should be part of the conversation. One way to educate critically conscious librarians is to adopt feminist pedagogy in the classroom. Feminist pedagogy values the perspectives of students and uses them to shape the learning environment. Feminist pedagogy also encourages reflection and alternative modes of teaching, learning, and assessment. This presentation will briefly address feminist pedagogy and its roots in critical pedagogy, discuss how it can be applied in the LIS classroom, and identify ways these interventions can be applied to the teaching and learning that occurs in libraries.
Cooke is an assistant professor at GSLIS who holds a PhD in communication, information, and library studies from Rutgers University, where she was an ALA Spectrum Doctoral Fellow. Her research interests include human information behavior, particularly in an online context; eLearning; and diversity and social justice in librarianship. Named a Mover & Shaker in 2007 by Library Journal, Cooke is active in ACRL, ALISE, and several other professional library organizations. She also holds an MLS degree from Rutgers University and an M.Ed. in adult education from Penn State.