Cooke wins Marantz Fellowship for Picturebook Research

Assistant Professor Nicole A. Cooke is one of three winners of the 2016 Kenneth and Sylvia Marantz Fellowship for Picturebook Research, which encourages scholars from the United States and abroad to make use of resources available at the Marantz Picturebook Collection for the Study of Picturebook Art in their research. Cooke will receive a stipend of up to $1,500 to spend approximately one week at Kent State University’s Reinberger Children’s Library Center, where the Marantz Collection is housed.

Cooke’s project is titled “Something Beautiful: Social Justice, Empathy, and Cultural Competence in Children’s Books.” She will conduct a content analysis of works in the collection, looking specifically for implicit and explicit depictions of social justice, as well as instances of the precursors of social justice advocacy (e.g., reflection, empathy, cultural competence).

In her project proposal, Cooke stated: “Picture books, such as those in the Marantz Collection, play an important role in developing literacy in our library users—from traditional literacy (as it relates to reading), to visual literacy, to cultural literacy. Exposing patrons of all ages to the messages contained in children’s literature can have lasting and beneficial effects, and can shape how readers view the world. It is for this reason that it is vitally important to examine the social justice messages that exist in the current literature and to advocate for even more social justice and diversity in the world of picture books.”

“Per my interests in incorporating social justice into LIS pedagogy, I will look for the messages contained in the texts (e.g., through dialogue, via the illustrations, etc.), and consider how they can be incorporated into the education of future librarians (not just youth librarians). Furthermore, I will be considering how such messages can influence the everyday practice of these librarians.”

Cooke is an assistant professor at GSLIS, where her research interests include human information behavior, particularly in an online context, eLearning, and diversity and social justice in librarianship. She has published articles in journals including The Library Quarterly, Library & Information Science Research, InterActions: UCLA Journal of Education and Information, Polymath: An Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences Journal, Information Research, The Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning, The New Review of Academic Librarianship, and The Library and Book Trade Almanac 2013. Cooke also coauthored Instructional Strategies and Techniques for Information Professionals (Chandos Press, 2012).

Named a Mover & Shaker in 2007 by Library Journal, Cooke is professionally active in ACRL, ALISE, and several other professional library organizations. She holds an MLS degree from Rutgers University, an M.Ed. in Adult Education from Penn State, and a PhD in communication, information, and library studies from Rutgers University, where she was an ALA Spectrum Doctoral Fellow.

Updated on
Backto the news archive

Related News

Knox appointed interim dean

Professor Emily Knox has been appointed to serve as interim dean of the School of Information Sciences, pending approval by the Board of Trustees. Until officially approved, her title will be interim dean designate. The appointment will begin April 1, 2025.

Emily Knox

iSchool instructors ranked as excellent

Fifty-six iSchool instructors were named in the University's List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent for Fall 2024 and Winter 2024-2025. The rankings are released every semester, and results are based on the ratings from the Instructor and Course Evaluation System (ICES) questionnaire forms maintained by Measurement and Evaluation in the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning. 

iSchool Building

Scholarship alleviates financial burden for returning student

During her time as an active-duty Naval Officer, Anna Hartman realized that she had a passion for helping others and building community. That passion, combined with a lifelong love of reading, led her to pursue an MSLIS degree at the University of Illinois. Hartman is receiving support for her studies through the Balz Endowment Fund, which was established by Nancy (BA LAS '70, MSLIS '72) and Dan (BS Media '68, MS Media '72) Balz to help make education more affordable for returning students.

Anna Hartman

Ocepek and Sanfilippo co-edit book on misinformation

Assistant Professor Melissa Ocepek and Assistant Professor Madelyn Rose Sanfilippo have co-edited a new book, Governing Misinformation in Everyday Knowledge Commons, which was recently published by Cambridge University Press. An open access edition of the book is available, thanks to support from the Governing Knowledge Commons Research Coordination Network (NSF 2017495). The new book explores the socio-technical realities of misinformation in a variety of online and offline everyday environments. 

Governing Misinformation in Everyday Knowledge Commons book

Faculty receive support for AI-related projects from new pilot program

Associate Professor Yun Huang, Assistant Professor Jiaqi Ma, and Assistant Professor Haohan Wang have received computing resources from the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR), a two-year pilot program led by the National Science Foundation in partnership with other federal agencies and nongovernmental partners. The goal of the pilot is to support AI-related research with particular emphasis on societal challenges. Last month, awardees presented their research at the NAIRR Pilot Annual Meeting.