Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe (MS '94), iSchool affiliated faculty member, will be a keynote speaker at the Library Assessment Conference, to be held October 31-November 2 in Arlington, Virginia.
In her presentation "Sensemaking for Decisionmaking," she will discuss how library assessment serves as a map to inform librarians about what is happening in their communities and libraries, as a compass for determining possible directions, and as a strategic guide for setting priorities and choosing paths forward.
"It is a privilege to serve as a keynote," said Hinchliffe. "The library assessment community takes seriously the need to make evidence-based decisions that position libraries to serve their communities today and into the future. The papers and presentations are always thoughtful and thought-provoking, and this conference will feature some additional opportunities as we celebrate 10 years of meeting together."
The iSchool's tradition of scholarship in the field of library assessment includes the legacy of F. Wilfrid "Wilf" Lancaster (1933-2013), an emeritus professor who taught courses in the evaluation of library and information services. A true visionary, Lancaster was an early predictor of today's electronic media and storage systems with his transformative book, Toward Paperless Information Systems (1978). In 2008, Library Trends 56(4) celebrated his contributions in the Festschrift, "Essays Honoring the Legacy of F. W. Lancaster." (Volume 56, Issue 4).
Hinchliffe is professor and coordinator for Information Literacy Services and Instruction at the University of Illinois Library. Her research interests include teaching and learning, higher education, globalization, information literacy, library assessment/evaluation, and library quality. She holds master's degrees in library and information science and education, both from Illinois.