Twelve iSchool master's students attended BOBCATSSS 2017, which was held in Tampere, Finland, from January 25-27. The BOBCATSSS Symposium is organized each year by library and information science students from European universities who plan and implement both the content and the management of the conference as a part of their studies. For the past several years, the iSchool has supported student participation in this unique library and information science event.
The theme of this year's symposium was "Improving Quality of Life through Information" and included the topics of libraries, information, and interactive media. The symposium explored questions of how libraries and literature impact people’s health and self-awareness; how interactive media can improve our quality of life; and whether new kinds of information sources can contribute to applications that make life easier.
This year's participants included:
- Jesus Espinoza, who presented a paper and poster, "Interlibrary Loan in the Ever-Changing Academic Library."
- Kathryn Butterworth, who presented a poster, "Information Policy in the Republic of Georgia and the Russian Federation in the Post-Soviet Context."
- Shelby Hallman, who presented a poster, "Institutional Role in Journal Access Initiatives within Developing Countries."
- Emily Hoch and Katherine Bergen, who presented their poster, "More Than a Bulletin Board: Using Tumblr for Online Reference and User Services in Academic Libraries."
- Anna Kuure-Kinsey, who presented a poster, "Inaccessible Information: The Information Silos of Media."
- Anna Lapp, who presented a poster, "Food for Thought: Summer Lunch Programs in the Public Library."
- Lo Lee, who presented the poster, "Gamification in Citizen Science: A Case Study from Galaxy Zoo," based on her research with Linda C. Smith, iSchool professor and associate dean for academic programs.
- Lauryn Lehman, who presented a paper, "Open Access Initiatives in Africa: Situating Ongoing Barriers to the Dissemination of Information."
- Jaena Manson, who presented a poster, "Building Resource Guides on Disabilities, Disability Theory, and Assistive Technologies," based on her research with JJ Pionke, assistant professor in the University of Illinois Library.
- Hope Shinn, who presented a paper, "Internet Filtering in School Libraries: A Comparison of Government and Library Association Policies in the United States and Australia."
- Erin Shores (not pictured), who presented a paper, "An International Analysis of Library Relief Strategies."
In sharing their research with others at the symposium, iSchool students gained an international perspective. "During my poster session, I had the chance to discuss my topic—making a food assistance program available in the library—with people from Finland, Poland, England, and Nigeria," said Lapp. "The varied perspectives and ideas these individuals had was invigorating and eye-opening, demonstrating how differently countries across the globe operate."