School of Information Sciences

Book chapter authored by McDowell discusses storytelling and young adult services

Kate McDowell
Kate McDowell, Professor

Associate Professor and Interim Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Kate McDowell has authored a chapter in the book, Transforming Young Adult Services, Second edition, which was recently published by ALA Editions. In the new edition, leaders in the field present a diverse array of topics addressing current issues in teen libraries.

In her chapter, "Hidden in Plain Sight: Storytelling Epistemology and Envisioning Young Adults," McDowell discusses how storytelling can add "rich practical and analytical dimensions" to the way librarians and LIS researchers think about young adults.

"Storytelling constitutes a richer way of knowing than our field has yet embraced, particularly when it comes to the challenge of connecting with young adults in libraries today," McDowell said. "Whether our stories are folktales based on ancient myths or tweets about the apps on our phones, storytelling is a process of communication."

McDowell has been teaching storytelling since 2007, helping graduate professional students explore how their stories can help them succeed. She is also the storytelling consultant to campus-level Advancement at the University of Illinois. Her current research project is on Storytelling at Work, and she is working on a book called Storytelling Thinking for Professionals. McDowell also researches and publishes in the areas of youth services librarianship, children's print culture history, and public libraries as cultural spaces. She holds both an MS and PhD in library and information science from the iSchool at Illinois.

Updated on
Backto the news archive

Related News

iSchool researchers present at CSCW 2025

Several faculty, students, and recent grads will present their research at the 28th ACM Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing (CSCW 2025), which will be held October 18–22 in Bergen, Norway. The online portion of the conference will be held on October 10. 

Downie appointed executive associate dean

The iSchool is pleased to announce that Professor J. Stephen Downie has been appointed executive associate dean. In this role, he will work closely with Interim Dean Emily Knox to realize the iSchool's strategic goals and objectives. He also will provide leadership for the internal administration of the School, coordinate the work of associate deans and assigned staff, and facilitate faculty affairs.

Stephen Downie

Join the iSchool at the 2025 ALISE annual conference

Join iSchool faculty, staff, and students for the annual conference of the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE), which will take place from October 6–8 in Kansas City, Missouri. The theme of the 2025 conference is "Decolonising Pedagogies: Agency, Identity, Practices."

AISLE awards to be presented to alumni, adjunct lecturer

Carolyn Kinsella (MSLIS '03), Beverly Frett (MSLIS '04), and Adjunct Lecturer Karen Egan have been selected to receive awards from the Association of Illinois School Library Educators (AISLE). They will be honored at an awards banquet during the AISLE Annual Conference, which will be held from October 5–7 in Champaign, Illinois.

School of Information Sciences

501 E. Daniel St.

MC-493

Champaign, IL

61820-6211

Voice: (217) 333-3280

Fax: (217) 244-3302

Email: ischool@illinois.edu

Back to top