For more than a century, the iSchool has been, and continues to be, a top-tier school for preparing leaders for the library and information professions. Now the iSchool is pleased to announce the establishment of a new endowed professorship, the Professorship in the History of Libraries and the Information Professions. The professorship was spearheaded by Laurel A. Grotzinger (MS '58, PhD '64), who passed away in 2017; Don (PhD '72) and Avis Davis; and Mark (PhD '83) and Barbara Tucker.
"In the present information environment, a permanent professorship dedicated to the history of our profession is essential for long-range perspective," said Don Davis, professor emeritus of library history at the University of Texas at Austin and editor of Libraries & Culture, the premier journal in the field of library and information history, for thirty years. "My doctoral study at Illinois became the foundation of my career in teaching and research because of the professors who inspired me to consider their profession in historical perspective and took a personal interest in me."
Candidates for the Professorship in the History of Libraries and the Information Professions must have a strong international reputation within this area. For more information and to apply, visit the job posting.
"Our School was one of the first LIS programs in the world to support the study of the history of libraries, information, and society," said Dean Eunice E. Santos. "This new professorship demonstrates the iSchool’s ongoing commitment to research in this important area."
The endowed professorship will transition to an endowed chair when future financial commitments are realized.