Ocepek edits new book on information behavior and home buying

Melissa Ocepek
Melissa Ocepek, Assistant Professor

Assistant Professor Melissa Ocepek and William Aspray, senior research fellow at the Charles Babbage Institute at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, have co-edited a new book, Deciding Where to Live: Information Studies on Where to Live in America, which was recently published by Rowman & Littlefield. Their book explores major themes related to where to live in America and shows how "changes in media and information technology are shaping both our housing choices and our understanding of the meaning of personal place."

"Dr. Aspray and I wanted to put together an edited volume to bring in many different and unique voices to help us think broadly about informational questions related to where to live," said Ocepek. "We wanted a business perspective, a surveillance and privacy perspective, a perspective on race, and a nontraditional perspective that considers a community instead of a resident. In addition to these goals, we wanted to find people who have explored this space or were interested in bringing their approaches to consider how someone decides where to live."

Teaching Assistant Professor David Hopping, Teaching Associate Professor and Acting BS/IS Program Director Judith Pintar, PhD student Jamillah R. Gabriel, and Ocepek contributed chapters to the book.

Ocepek's research and teaching interests include everyday information behavior, cultural theory, critical theory, food studies, and research methods. She is chair-elect of the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) special interest group on information needs, seeking, & use (SIG-USE). Ocepek holds a BA in sociology and political science from Pepperdine University and a PhD in information science from the University of Texas at Austin.

Updated on
Backto the news archive

Related News

Rhinesmith joins the faculty

The iSchool is pleased to announce that Colin Rhinesmith joined the faculty as a visiting associate professor on January 1, 2025. His position will become permanent following approval by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees. He previously served as founder and director of the Digital Equity Research Center at the Metropolitan New York Library Council.

Colin Rhinesmith

SafeRBot to assist community, police in crime reporting

Across the nation, 911 dispatch centers are facing a worker shortage. Unfortunately, this understaffing, plus the nature of the job itself, leads to dispatchers who are often overworked and stressed. Meanwhile, when community members need to report a crime, their options are to contact 911 for an emergency or, in a non-emergency situation, call a non-emergency number or fill out an online form. A new chatbot, SafeRBot, designed and developed by Associate Professor Yun Huang, Informatics PhD student Yiren Liu, and BSIS student Tony An seeks to improve the reporting process for non-emergency situations for both community members and dispatch centers.

Yun Huang

New digital collection sheds light on queer nightlife in Champaign County

Adam Beaty decided to pursue an MSLIS degree to combine his love of history, the arts, and community-centered spaces. This combination of interests culminated in a 244-item digital collection that showcases digitized materials depicting nearly thirty years of queer nightlife in Champaign County. 

Adam Beaty_headshot

Hoiem receives Schiller Prize for “Education of Things”

Associate Professor Elizabeth Hoiem has won the 2025 Justin G. Schiller Prize from The Bibliographical Society of America for her book, The Education of Things: Mechanical Literacy in British Children's Literature, 1762-1860 (University of Massachusetts Press). The prize, which recognizes the best bibliographical work on pre-1951 children's literature, includes a cash award of $3,000 and a year's membership in the Society. 

Elizabeth Hoiem

Chan authors new book connecting eugenics and Big Tech

Associate Professor Anita Say Chan has authored a new book that identifies how the eugenics movement foreshadows the predatory data tactics used in today's tech industry. Her book, Predatory Data: Eugenics in Big Tech and Our Fight for an Independent Future, was released this month by the University of California Press and featured in the news outlets San Francisco Chronicle and Mother Jones.

Anita Say Chan