IS 563 prepares students to better serve Spanish-speaking and Latinx populations

Anne Barnhart
Anne Barnhart, Adjunct Lecturer
Pamela Espinosa de los Monteros
Pamela Espinosa de los Monteros, Adjunct Lecturer

The iSchool's Library Resources for Spanish Speakers (IS 563 SSO) course was featured in a session at Seguimos Creando Enlaces (Creating Connections), a virtual conference held on March 25. Adjunct Lecturers Pamela Espinosa de los Monteros and Anne Barnhart teach the course, in which students explore differences in U.S. Spanish-speaking populations and examine information resources for meeting their needs. At the session, moderated by Barnhart and Espinosa de los Monteros, MS students Kristin Greer Love, Lea Weatherall, and Sylvia Figueroa-Ortiz as well as recent graduates Eddie Kristan (MS '20) and Aldo Vasquez (MS '18) shared their experiences taking the course.

Students in IS 563 focus on one library community of their choice and throughout the semester explore and evaluate library resources, collections, and services offered to Latinx and Spanish-speaking communities at real libraries throughout the country. Through course readings and discussion, students are asked to challenge assumptions and unpack the complexity of Latinx identity as well as reflect on how best to support Spanish speakers and Latinx communities through libraries. The students then act as consultants for their final assignment, recommending services, specific titles to add to the collection, and other resource improvements.

In July, several students will present at SALALM (Seminar on the Acquisition of Latin American Library Materials), connecting what they have learned in IS 563 with their other interests and passions.

"One of the students, Ruby Martínez, used to be a dancer in a ballet folklórico in Texas and wants to present on the need for libraries to collect materials related to this tradition and these dance groups," said Barnhart. "I think that's fabulous—she will present at a conference of librarians and encourage them to collect these culturally rich materials."

The course has gone through various iterations since it was introduced in Spring 2008. Early versions focused on academic libraries, with the course later expanding to both academic and public libraries, even including an optional trip to attend a book fair in Guadalajara, which Barnhart and Espinosa de los Monteros hope to resume post-pandemic.

"Latinx and Spanish-speakers represent an important and growing library community," said Espinosa de los Monteros. "Preparing the next generation to meaningfully engage and support library users with rich linguistic and cultural backgrounds is essential. This course nurtures a space to creatively explore designing inclusive and equitable library services that are needed. Our students this semester have been inspiring. They have worked hard to learn more about this community in order to be librarians that can serve all users."

Updated on
Backto the news archive

Related News

Knox appointed interim dean

Professor Emily Knox has been appointed to serve as interim dean of the School of Information Sciences, pending approval by the Board of Trustees. Until officially approved, her title will be interim dean designate. The appointment will begin April 1, 2025.

Emily Knox

Scholarship alleviates financial burden for returning student

During her time as an active-duty Naval Officer, Anna Hartman realized that she had a passion for helping others and building community. That passion, combined with a lifelong love of reading, led her to pursue an MSLIS degree at the University of Illinois. Hartman is receiving support for her studies through the Balz Endowment Fund, which was established by Nancy (BA LAS '70, MSLIS '72) and Dan (BS Media '68, MS Media '72) Balz to help make education more affordable for returning students.

Anna Hartman

iSchool instructors ranked as excellent

Fifty-six iSchool instructors were named in the University's List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent for Fall 2024 and Winter 2024-2025. The rankings are released every semester, and results are based on the ratings from the Instructor and Course Evaluation System (ICES) questionnaire forms maintained by Measurement and Evaluation in the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning. 

iSchool Building

Ocepek and Sanfilippo co-edit book on misinformation

Assistant Professor Melissa Ocepek and Assistant Professor Madelyn Rose Sanfilippo have co-edited a new book, Governing Misinformation in Everyday Knowledge Commons, which was recently published by Cambridge University Press. An open access edition of the book is available, thanks to support from the Governing Knowledge Commons Research Coordination Network (NSF 2017495). The new book explores the socio-technical realities of misinformation in a variety of online and offline everyday environments. 

Governing Misinformation in Everyday Knowledge Commons book

Get to know Wendy Edwards, senior software engineer

Outside of her work as senior software engineer, Wendy Edwards (MSLIS '09) is active in the areas of security and data science through her involvement in Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS); SANS Institute's Women's Cyber Academy; and NASA's Datanauts program and Space Apps Challenge hackathon. Edwards was a two-time champion in the Target Cyber Defense Challenge, earning scholarships to attend the WiCyS annual conference. In addition to her MSLIS, she holds an MS in computer science from the University of Illinois Springfield.

Wendy Edwards