Knox recognized for public engagement

Emily Knox
Emily Knox, Associate Professor

Associate Professor Emily Knox has been selected as the recipient of the Campus Excellence in Public Engagement Emerging Award. She will be honored on May 28 at a special event hosted by the Office of Public Engagement. 

Knox is internationally recognized for her expertise in information access, intellectual freedom, censorship, information ethics, and information policy. As the calls for banning books in schools and libraries have surged in recent years, Knox has been increasingly asked to share her expertise. She has testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, given over thirty talks and workshops, and led library staff development programs at libraries across the country. 

"Her talks and workshops for professional audiences ensure that all library workers understand how the core values of information access and intellectual freedom apply to their work," wrote Professor Emerita Linda C. Smith in her letter of nomination for Knox's award.

Knox serves as chair of the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) and is the editor of the Journal of Intellectual Freedom and Privacy. She is an active member of the American Library Association and past president of the Freedom to Read Foundation Board.

"Her leadership at a critical moment in the fight for free speech deserves recognition," wrote Christopher Finan, past executive director of the NCAC, in his letter of support for Knox.

Knox's book, Book Banning in 21st Century America (Rowman & Littlefield), is the first monograph in the Beta Phi Mu Scholars' Series, and her most recent book, Foundations of Intellectual Freedom (ALA Neal-Schuman), won the 2023 Eli M. Oboler Memorial Award for best published work in the area of intellectual freedom. She has been interviewed by media outlets such as NPR, The Washington Post, Time, and Slate for her research on censorship and intellectual freedom.

Knox earned her PhD from Rutgers University School of Communication and Information and MSLIS from the iSchool at Illinois. She also holds a BA in religious studies from Smith College and an AM in the same field from The University of Chicago Divinity School.

"It is an honor to be recognized for my work advocating for intellectual freedom, the freedom to read, and the importance of libraries for communities," said Knox. "As a faculty member at a land-grant institution, it is vitally important that my work have a direct impact on the public."

Updated on
Backto the news archive

Related News

iSchool researchers work with diverse groups to improve user experience

iSchool faculty are studying ways to improve user experience, with a common goal of improving technology and applications for the needs of individual users. These researchers are working with diverse groups to gain feedback, and several current projects are focused on experiences for users with disabilities.

Das receives student membership award from ASIS&T

PhD student Puranjani Das has been selected as a recipient of the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) SIG CMR Student Membership Award for the 2024-2025 academic year. She will receive a complimentary one-year membership in both ASIS&T and SIG CMR, a special interest group focused on classification and metadata research.

Puranjani Das

Student says ‘thank you’ with a helicopter ride

Last month, Michael Ferrer showed appreciation for one of his MSIM instructors in a unique way—by inviting him for an insider’s look at his work as a reservist in the Illinois Army National Guard. For the ILARNG BOSS Lift, which took place on June 18 at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, Ferrer selected Michael Wonderlich, iSchool adjunct lecturer and senior associate director of business intelligence and enterprise architecture for Administrative Information Technology Services (AITS) at the University of Illinois.

Michael Wonderlich and Michael Ferrer hold a U of I flag in front of a military helicopter

Project helps librarians use data storytelling to advocate for public libraries

A toolkit for public librarians can help them use data to communicate the value of their services and justify their funding needs. The Data Storytelling for Librarians Toolkit helps librarians present data in story form using narrative strategies. It was developed by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign information sciences professors.

Kate McDowell

Chan to deliver keynote at SIGCIS 2024

Associate Professor Anita Say Chan will deliver the keynote at the 15th annual conference of the SHOT (Society for the History of Technology) Special Interest Group for Computing, Information, and Society (SIGCIS), which will be held on July 14 in Viña del Mar, Chile. SIGCIS is the leading international group for historians with an interest in the history of information technology and its applications. The theme for SIGCIS 2024 is "System Update: Patches, Tactics, Responses."

Anita Say Chan