School of Information Sciences

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2026 ISAA Awards announced

The iSchool Alumni Association (ISAA) is pleased to announce the recipients of its annual awards.

Celebrating ALA at 150

This year, the American Library Association (ALA) celebrates its 150th anniversary in our backyard at its Chicago headquarters. As the oldest iSchool in the Midwest, our MSLIS program, established 133 years ago, has left an indelible mark on the ALA. Some of our alumni paused to reflect on their time at the iSchool and their tenure as leaders in the ALA.

Haricombe establishes scholarship in gratitude for fulfilling career in librarianship

As a teenager helping her mother sort books in the public library in Stellenbosch, South Africa, Lorraine Haricombe (MSLIS '88, PhD '92) didn't realize that one day she would become a recognized leader in the field of librarianship. As director of their hometown library, Haricombe's mother influenced her daughter's career path and instilled in her a love of learning.

Lorraine Haricombe 2026

iSchool researchers to present at ChLA 2026

iSchool faculty and staff will present their research at the Children's Literature Association (ChLA) annual conference, which will be held from May 28-30 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The theme of this year's conference is "Neighbors and Neighborhoods in Children's Literature, Media, and Culture."

iSchool alumni named 2026 Movers & Shakers

Two iSchool alumni are included in Library Journal's 2026 class of Movers & Shakers, an annual list that recognizes 50 professionals who are moving the library field as a profession. Leah T. Dudak (MSLIS '17) was honored in the Advocates category and Mariella Colon (MSLIS '07) was honored in the Community Builders category. 

Kraus wins 2026 Pulitzer Prize Award in Fiction

iSchool alumnus and New York Times bestselling author Daniel Kraus (MSLIS '05) has won the 2026 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction for Angel Down. Kraus, a prolific writer whose works span several genres—children's fiction, horror, science fiction, graphic novels, and comics—learned the good news last week.

Daniel Kraus 2026

Cloonan to deliver iSchool Convocation

Michèle Cloonan (MS '84, PhD '88), dean and professor emerita in the School of Library and Information Science at Simmons University, will deliver the 2026 iSchool Convocation address on Sunday, May 17, at 1:30 p.m. at the Activities and Recreation Center. For those who would like to watch the ceremony online, live video will be available as well as archived for future viewing.

Michèle Cloonan 2026

iSchool researchers to present at CHI 2026

iSchool faculty and students will present their research at the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2026), which will be held from April 13–17 in Barcelona, Spain. The conference, considered the most prestigious in the field of Human-Computer Interaction, attracts researchers and practitioners from around the globe.

American Library Association names Barbara J. Ford Honorary Member

CHICAGO – The American Library Association is set to confer an honorary lifetime membership upon former ALA President Barbara J. Ford. Recommended by the ALA Executive Board and elected by the ALA Council, honorary membership is the highest honor given by the Association and conferred upon a living person whose outstanding contributions have made a lasting impact on librarianship, libraries, and the communities they serve.

Barbara Ford smiles in her doorway

School of Information Sciences

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Champaign, IL

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Email: ischool@illinois.edu

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