Join the iSchool for the Association of Illinois School Library Educators (AISLE) annual conference, held October 5–7 at the I Hotel and Conference Center in Champaign, Illinois. The theme for the conference is “Libraries Build Connections.”

This year marks the fifth cohort of the iSchool's Postdoctoral Research Associate Program. The program prepares candidates for tenure-track assistant professor or other appointments inside and outside of academia. The iSchool welcomed five new postdocs in the 2025–2026 academic year.

The iSchool at Illinois is pleased to announce the publication of The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books 79 (1). This issue features 80 original book reviews of new children’s books that will appear in publishers' fall catalogs.

The iSchool at Illinois is pleased to announce the publication of Library Trends 73 (4), the culmination of a two-part series on artificial intelligence (AI) in libraries. In "Generative AI and Libraries: Applications and Ethics, Part II," authors apply an academic lens to AI usage and how this rapidly evolving technology is impacting everything from ethics to instructional strategies. Librarians will also find insight into how students and faculty perceive AI and its place in the classroom.

The iSchool is pleased to welcome Nick Giacchina as its new director of advancement. He will work with iSchool alumni, donors, and the University of Illinois Research Park to align their philanthropic interests with the School's programs and goals. 

Corissa Clark joined the iSchool last month as an office administrator for Academic Affairs. In her new position, she will work closely with faculty, staff, and university administration to ensure accurate scheduling and efficient course management for the iSchool's graduate programs.

Of the seven Cordells, you’ll find three of them on campus with connections to the iSchool: Ryan is a faculty member; Evie, an iSchool alum, University of Illinois librarian, and faculty member; and Cadence, an MSLIS student. 

Join the iSchool at the American Library Association (ALA) 2025 Annual Conference and Exhibition on June 26–30 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In the past few years, escape rooms have been on the rise, evolving from simple locked boxes in an open room to complex adventures spanning multiple rooms involving electronics, sound design, and even live actors. This past semester, students enrolled in the Makerspace: Escape Rooms (INFO 418) course brought that same spirit of creativity and design to the Fairy Tale Ball at The Urbana Free Library. 

Associate Professor Emeritus Terry Laverne Weech passed away on June 5, 2025, in Staunton, Virginia. He was the widower of Eunice Hovis Weech, who passed away on October 16, 2022. He is survived by his sister-in-law, Brenda Bruce, and her husband, Timothy, and cousins, Wilber Rehmann and Susan Henry Anderson.