School and youth services librarians will not have to wait until the next Summer Getaway for professional development and networking opportunities. Next month the iSchool is offering its first annual Midwinter Getaway. The event, which will be held February 16-17 on the Urbana campus, is open to all information professionals serving youth and builds on the success of the annual Summer Getaway. 

Studies consistently show that students achieve higher test scores and greater academic success when they have access to fully staffed, effective school libraries. The School Librarian Licensure program at the iSchool welcomes those who want to make a difference in the lives of youth by becoming a school librarian. Applications to the program are due February 15 for summer/fall admission.

Kati Richardson (MS '18) is the district librarian for the Highland (IL) school district. She has always been passionate about libraries, so school librarianship was a natural choice.

Katelyn Talbott joined the iSchool on January 14 as an academic advisor. In this role, she primarily advises MS/LIS students, but she also works with MS/IM students during peak advising times.tal

Students enrolled in Postdoctoral Research Associate Rhiannon Bettivia's Digital Preservation (IS 586) class can expect to work on real-life projects. 

A $1-million dollar gift from Lionelle (BA, LAS '66; MS, LIS '67) and James (BS, Business '66; MS, Business '67) Elsesser will both expand the iSchool's academic programs and support the recruitment of promising students. The gift will be invested in the School's new programs, and that investment will generate $50,000 annually for the Katharine L. Sharp Scholarships, which will be available to students in all iSchool programs.

Sonya Chambers will join the iSchool on January 22 as associate dean for administration, bringing 28 years of experience in finance, management, and operations to her new role. She will provide executive leadership, oversight, and coordination for the School's administrative units and work closely with the dean and the other associate deans to advance iSchool strategic initiatives.

Liliana Giusti Serra is a visiting scholar at the iSchool, on sabbatical from her doctoral studies at São Paulo State University (UNESP) and job at Prima Informática in Brazil. Her research interests at UNESP include the semantic web and e-books, and at the iSchool, she is working with Assistant Professor Jodi Schneider to learn how linked data can help manage e-books.

The Iowa Library Association (ILA) has received the 2018 Downs Intellectual Freedom Award for taking a leadership role in several highly visible challenges to intellectual freedom. The award is given annually by the faculty of the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and cosponsored by Libraries Unlimited.

The iSchool launched a new apprenticeship program this fall with The Urbana Free Library. The program, which is modeled after an internship partnership between the Dominican University School of Information Studies and Skokie Public Library, will provide students with practical experience and additional exposure to all facets of library operations.

Professor Leslie "Les" Gasser passed away at his home on Tuesday, October 16, surrounded by family and close friends. He is survived by his wife of 21 years, Terry von Thaden; his daughter Lisette and son Liam; and extended family and many beloved friends and colleagues.