Two iSchool alumni and an adjunct lecturer are included in Library Journal’s 2024 class of Movers & Shakers, an annual list that recognizes 50 professionals who are moving the library field forward as a profession. Tarida Anantachai (MSLIS ’11) was honored in the Change Agents category, Lissa Staley (MSLIS ’01) was honored in the Community Builders category, and Adjunct Lecturer Zachary Stier was honored in the Community Builders category.

BSIS student Adaeze Asonye, who hails from the Near West Side of Chicago, discovered her interest in user interface (UI)/user experience (UX) before her freshman year. She looked for programs that would help her prepare for a career in this area and discovered the iSchool.

The School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is pleased to announce the publication of Library Trends 71 (3), edited by Lian J. Ruan and Shengping Xia. "Cultural Heritage and Digital Scholarship in China: Part I," explores the rich, diverse, and long history of China's cultural heritage and the innovative digital scholarship that is currently being utilized to study it. 

Quinn Dombrowski, academic technology specialist in the Division of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages, and in the Library, at Stanford University, will deliver the 2024 Windsor Lecture on Wednesday, May 1, at 5:00 p.m. in Room 126, 501 E. Daniel Street, and online via Zoom. 

Seventeen iSchool master’s students have been named 2023-2024 Spectrum Scholars by the American Library Association (ALA) Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services. This "Spectrum Scholar Spotlight" series highlights the School's scholars. MSLIS student Ted Farias earned his BA in psychology from California State University of Long Beach.

iSchool researchers will present their work at the Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) Midwest Chapter Spring Symposium on April 26. The inaugural symposium will include talks by seventeen researchers from ten institutions across the Midwest region.

In his role as a senior product designer for the Healthy Regions & Policies Lab, Shubham Kumar (MSIM '23) uses design to break down complex concepts, visualize information in meaningful ways, and ultimately encourage broader engagement in discussions about health and society. 

Several iSchool undergraduate students will participate in the 17th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. During the event, visitors will learn about undergraduate research projects through oral and poster presentations, creative performances, and art exhibits. All are welcome to attend the symposium, which will be held on April 25 from 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. in the Illini Rooms and South Lounge of the Illini Union. 

Thanks to new European Union (EU) legislation, those who perform on-demand work through an app or website, such as DoorDash or Uber, will enjoy better working conditions. PhD student Zachary Kilhoffer, who spent four years working as a researcher for the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) in Brussels prior to entering the iSchool's doctoral program, authored or co-authored several policy research pieces that informed the creation of the EU Platform Work Directive.

Thanks to a new $1-million gift from Lionelle (BA English '66, MSLIS '67) and James (BS Business '66, MS Business '67) Elsesser, the iSchool will be better able to attract and retain outstanding faculty and educate future school librarians. Their latest donation will be directed to the iSchool Alumni Association Endowed Professorship Fund, Leigh Estabrook Faculty Development Fund, and Public School Licensure Program Fund.