Students of LIS590AP: Publishing as an Information Profession have learned the ins and outs of publishing during the first offering of the course this semester. To put theory into practice, the students have created InfoBlitz, a blog that will feature posts on a variety of LIS topics. Entries will include editorials, commentary on current issues in the field, and reports on field experiences,…

Graduation is approaching, and at this time of the year, we reflect on those individuals who have made a difference in our lives. New graduates and alumni are encouraged to honor GSLIS faculty and/or staff through the LSAA Tassel Project, which was established in 2011 by the Library School Alumni Association (LSAA) to support the creation of an endowed professorship in the School. With a…

[image1-right]Courtney Busscher came to GSLIS to pursue an interdisciplinary degree that would complement her broad interests—including literature, psychology, and languages—and prepare her for work in a fast-paced environment. As a data management intern, Foreign Language and Area Studies fellow, and president of the Special Libraries Association student group, she's making the most of her last…

The American Library Association hosted a spring retreat for the Spectrum Doctoral Fellows on April 5-7 at the iHotel and Conference Center on the Illinois campus. Assistant Professor Nicole Cooke co-planned the event, which was sponsored by the American Library Association’s Office for Diversity, made possible by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

[image1-right]This fall GSLIS master’s student Brandon Locke will take on the role of digital social science and humanities specialist at Michigan State University (MSU). In this new position, he will coordinate MSU’s new Lab for the Education and Advancement in Digital Research (LEADR). Located within the university’s Department of History, this digital initiative will launch under Locke’s…

Programmers from around the world will flock to Montreal on April 9-17 for PyCon 2014, the world’s largest gathering for users of the programming language Python. Among the participants will be two GSLIS master’s students, Elizabeth Surbeck and Elizabeth Wickes.Wickes, a first-semester student specializing in data curation and socio-technical data analytics (SODA), will present a poster titled, “…

With a background in the humanities, master's student Elizabeth Surbeck was anxious about using technology and studying information science when she arrived at GSLIS. Now she's about to complete her degree with a specialization in socio-technical data analytics, co-leads the Champaign-Urbana Python Users Group, and is ready to pursue a career as a data analyst. Why did you decide to pursue an…

[image1-right]Jerrod Moore is passionate about connecting information and people. He is applying his corporate experience, which includes work as a strategic resource intern at State Farm, and his coursework in community informatics toward his goals of becoming a library director and increasing diversity in the information professions. As a Mix IT Up! scholar, he focuses on issues of youth…

The University of Illinois is celebrating International Week from March 31-April 6 to raise awareness about the breadth of international education, activities, and resources at Illinois. At GSLIS, we are proud of our international connections and our diverse student body, faculty, research fellows, and scholars-in-residence. We have developed an especially strong academic relationship with…

Looking for new ways to engage in intellectual exploration and create practical applications that solve socio-technical issues, Kirstin Phelps found that GSLIS could provide both the challenges and support she was hoping for in a degree program. Phelps is a first-year PhD student with a background in communications and education. Why did you decide to pursue an LIS degree? When I started…