Rebecca King, Spectrum Scholar and GSLIS master's student, sent us this dispatch from her trip to the 2012 ALA Conference in Anaheim, California. Outgoing ALA President Molly Raphael was more than happy to announce at Opening Session that the Spectrum Presidential Initiative successfully raised more than $1 million to further enhance the recruitment and training efforts of…

Assistant Professor Kate McDowell has been named the 2012-2013 GSLIS Centennial Scholar in recognition and support of her accomplishments and promising scholarship in the field of library and information science. McDowell, a member of the youth services faculty at GSLIS, is an accomplished storyteller whose research focuses on the history of children as readers and of youth services…

The Library School Alumni Association (LSAA) at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has announced the recipients of its annual awards. Becky Lyon (MS ’72) has been selected to receive the Distinguished Alumnus Award. Each year this award is given to an alum who has made an outstanding contribution to the field…

Six GSLIS students have been named 2012 Spectrum Scholars by the American Library Association (ALA). Established in 1997, the Spectrum Scholarship Program was created to promote diversity among graduate-level library school students. Each scholar receives $5,000 from the ALA as well as over $1,500 toward professional development opportunities. In addition, GSLIS provides each scholar with a…

Craig Evans has assumed the position of senior research programmer for GSLIS Research Services. Evans holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Wollongong and completed graduate-level coursework at Swinburne University of Technology (Melbourne, Australia) in the engineering program. His research interests include online environments and human computer interface…

GSLIS seeks nominations for the Robert B. Downs Intellectual Freedom Award. The deadline for nominations is October 1, 2012. Given annually, the award acknowledges individuals or groups who have furthered the cause of intellectual freedom, particularly as it impacts libraries and information centers and the dissemination of ideas. Granted to those who have resisted censorship or efforts to…

We look forward to seeing you at ALA this week, where you can visit with us at booth #2731. Also tune in to Twitter where four GSLIS students and alumni will track their ALA experiences with our hashtag: #gslisui. Meet them this week, and be sure to join in the conversation. Ziba Zehdar (@iLuvLibraries) "I have a bachelor of science from the University of California in Irvine in biological…

The GSLIS eUpdate, published every other month, summarizes current news, events, alumni and advancement highlights, and continuing professional development opportunities. Other publications that may be of interest to alumni and friends are listed on the GSLIS Publications web page. _____________________________________________________ IN THIS ISSUE 1. GSLIS Spotlight – Cooke, Knox…

Each year, GSLIS recognizes a group of outstanding students for their achievement in academics as well as a number of attributes that contribute to professional success. The following student awards were presented at the GSLIS Convocation on May 13, 2012. Bryce Allen Award for Reference Services Presented to Matthew Short by Merinda Hensley and M. Kathleen Kern: Matthew Short is the winner of…

Robert L. Bothmann, an adjunct instructor at GSLIS, has been awarded the 2012 Nancy B. Olson Award. The annual award, sponsored by the Online Audiovisual Catalogers (OLAC) network, recognizes a librarian who has made significant contributions to the advancement and understanding of audiovisual cataloging and electronic resources. Bothmann was recognized for his multiple leadership roles in…

Bonnie Mak, GSLIS assistant professor, is speaking at the conference "Unbound: Speculations on the Future of the Book" held at MIT on May 3-4, 2012.This symposium explores the future potential of the book by engaging practitioners and performers of this versatile technology to ask some key questions: is the book an artifact on its deathbed or a mutable medium transitioning into future forms? What…

Sue Searing, LIS librarian and GSLIS affiliated faculty member, has been appointed interim associate university librarian for user services at the University of Illinois Library. She will serve in this position for three years, providing coordination and leadership for a variety of library-wide programs and initiatives, including information literacy and instruction, staff training and…

James Blank (MS '97) is the recipient the of the Special Libraries Association (SLA) Engineering Librarian of the Year Award. The Engineering Librarian of the Year, sponsored by IHS, highlights the accomplishments and contributions of SLA Engineering Division members to the engineering librarian profession.Blank is a technical knowledge specialist in the engineering library at Caterpillar Inc.…

The Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is pleased to announce the addition of two new faculty members: Nicole A. Cooke and Emily Knox will join GSLIS as assistant professors in August 2012.

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…

Cyril Oberlander (MS '00), interim director, Milne Library, State University of New York, Geneseo, is the recipient of the Reference and User Services Association’s (RUSA) 2012 Virginia Boucher-OCLC Distinguished Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Librarian Award. The award, administered by RUSA’s Sharing and Transforming Access to Resources Section (STARS), recognizes an individual for outstanding…

This week during spring break, more than 90 students in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) will be spending time away from the beach, completing special projects in libraries and information centers around the country. Through GSLIS’s Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program, graduate students have the opportunity to experience professional life in public,…

Professor Allen Renear has assumed the interim deanship of GSLIS, effective immediately. He brings to the position extensive administrative experience in higher education as well as more than 20 years of experience as an information professional. GSLIS is in good hands with Renear, whose depth and breadth of experience make him well suited for the position. He has served as a member of the GSLIS…

Library Journal has released their annual list of Movers and Shakers for 2012 and included among those honored are two GSLIS alumni, Michelle Chronister (MS ’09) and Joshua Finnell (MS ’07). Chronister is a program analyst with the U.S. General Services Administration responsible for the social media program on USA.gov. She is being recognized for her work to increase the interaction…

GSLIS is hosting nine prospective students as part of the campus-wide Community of Scholars Campus Visit Program (COS). The program brings admitted graduate students from underrepresented backgrounds to campus to meet with their academic department and give them the opportunity to network with current and prospective students. Students will visit campus from March 11-March 13, 2012. Amani…