Talia Shaw has joined the iSchool as academic advisor and coordinator of graduate affairs. In this position, she will primarily provide academic advising and support to MS/LIS students as well as develop and facilitate programming/workshops, review applications for admission, and create new resources in collaboration with Student Affairs colleagues.

Professor Emerita Kathryn (Kathie) Luther Henderson passed away at home on August 18. She was determinedly independent until the start of her final illness on her 99th birthday.

Thirteen iSchool master's students have been named 2022-2023 Spectrum Scholars by the American Library Association (ALA) Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services. Since 1997, the Spectrum Scholarship Program has promoted diversity among graduate-level students pursuing degrees in library and information studies through ALA-accredited programs.

Katrina Hagler joined the iSchool on August 8 as director of recruitment and admissions. In this position, she will oversee recruiting and admissions for the School's degree programs.

Penny Ames, admissions and records coordinator, is among the eight civil service employees from across the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who have been named recipients of the 2022 Chancellor's Distinguished Staff Award. Each recipient of the Chancellor's Distinguished Staff Award receives $1,000 and a plaque. Recipients' names also are engraved on a plaque displayed in the Illinois Human Resources Office.

Kalie Maulding joined the iSchool on July 5 as a human resources specialist. In her new position, she will assist with all human resources functions at the School.

The School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the iSchool at Illinois, is pleased to announce its newest degree offering, the Bachelor of Science in Information Sciences + Data Science (BS/IS+DS).

The old, green hand press that used to be stationed on the first floor of the iSchool building is getting a new lease on life. It has been moved to the Champaign-Urbana Community Fab Lab, where students and community members will be using it for letterpress printing. The Washington-style hand press, which was manufactured in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century by Reliance, was used for teaching and fine printing at the University of Illinois for decades before becoming a show piece at the iSchool.

Research on Diversity in Youth Literature (RDYL), a peer-reviewed, online, and open-access journal focused on issues of diversity, equity, social justice, inclusion, and intersectionality in youth literature, culture, and media, has moved from St. Catherine University to the iSchool's Center for Children's Books. The journal is co-edited by iSchool Associate Professor Sarah Park Dahlen and Sonia Alejandra Rodríguez, associate professor of English at LaGuardia Community College, City University of New York.

After a pandemic break, the iSchool is pleased to announce that the seventh annual Summer Getaway will be offered in person on June 10-11. Led by iSchool faculty/instructors/staff and school librarians, this professional development event offers a series of workshops focused on topics related to media literacy.

For libraries and librarians, 2021 was an especially challenging year in terms of the increase in attempts at censorship. According to the American Library Association (ALA) Office for Intellectual Freedom, the number of challenges to library materials more than tripled from 2020 to 2021. In addition, current estimates show that 82 to 97 percent of challenges go unreported, suggesting that the total number of challenges are significantly greater.

In the Fall 2022 semester, the iSchool will offer a new degree, the Bachelor of Science in Information Sciences + Data Science (BS/IS+DS). The degree is part of a campus-wide partnership to provide interdisciplinary education in data science. It consists of a collaboration between the iSchool and other colleges, including the Gies College of Business, Computer Science Department in the Grainger College of Engineering, and the Department of Statistics in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Siggi Schroth joined the iSchool on April 4 as an office support specialist. She serves as the primary receptionist at the main building on 501 E. Daniel Street.

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden will deliver the 2022 Windsor Lecture on Thursday, April 21, at 7:00 p.m. The lecture, which is co-sponsored by the University Library and Center for Advanced Study, will be held via Zoom, and advance registration is required.

The recruitment and admissions team at the iSchool has been awarded the Promotion of Excellence Award from the Association for Graduate Enrollment Management (NAGAP). The award is presented to an individual or team that has "developed or implemented methodology demonstrating best practices, creativity, and/or innovation in graduate enrollment management that could serve as a model across the GEM [graduate enrollment management] profession." The iSchool team received this recognition for the Information Schools and Colleagues Collaborative (ISCC) Network, which was created during the pandemic when travel was restricted, limiting traditional recruitment efforts.

Brigitte Fielder, associate professor in the College of Letters and Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will deliver the 2022 Gryphon Lecture on April 8. Sponsored annually by the Center for Children’s Books (CCB), the lecture features a leading scholar in the field of youth and literature, media, and culture.

Kristin Sexton joined the iSchool on February 7 as an office administrator. In her new role, she will provide administrative support for advancement and coordinate iSchool events, including convocation.

Bri Wisehart joined the iSchool on January 18 as a business administrative associate. In her new role, she will support the activities of the finance and human resources offices.

The School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign seeks nominations for the 2021 Robert B. Downs Intellectual Freedom Award. The deadline for nominations is March 15, 2022. The award is cosponsored by SAGE Publishing.

Beth Lewis joined the iSchool on January 5 as an office administrator. In her new role, she will provide administrative support for research services, student affairs, and enrollment management.