Wednesday February 11, 2026

Book Challenges and School Libraries

Leah Gregory (Illinois Heartland Library System) and Emily Pickell (Champaign School District 4) join the Center for Children's Books in a discussion about the ways Illinois school libraries have been impacted by the rise of book challenges and bans nationally. The panel will be introduced by Interim Dean and Professor Emily Knox. 

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• 

  Wang appointed associate dean for research

  Read the full story
• 

  Get to know Sneha Vyas, MSIM student

  Read the full story
• 

  Uba invited to share research at Net Inclusion 2026

  Read the full story
• 

  Bertrand finds community in the Marching Illini and the iSchool

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• Wednesday

  February 4

  Making an Artist’s Book Workshop with Ben Blount

  3:00 - 5:00 PM

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• 

  iSchool recognizes 2025 PhD milestones

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Other recent news

Raji selected for IAPP Westin Scholar Award

January 26 2026

PhD student Mubarak Raji has been selected as an IAPP Westin Scholar Award honoree for the 2025-2026 academic year. The annual awards were created by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) to support students who are identified as future leaders in the field of privacy and data protection. Honorees receive a $1,000 cash award; two years of membership with the IAPP; three complimentary exams for IAPP certifications (CIPP, CIPM, CIPT); and unlimited access to online training for the recipient's selected IAPP certification exams.

Knox authors new edition of Book Banning

January 15 2026

The second edition of Interim Dean and Professor Emily Knox's book, Book Banning in 21st Century America, was recently released by Bloomsbury. The first edition, published by Rowman & Littlefield (now Bloomsbury) in 2015, was the first monograph in the Beta Phi Mu Scholars' Series. The new edition examines 25 contemporary cases of book challenges in schools and public libraries across the United States and breaks down how and why reading practices can lead to censorship.

Illinois Cyber Security Scholarship Program extended with $513k award

January 14 2026

The National Science Foundation has extended the Illinois Cyber Security Scholarship Program (ICSSP) for one year with an award of $513,000, continuing support for students in The Grainger College of Engineering's Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering programs and master's students in the School of Information Sciences to study cybersecurity.

The Bulletin announces 2025 Blue Ribbon awards

January 9 2026

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (The Bulletin) has announced the 2025 Blue Ribbon awards, its annual selection of the best works in children's and young adult literature. Blue Ribbons are chosen annually by a committee of reviewers for The Bulletin and represent what they believe to be outstanding examples of youth literature.