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.