Issue #3 Kostas Stefanidis   European/African Region Finland Tampere University Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences iSchools member since 2011 Hello Kostas! Please tell us a bit about you! I am a Professor  of Data Science at the Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences  at Tampere University in Finland, and the Director of the Data Science Research Centre.   I also lead the Recommender Systems Group, which focuses on advancing recommender systems with an emphasis on fairness, transparency, and user-centric personalization. Our research addresses challenges such as balancing recommendation quality with ethical considerations, minimizing bias, and ensuring equitable user experiences. We also explore sequential recommendations—understanding user behavior over time to deliver more contextually relevant and timely suggestions. This work is crucial for capturing evolving user preferences and adapting to users’ changing needs and interests.   Originally from Greece, I have lived in Finland since 2016. I enjoy traveling and cooking—traveling allows me to explore new cultures and ideas that inspire me both personally and professionally, while cooking is a creative outlet I love sharing with friends and family. You are organizing TPDL 2025 together with your colleague Zheying Zhang this year, please tell us a bit about it! Yes! Together with my colleague Zheying Zhang , I am co-organizing the International Conference on Theory and Practice of Digital Libraries (TPDL)  2025. We are especially excited to be hosting the conference in Tampere, Finland, a vibrant city known for its strong research community and beautiful natural surroundings.   TPDL has a rich history of bringing together researchers and practitioners from across disciplines—including digital libraries, information retrieval, and knowledge management—and we are honored to continue that tradition. For TPDL 2025, we are aiming to create an inspiring and welcoming environment that encourages collaboration, fresh ideas, and forward-looking discussions.   We are putting together a dynamic program featuring cutting-edge research, interactive workshops, thought-provoking keynotes, and plenty of opportunities for networking and community building. It is a fantastic opportunity to showcase not only the latest in digital library research but also the innovation and energy coming from the Nordic region.   We can not wait to welcome the TPDL community to Tampere—it is going to be an exciting event, and we hope to see you there! You are a Data Science professor, an information research field that is sometimes located in information science departments and sometimes in computer science departments. What experiences have you had with your research field being in an intermediate space? That is a really insightful question. Data Science naturally sits at the intersection of multiple disciplines, and I have found that being in this intermediate space—between information science and computer science—has been both intellectually enriching and practically rewarding.   On the one hand, my work is grounded in core computer science methods, particularly in areas like algorithms, and large-scale data processing. On the other hand, many of the problems I focus on—such as fairness in recommender systems, user-centric personalization, and responsible data use—are deeply rooted in information science and human-centered computing. These are challenges that require not just technical solutions but also a broader understanding of societal impact, user behavior, and ethical implications.   Being in this in-between space has allowed me to collaborate across disciplines, engage with diverse communities, and approach research questions from multiple angles. It has also helped me in training students who are not just technically strong, but also attuned to the values that come with working with data that impacts people’s lives.   At Tampere University, I feel fortunate to be part of a faculty that embraces this interdisciplinary spirit. It gives us the flexibility to bridge gaps, explore new research directions, and contribute to both scientific advancement and societal good. If you could give just one advice to future information scientists, what would it be? If I could give just one piece of advice to future information scientists, it would be: stay curious, but always stay human-centered.   Information science is evolving rapidly, driven by powerful technologies like AI and data-driven systems. It is easy to get caught up in technical progress—but the real impact comes when we design systems that serve people, respect their values, and enhance their lives. So ask bold questions, explore new methods, but never lose sight of the human perspective. That is where the most meaningful and responsible innovations happen. Thank you very much, Kostas! Featured Members is a new iSchools Feature series spotlighting members of iSchools who are part of the development and organization of thought provoking projects or conferences. Please contact admin@ischools-inc.org  in case you would like to be featured as well.

Issue #106 by Gary Marchionini  (UNC School of Information & Library Science) Continued development and application of generative AI (GenAI) depend on significant investments in energy, materials, and data acquisition, but the greatest investments are in human talent to create computational improvements and novel applications to the world’s problems. Information professionals play important roles in GenAI progress (see Marchionini, 2024¹ for a set of roles), one of which is what is popularly known as prompt engineering. I prefer the term prompt interaction because it puts the focus on continuing human involvement and control of GenAI use. Prompt interaction initiates GenAI problem solving and guides the process toward useful outcomes. Several recent papers focus on prompt interaction as a process and as a user interaction design challenge. Here I highlight two different threads of work along these lines, one that addresses prompt interaction for research purposes and one that aims to make prompting easier for casual use by novice populations. I then argue that these and other works in information science are new steps in a long arc of information science research on the search process and search systems.   Chirag Shah’s Communications of ACM  June 2025 paper² argues for human-in-the-loop collaborative prompting that is inspired by qualitative research methods that employ multiple coders to develop and assess a code book for data collection and interpretation. The paper notes that both under specification and overspecification (over fitting) of prompts to chatbots lead to biased outcomes. The approach entails a four-phase pipeline that begins with a preliminary prompt, identifying and clarifying criteria for evaluating outputs, iteratively refining the prompts, and validating the overall pipeline. Phase 2 is the key component and involves multiple humans who assess the preliminary outcomes, examine intercoder reliability, discuss the efficacy of their assessments, and execute subsequent multiple runs to sharpen the shared criteria (the “codebook”). Shah and his colleagues tested this approach on two use cases: discovering user intent in search and auditing the effectiveness of LLMs. In both cases, the approach was found to yield trustworthy and reliable results. The author acknowledges that this approach is significantly more expensive in time and resources (at least 4X) than simply using a single human or LLM iteratively but argues that the value of scientific progress demands outputs that are unbiased and trustworthy. This work illustrates the value that information scientists bring to the table when applying GenAI to research.   The second example comes from a recent posting by Ben Shneiderman in Medium³  arguing that designers should work to provide better user interfaces to support GenAI prompting. He argues that faceted prompt interfaces can help increase discoverability, reduce cognitive load, support exploratory prompting, and enhance consistency and guidance. These effects are well-known for faceted search systems that are widely deployed for ecommerce and other search environments (see Tunkelang, 2009⁴ for a treatment of faceted search development and implementation).    These current examples build upon decades of research on search strategy and online search system design that lie at the core of information science. Our field has a long history of search strategy research and education from the earliest days of online databases. Pioneering research on search strategy by Marcia Bates (e.g., 1979)⁵, and others such as Meadow and Cochrane’s 1981⁶ successive fraction strategy, Markey and Cochrane’s 1981⁷ pearl growing strategy, Hawkins and Wager’s 1982⁸ interactive scanning strategy, and Harter’s 1986⁹ building block strategy set the stage for systematic search before full-text search emerged in the WWW. Throughout the 1980-2000 years, most information schools required online searching instruction as part of the core curriculum. As WWW-based information became the norm, research continued to make full-text and multimedia searching accessible to everyone through well-structured data views (e.g., faceted search) and highly interactive user interfaces (e.g., supporting exploratory and collaborative search). In addition to research on general search problems, support emerged for specialized applications such as systems and strategies tuned to high-recall needs such as legal and patent searching, searching in non-textual databases, for recurring or ongoing searches (e.g., alerting, recommendations) and for complex searches to synthesize literatures (e.g., systematic reviews and meta-analyses), as well as studies of the effects of different system implementations to understand and build next-generation information systems (e.g., Gusenbaur & Haddaway’s 2020¹⁰ systematic comparison of more than two dozen search environments for systematic review applications provides specific criteria for assessing search outcomes).    Information schools took the lead in this research and education over the decades, and they are taking the lead today to investigate how GenAI might be leveraged to improve search for different needs and by different information seekers. Almost half a century of progress brings us to today’s search engines augmented by GenAI chatbots and synthesized outputs. Results of current studies are reported in information science conferences such as the ACM SIGIR Conference on Human Information Interaction and Retrieval (CHIIR), the iConference, the ASIST Conference, as well as in information and computer science journals. In addition to the classical user studies and design evaluations, information researchers are investigating novel ways to insert LLMs into the search process, whether to create systematic pipelines like the Shah study described above or comparing large-scale adversarial trials across LLMs and search tasks (e.g., Triem and Ding, 2024¹¹). It continues to be exciting to work in the information field and progress will surely continue to develop in the years ahead. 1:  Marchionini, G. (2024), Information and library professionals' roles and responsibilities in an AI-augmented world. J Assoc Inf Sci Technol , 75: 865-868.  https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.24930 2: Shah, C. 2025. From prompt engineering to prompt science with humans in the loop. Communications of the ACM , 68(6), June 2025, 54-61. 3: Shneiderman, B. 2025. Don’t GenAI designers want a better prompt interface? Faceted UI to support prompt interactions. Medium   https://medium.com/@ben.shneiderman/dont-genai-designers-want-a-better-prompt-interface-71c5fa84f85b 4:  Tunkelang, D. (2009). Faceted Search . Springer-Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-02262-3  5: Bates, M. (1979). Information search tactics. Journal of the American Society for Information Science , 30(4), 205-214. 6: Meadow, C.T. & Cochrane, P. (1981). Basics of online searching . New York: John Wiley & Sons. 7:  Markey, K. & Cochrane, P. (1981). Online training and practice manual for ERIC data base searchers (2nd Edition). Syracuse, NY: ERIC Clearinghouse on Information Resources. 8:  Hawkins, D.T. & Wagers, R. (1982). Online bibliographic search strategy development. Online , 6(3), 12-19. 9:  Harter, S.P. (1986). Online information retrieval: Concepts, principles, and techniques.  Orlando, FL: Academic Press. 10:  Gusenbauer M, Haddaway NR. Which academic search systems are suitable for systematic reviews or meta-analyses? Evaluating retrieval qualities of Google Scholar, PubMed, and 26 other resources. Res Synth Methods . 2020 Mar;11(2):181-217. doi: 10.1002/jrsm.1378. Epub 2020 Jan 28. PMID: 31614060; PMCID: PMC7079055. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7079055/   11: Triem, H. and Ding, Y. (2024), “Tipping the Balance”: Human Intervention in Large Language Model Multi-Agent Debate. Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology , 61: 361-373.  https://doi.org/10.1002/pra2.1034 Feature Stories solely reflect the opinion of the author.

Issue #2 Sascha Donner   European/African Region Germany Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Berlin School of Library and Information Science (IBI) (iSchools member since 2009) Hello Sascha! Please tell us a bit about you and your iSchool! I am a PhD candidate at the Berlin School of Library and Information Science (IBI) at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. The IBI is the only German school for Library and Information Science at the university level. The IBI combines a strong foundation in traditional library science with a forward-looking focus on digital transformation, scholarly communication, and human-technology interaction. And that is exactly where my doctoral research is situated. In my research I explore how humans and AI can collaborate as co-agents in hermeneutic meaning-making processes – particularly through documents, language, and other mediated forms of knowledge. In this context, I draw on the concept of documentation activity as understood in the neo-documentalist tradition. I have an interdisciplinary background, which has led me to blend information science with insights from technology and even policy. Alongside my doctoral work, I am deeply involved in practical projects that bridge academia and industry, especially in the realm of artificial intelligence. This combination of research and practice is something I am very passionate about, and it shapes my perspective as an information scientist in training. Could you share a bit more about of your journey between academia and entrepreneurship and public sector consulting? Before diving into academia, I co-founded an AI startup called EVANA back in 2015. Our goal was to make document management smarter and more efficient in the real estate industry and the legal sector, moving away from paper-filled binders to a secure digital platform where an AI could help manage and extract information from documents. Building a company from the ground up was an exciting experience that taught me a lot about innovation and the challenges of applying AI in a real-world domain. After spending seven years in the startup world, I transitioned into consulting for the public sector. I currently work as a Senior Lead Specialist at PD – Berater der öffentlichen Hand, an in-house consulting firm for the German government. In this role, I advise government agencies on AI strategy, governance, and the development of AI-based prototypes for public services. For instance, I have been involved in drafting federal AI guidelines and establishing an AI coordination unit within the federal government. I provide advice on implementing AI responsibly and offer technical consultations to transform innovative ideas into projects. My academic research interests lie broadly at the intersection of personal information management, human-computer interaction, document theory, and artificial intelligence. I am particularly fascinated by how people and AI systems interact to manage and make sense of information. I aim to shed light on how emerging AI technologies influence the way we create, manage, and interpret information in our daily lives, and how this new technology could be governed if some day it gets smarter than us. It’s an exciting time – and I feel a certain responsibility to contribute in some way to better understand and contextualize it.  You are the lead organizer of DOCAM 2025 on behalf of the Berlin School of Library and Information Science. Please tell us a bit about this upcoming conference! I am delighted to be co-organizing DOCAM 2025 (the Annual Meeting of the Document Academy) here in Berlin. The conference theme this year is “Documents – Continuity and Innovation”, which is all about exploring the impact of artificial intelligence and new technologies on documents and documentation practices. The program we have put together spans everything from theoretical discussions to practical workshops on these topics. We have some fantastic speakers lined up. For example, the renowned philosopher Maurizio Ferraris will deliver a keynote address on the concept of “Webfare”, examining our digital document culture. We will also hear from experts from the Arolsen Archives and the German government’s AI initiative who will bridge theory, policy, and culture. Other highlights include an invited talk by information science pioneer Geoffrey Bowker and two workshops led by the trailblazers of document theory: Michael Buckland and Niels Windfeld Lund, among others. In true DOCAM tradition, the event will be a single-track conference to foster a focused and lively dialogue among all participants. And since we are hosting in Berlin, we have organized some special cultural activities for our attendees giving our international guests a taste of Berlin’s rich heritage from its history to its knowledge institutions. Overall, we are excited for DOCAM 2025 to be a forum where scholars and practitioners can deeply engage with how AI is shaping the future of documents and the broader field of library and information science. Looking ahead, what future directions are you most excited about? There are so many avenues I am excited to explore moving forward. Having one foot in research and another in practice, I am eager to build more bridges between these worlds. For example, I see great potential in working with colleagues across different iSchools, Governments, and tech organizations globally to design human-centered AI systems. After my PhD, I am looking forward to expanding the scope of my dissertation work. I hope to delve deeper into how human–AI co-creation can enrich fields like digital humanities, archives, and personal information management but also how effective AI co-governance could be conceptualized for multi-agent AI systems and for AGI. Overall, I am very optimistic about the future. Whether it is collaborating with fellow researchers on cross-country and cross-discipline projects or teaming up with private and public institutions to solve real-world problems, I believe that partnerships will be key to drive meaningful progress. I feel grateful to be part of such a vibrant global community at the intersection of information science and AI, and I am excited for the many discoveries and collaborations that lie ahead. Thank you very much, Sascha! Featured Members is a new iSchools Feature series spotlighting members of iSchools who are part of the development and organization of thought provoking projects or conferences. Please contact admin@ischools-inc.org  in case you would like to be featured as well.

By Kristen Bayley Kirsten Martin, a distinguished academic leader with expertise in emerging technologies and how they intersect with the human experience, will serve as the next H. John Heinz III Dean of the  Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy , effective July 1, 2025. Martin comes to Carnegie Mellon University from the University of Notre Dame, where she is the distinguished William P. and Hazel B. White Professor of Technology Ethics and a professor of information technology, analytics and operations in the Mendoza College of Business. She also directed the Notre Dame Technology Ethics Center from 2021 to 2023, leading academic initiatives across the university. Prior to Notre Dame, Martin was the Lindner-Gambal Professor in Business Ethics and chair of the Strategic Management and Public Policy department at George Washington University. “Dr. Martin brings significant expertise and momentum to her new role,” said CMU Provost  James H. Garrett Jr.  “Her strong record of scholarship, leadership and engagement across academia, policy and industry will be instrumental in shaping Heinz College's future success as it continues its trajectory as an innovative education and research ecosystem.” Martin’s research examines the ethical implications of emerging technologies and the role of business in ensuring responsible innovation. She served as the technology and business ethics editor for the Journal of Business Ethics and a board member and president of the Society for Business Ethics. She is currently on the program committee of the Privacy Law Scholars Conference. “People, policy and technology — and the ways they intersect — define our era and will shape humanity’s future. I’m honored and energized to lead Heinz College, an institution that’s long been ahead of the curve, weaving these forces into the core of its mission to drive meaningful societal impact,” said Martin, who holds a bachelor's degree in industrial and operations engineering from the University of Michigan, as well as doctoral and MBA degrees from the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business. Martin succeeds  Ramayya Krishnan , who has led the college since being named interim dean in 2008 and appointed dean in 2009. Under his leadership, Heinz College has grown its interdisciplinary approach through innovative education, impactful research initiatives and deepening its global partnerships. Krishnan will return to the faculty following a successful tenure of more than 16 years. “Dr. Martin's leadership builds on Dean Krishnan's outstanding 16-year legacy, and I am delighted that Dean Krishnan will return to his vital role in CMU's teaching and research as a faculty member,” Garrett said. Martin’s appointment follows a comprehensive international search led by  Richard Scheines , the Bess Family Dean of the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and  Amelia Haviland , the Eugene Barone Professor of Health Systems Management at Heinz College. About Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy The Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy is home to two internationally recognized schools: the School of Information Systems and Management and the School of Public Policy and Management. Heinz College leads at the intersection of people, policy, and technology, with expertise in analytics, artificial intelligence, arts & entertainment, cybersecurity, health care, and public policy. The college offers top-ranked undergraduate, graduate, and executive education certificates in these areas. Our programs are ranked #1 in Information Systems, #1 in Information and Technology Management, #8 in Public Policy Analysis, and #1 in Cybersecurity by  U.S. News & World Report . For more information, visit  www.heinz.cmu.edu .

Issue #1 Tina Du   Asia Pacific Region   Charles Sturt University School of Information and Communication Studies (iSchools member since 2023) Hello Tina! Please tell us a bit about you! I am Head of School  and a Full Professor of Information Sciences at the School of Information and Communication Studies, Charles Sturt University (iSchool@Charles Sturt) in New South Wales, Australia. I lead the Information and Innovation Research Group, which includes academics, postdoctoral researchers, and doctoral students. My research interests are interdisciplinary, focusing on user–technology interactions, community engagement, information behaviour and journeys, and marginalised communities. I am the lead Chief Investigator of the current Discovery Project, “Australian Public Libraries and Social Capital: An Exploratory Study,” funded by the Australian Research Council. Originally from mainland China, I have lived in Australia with my family since 2007. I am married and have two lovely sons, aged 12 and 9. Could you tell us a bit about your school, please? In 2025, the School of Information and Communication Studies  (iSchool) at Charles Sturt University celebrates 50 years of Library and Information Science (LIS) education and research, tracing its roots through predecessor institutions including the Riverina College of Advanced Education and the Riverina-Murray Institute of Higher Education. Since welcoming its first cohort of 30 librarianship students in 1975, the School has grown to over 1,800 enrolments by 2024 across diverse fields such as librarianship, archives and records management, information architecture, data management, and teacher-librarianship. The School has been a leader in distance education—now fully online—with all LIS courses accredited by the Australian Library and Information Association, Records and Information Management Professionals Australasia, and the Australian Society of Archivists. In 2021, communication academics joined the School following the closure of the School of Communication and Creative Industries, forming today’s multidisciplinary School of Information and Communication Studies. Staff teach and research across a wide range of LIS and communication areas, while supervising a large number of doctoral students.   Research at the School addresses critical social, cultural, educational, and economic challenges, with a focus on the intersection of information, communication, people, technology, society, and psychology. In the LIS domain, key areas include GLAM institutions (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums), scholarly communication, human information behaviour, knowledge representation, and the history and practice of collecting institutions. Communication research spans journalism, radio, multimedia, organisational communication, social media, fan studies, animation, creative practice, and public policy—particularly in areas such as workplace resilience and wellbeing. The "50 Years and Beyond" milestone is a unique opportunity to honour the School’s legacy while embracing new interdisciplinary directions across information, technology, communication, and media studies.   The School has maintained a partnership with the University of Hong Kong’s School of Professional and Continuing Education (HKU SPACE) for over 30 years, delivering LIS courses in Hong Kong with local tutorial support. Recently, the School signed MOUs with the University of Lampung (Indonesia) and Nanjing University (China) to foster academic and research collaboration. What benefits do you see in belonging to the global iSchools Organization? The School of Information and Communication Studies at Charles Sturt University is proud to be an active member of the iSchools Organization, joining over 130 universities worldwide in a shared commitment to advancing information research and education. Membership also offers valuable opportunities for global networking and collaboration. You are organizing RAILS 2025 this year, please tell us a bit about it! RAILS  (Research Applications in Information and Library Studies) is Australasia’s premier annual conference for researchers, educators, and practitioners in library and information science, archival studies, and related fields. Since 2004, it has fostered innovation and research excellence across the region. RAILS 2025, hosted by our School, will take place from Monday 3 November to Wednesday 5 November 2025 at Charles Sturt University’s Sydney Campus in North Sydney, Australia. The event will include keynote sessions, the Australasian Information Educators’ Symposium (AIES), and a Doctoral Consortium. This year’s theme -"Library and Information Research: Reflecting on the Past, Shaping the Future" - highlights the importance of strategic, forward-looking research in LIS. As part of the School of Information and Communication Studies' "50 Years and Beyond" celebration, we warmly invite national and international scholars, students, and professionals from LIS, communication, media studies, and the broader social sciences to attend and contribute. The submission deadline has been extended to 1 June 2025 . Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of this important event. Submit your contribution: https://railsconference.wordpress.com/call-for-contribution/ If you could give just one advice to future information scientists, what would it be? As future information scientists, you’re entering a dynamic and exciting field—centered on people, information, and technology—that plays a vital role in our AI-augmented world. Through information education and research, you’ll be well equipped to thrive in an ever-evolving digital landscape. Thank you very much, Tina! Featured Members is a new iSchools Feature series spotlighting members of iSchools who are part of the development and organization of thought provoking projects or conferences. Please contact admin@ischools-inc.org  in case you would like to be featured as well.

University of Tsukuba Application Deadline:   July 31, 2025 The University of Tsukuba has established a university-wide recruitment system for 20 positions to strengthen its research capabilities, and will be accepting applications from women only . Of the 20 positions, 14 positions, which are intended for associate or assistant professors, will be open to all research fields at the University of Tsukuba, without limiting the fields. This is a positive action based on Article 8 of the Equal Employment Opportunity Law to improve the low ratio of female faculty members and to drive more innovative research and education.

iConference 2026 will be the 21th annual conference of the international iSchools organization. The virtual academic program will take place 23 - 26 March 2026 and the onsite academic program will take place 29 March - 02 April 2026. The 2026 iConference theme will be "Information Literacies, Authenticity and Use: The Move Towards a Digitally Enlightened Society” and the host of the conference will be Edinburgh Napier University (UK) . All information scholars, researchers, and practitioners are encouraged to submit their research and participate in the conference. An iSchools affiliation is not required. Call for Papers The 2026 iConference invites scholars, practitioners, creators, and community voices to contribute to critical conversations around information literacies, authenticity, and the use of digital technologies in shaping a more enlightened and inclusive digital society. Rooted in a re-examination of the Scottish Enlightenment—a movement that championed reason, education, inquiry, and civic progress—the 2026 theme challenges us to critically reflect on both the promise and limitations of these ideals. The Enlightenment catalysed revolutionary thinking about human potential and the organisation of knowledge, laying foundations for public libraries, encyclopaedias, scientific method, and democratic discourse. Yet, it also advanced progress through Eurocentric and exclusionary frameworks, marginalising voices through colonial, gendered, and class-based structures. This conference asks: how can we carry forward the Enlightenment’s commitment to learning and justice, while also confronting and redressing its embedded inequalities? How can information systems today promote not just efficiency and access, but authenticity, trust, equity, and inclusion? As digital infrastructures increasingly shape how we learn, communicate, govern, and remember, the iConference offers a space to explore what it means to be digitally literate and ethically informed. We welcome proposals that interrogate the ethical, social, political, and cultural dimensions of information—from AI and misinformation to decolonisation, community archives, open data, and digital storytelling. Submit your full and short papers, as well as panel, workshop, and symposia proposals, to contribute to this vital conversation. We also welcome work addressing broader issues relating to information, technology, and people, even beyond this year’s theme. Together, let us shape the discourse around digital authenticity and access—building a future where technology and information serve the goals of collective flourishing, justice, and an inclusive, digitally enlightened society.   iConference 2026 key themes include but are not limited to: ·       Digital literacy, digital fluency, and equitable access to information ·       Authenticity and trust in the age of mis/disinformation and AI ·       Decolonisation of knowledge and the ethics of information use ·       Digital inclusion, accessibility, and universal design ·       Cultural heritage, memory, and storytelling in digital contexts ·       Community informatics, marginalised voices, and participatory design ·       Open science, ethical metadata, and sustainable informatics ·       AI and machine learning in libraries, archives, and education ·       Information governance, digital rights, and platform accountability ·       Digital and social media proxies, algorithms, and attention economies ·       Playable archives, immersive experiences, and digital humanities ·       Environmental sustainability and responsible innovation ·       Indigenous knowledge, migration, and global perspectives on literacy ·       Human understanding, robotics, and the future of digital education ·       Copyright, intellectual property, and information use in the age of AI Submission Deadlines 15 September 2025 for Full Research Paper Short Research Paper Posters (written Proposal) 20 October 2025 for Workshops & Panels Student Symposium Doctoral Colloquium Early Career Colloquium Chinese Research Paper Spanish & Portuguese Research Paper Decision Notification, Registration Opens: Mid November 2025 We encourage information scholars, researchers, and practitioners from all parts of the world to submit their research via the secure Conftool submission portal . All accepted papers and posters will be presented virtually. Accepted authors can request additionally a presentation slot in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. Please note that at least one author per paper needs to register in the Early Bird Registration phase of the iConference. Detailed information can be found on the iConference 2026 website and in the Call for Papers (PDF) .

The iSchools Doctoral Dissertation Award is a prestigious annual competition introduced in 2013 that recognizes outstanding work in the information field. Nominations are solicited from all members of the iSchools organization and judged by a committee drawn from leading international iSchools. The iSchools Organization is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 Doctoral Dissertation Award: Dr. Yuting Huang (Wuhan University, China) nominated by Prof. Ruhua Huang for the Dissertation "A Study on the Construction and Application of Digital Literacy Assessment Indicators for Rural Residents in China" and Dr. Yim Register (University of Washington, United States of America) nominated by Prof. Emma Spiro for the Dissertation "The Future of AI Can Be Kind: Strategies for Embedded Ethics in AI Education" won the Award in this year's very close competition. Dr. Yuting Huang Dr. Yuting Huang is a lecturer at the School of Public Administration, Xiangtan University. She earned both her Bachelor's and Ph.D. degrees in Library Science from the School of Information Management, Wuhan University. Her research interests include digital literacy, open government, and open access. Dr. Huang is currently the Principal Investigator of a project funded by the National Social Science Fund of China. She has published first-author articles in leading academic journals, including The Journal of Chinese Libraries, the highest-ranked journal in Library and Information Science in China. Dr. Yim Register Dr. Yim Register (they/them) is a responsible AI researcher, lover of math and programming, Wikipedia enthusiast, social justice advocate, dancer, dreamer, and artist. They received their PhD from the University of Washington iSchool, with a dissertation entitled "The Future of AI Can Be Kind: Strategies for Embedded Ethics in AI Education". They work at the intersections of AI, machine learning education, and trauma-informed computing. They are currently an Applied Scientist at AWS Machine Learning University (MLU), where they teach software engineers to implement AI solutions with social responsibility and safety at the forefront.  For the first time in the history of the iSchools Doctoral Dissertation Award two nominations earned the same best final score from the reviewers. Both winners of the 2025 Doctoral Dissertation Award will receive a cash prize of USD 2,500 . Out of 25 nominations from iSchools around the globe, Yim Register and Yuting Huang were evaluated as the best in a very tight competition. The finalists came from the University of California Berkeley, Penn State University, University of Washington, Wuhan University and the University of Toronto, all evaluated as excellent works. The iSchools Organization would like to thank the Doctoral Dissertation Award Committee Members Hanna Carlsson (Linnaeus University), Hsia-Ching Chang (University of North Texas), Andrew Cox (Sheffield University), Jesse Dinneen  (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin), Ricardo Eito Brun (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid), Ina Fourie (University of Pretoria), Dion Goh Hoe Lian (Nanyang Technological University), Fredrik Hanell (Linnaeus University), Emi Ishita (Kyushu University), Jaap Kamps (University of Amsterdam), Vanessa Kitzie (University of South Carolina), Maja Krtalić (Victoria University Wellington), Udo Kruschwitz (Universität Regensburg), Glen Layne-Worthey (University of Illinois), Myeong Lee (George Mason University), Louise Limberg (University of Borås), Miriam Matteson (Kent State University), Eric Meyers (University of British Columbia), Shawne Miksa (University of North Texas), Staša Milojevic (Indiana University Bloomington), Ehsan Mohammadi Nik (University of South Carolina), Melissa Ocepek (University of Illinois), Peter Organisciak (University of Denver), Devendra Potnis (University of Tennessee Knoxville), Arcot Rajasekar (University of Chapel Hill), Fernanda Ribeiro (University of Porto), Ellie Sayyad Abdi (Curtin University), António Lucas Soares (University of Porto), Beth St. Jean (University of Maryland) and Rebecca Stallworth (Simmons University) for their outstanding work for the committee. The Doctoral Dissertation Award is given annually. More information about current and past Award winners can be found on the iSchools Doctoral Dissertation Award website.

University of Washington Application Deadline: Applications will be accepted until the position is filled The University of Washington Information School (iSchool) i nvites applications for a Postdoctoral Scholar position with the Data Services for Indigenous Scholarship and Sovereignty (DSISS) initiative. DSISS is supporting responsible stewardship of Indigenous research data in libraries and repositories. The DSISS team of information science researchers, Indigenous scholars, and data repository professionals works collaboratively to develop guidance for application of the CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance in research data services (RDS). Launched in 2021 with funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, DSISS is starting a new phase of translational work to advance practical and technical solutions for integrating CARE into professional practice and infrastructure, with a focus on enriched metadata and documentation, controls for sensitive data, and building trust between institutions and Indigenous communities. The post doctoral scholar will join the team in developing a collaborative curation approach that centers Indigenous research methods and data sovereignty and a repository testbed grounded in the values and priorities of scholars of Indigenous culture and language and Indigenous communities. They will also contribute to a new line of inquiry exploring how CARE can be applied to enhance stewardship of established Indigenous digital collections in libraries and archives. The position is a 12-month appointment, with the possibility for renewal, and an anticipated start date of September 15, 2025. The post doctoral scholar will be affiliated with the Center for Advances in Libraries, Museums, and Archives (CALMA) at the UW Information School. We seek applicants who bring a research agenda aligned with DSISS and are interested in pursuing their own line of research in tandem with collaborative DSISS research and engagement. Postdoctoral Scholars are represented by UAW 4121 and are subject to the collective bargaining agreement, unless agreed exclusion criteria apply. For more information, please visit the University of Washington Labor Relations website. Please apply here: https://apply.interfolio.com/167945

Photo credit: Ashley Purvis With funding from the Mellon Foundation, Simmons will establish the Center for Information Literacy, which aims to promote informed decision-making and nurture civic participation. Simmons University has received a $250,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation  to establish the Center for Information Literacy (CIL). The CIL will focus on cultivating competencies related to locating, accessing, evaluating, and using information. Honing this skill set improves the public’s ability to identify trustworthy information and recognize the characteristics of mis/disinformation. Simmons’ School of Library and Information Science (SLIS)  will collaborate with The Gwen Ifill School of Media, Humanities and Social Sciences  and the Simmons University Library  on the creation of the CIL. SLIS Professor and Associate Dean Dr. Laura Saunders  will serve as the CIL’s inaugural director. Information literacy — or the ability to access, interpret, and wield information effectively — includes the related areas of news and media, social media, health, civic, and other literacies.  “The purpose and goal of the Center for Information Literacy is to empower people with the skills to access, evaluate, and use information to navigate the information landscape,” Saunders says. “The vision for the Center is a world where information literacy transcends boundaries of privilege and circumstance, where critical thinking flourishes and where every person has the tools to transform information into knowledge, opportunity, and positive change.” “The partnership between SLIS, the Ifill School and the University Library enables us to work collaboratively across the fields of library and information science, journalism, communication, and other allied fields to develop innovative curricula and engaging programming. In this way, the CIL will equip people with the skills and research needed to refine their understanding of, and approach to, information literacy instruction — especially concerning the issue of mis/disinformation,” Saunders explains. Building a Culture of Informed Citizenship With the Mellon Foundation seed funding, Simmons will launch the CIL, develop a robust evaluation plan, and create a three-to-five-year action plan. The CIL’s agenda will include curriculum-building efforts, faculty professional development, and student-driven programming.  Additionally, the CIL intends to offer students awards, internships, and fellowships at Simmons University, as well as relevant programs and events for alumnae/i, journalists, librarians, and the general public.  Simmons’ SLIS library and information science program ranks among the top in the nation, and its faculty have a long record of leadership in the area of information literacy. According to the Dean of SLIS Dr. Sanda Erdelez , “The establishment of the CIL underscores the critical role of SLIS in advancing information literacy education and our longstanding commitment to empowering individuals with the skills needed to be informed and engaged in our society.” Trained in journalism and media studies, Ifill School Dean Dr. Ammina Kothari  understands the necessity of accessible and reliable information.  “By nurturing informed citizenship, the CIL will further Simmons’ commitment to factual information and civic engagement,” she says. “Moreover, the CIL embodies Gwen Ifill’s legacy of truth-telling, responsible discourse, and academic freedom. In an era threatened by misinformation, the CIL will work toward creating a more informed society. We are truly grateful for the philanthropic support of the Mellon Foundation that enables the creation of this important Center.”  Author: Kathryn Dickason News submitted by: Alisa M. Libby, Simmons University

Dr. Lisa Fagin Davis with the medieval Voynich manuscript (Yale University, Beinecke Library MS. 408). In a talk she delivered at the 2024 Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair , SLIS faculty member Dr. Lisa Fagin Davis discussed the history of women creating, reading, and owning medieval European manuscripts. To honor Women’s History Month 2025, we spoke with her about this research and its connection to her Simmons courses. Dr. Lisa Fagin Davis , a faculty member at Simmons’ School of Library and Information Science  (SLIS), delivered a talk at the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair on November 9, 2024 entitled “Women as Writers, Readers, and Owners of Medieval Manuscripts.” In this presentation, Davis (who was recently featured in The Atlantic magazine) explored medieval women as craftspeople (e.g., visual artists and scribes) and twentieth-century women who owned medieval objects in the greater Boston area. Here manuscripts refer to handwritten documents produced before the advent of printing in the Western world (printing was developed much earlier in China), which were assembled into a codex, or bound book. Medieval European manuscripts often feature hand-painted illustrations that accompany the text. When conducting this research, Seymour de Ricci’s multi-volume Census of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the United States and Canada , which appeared in the mid-to-late 1930s, was a key source for Davis.  “De Ricci included major collectors who owned numerous medieval objects, including J.P. Morgan, William Randolph Hearst, and Isabella Stewart Gardner, in addition to less wealthy individuals who may have possessed one or two manuscript fragments [i.e., a section or single page from a larger manuscript],” she says. “The Census lists literally dozens of women as collectors, though they have not appeared in academic scholarship.” Uncovering Hidden Networks of Women Collectors After consulting de Ricci’s Census , Davis embarked on a quest to identify these women. “Back then, women were listed with their married name, so my first step was to identify who they were as individuals. To find this out, I conducted genealogical research, examining real estate records and other kinds of historical records,” she explains.  This detective work enabled Davis to uncover a vital network of women who lived in Boston, Wellesley, and the surrounding suburbs. Many of them were Wellesley College faculty or alumnae, and others had attended local women-centered institutions, particularly Dana Hall (a private girls’ school in Boston) and Pine Manor College (a post-graduate program of Dana Hall located in Brookline, which is now Messina College within Boston College).  Boston-based art collector Isabella Stewart Gardner, c. 1888, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons “These women traded manuscript fragments with one another or gave them as gifts to each other. They would also gather in someone’s home for a type of salon, where they discussed their collections,” Davis says. “It’s a lovely story of women supporting one another and finding community in the early twentieth century … And I like the idea of them gathering, discussing their medieval manuscripts … I would have loved to be a fly on the wall and eavesdrop on their conversations.” Revealing these hidden networks, Davis’ research offers a nuanced perspective on women’s history and art history in the greater Boston area. Toward the end of her book fair talk, Davis turned to the most famous female art collector of the city, Isabella Stewart Gardner , whose collection, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum , lies in close proximity to the Simmons campus. “I also addressed Gardner’s ‘frenemy’ type of relationship with Belle da Costa Greene, who directed J.P. Morgan’s library, which is now the Morgan Library and Museum  in New York,” Davis says.  Librarian Belle da Costa Greene, c. 1910, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. As explored in a current Morgan exhibition, “Belle da Costa Greene: A Librarian’s Legacy,”  Greene was a Black woman who passed as White among New York’s upper strata. This decision afforded her certain privileges and opportunities that she would not have otherwise enjoyed because of her race. The exhibition celebrates Greene’s impeccable connoisseurship, which enabled J.P. Morgan to amass one of the finest medieval manuscript collections outside of Europe. Tamar Evangelestia-Dougherty ’03MS, ’23HD , the inaugural director of the Smithsonian Library and Archives, wrote the Afterword for the catalogue that accompanies the exhibition .  During the research process, Davis realized that the relationship between Gardner and Greene was very different from the supportive networks of women collectors in the Boston area.  “Gardner and Greene famously hated one another,” she says. “On the surface, they were very nice, since they were women of dignity and elegance. But in their correspondence [with other people] they reveal their mutual disdain for each other.” Reading the letters that Gardner wrote to her mentor, art historian Bernard Berenson, Davis encountered Gardner’s many insults toward Greene (including racial insults). In turn, Greene’s letters to Berenson — the two were lovers — coined a pejorative alternative name for her rival: “Was-abella.”  Diversifying the Field of Medieval Studies Certain historical shifts may account for why Americans, including American women, collected medieval artifacts between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.  “In that time period [circa 1880s to 1940s], there was a growing interest in the medieval world. Rich individuals like Morgan, Hearst, and John Paul Getty were trying to establish themselves as men of stature, which they did by aligning themselves with a sophisticated European background, and part of that included owning a piece of the Middle Ages,” Davis says. One example of the medieval revival is relatively close to Simmons’ campus. The Hammond Castle in Gloucester exemplifies “an obsession with a medieval aesthetic.” As Davis explains, modernity’s infatuation with the Middle Ages had economic and racial overtones. “Major collectors like Morgan, Getty, and Hearst were immersed in American Exceptionalism … they were capitalists to the core. But they still craved a centuries-old White, Christian ancestry.” Amid the Gothic revival, the Medieval Academy of America (MAA), a community of scholars who study the Middle Ages, was established in 1925. Davis currently serves as the organization’s executive director. In recent years, she has shepherded significant changes that have helped diversify the MAA and the field of medieval studies.  For example, the MAA now offers an annual Article Prize in Critical Race Studies , The Belle da Costa Greene Award  (research funds for faculty of color), the Inclusivity and Diversity Book Subvention Program , and other forms of support and recognition for scholars and areas of scholarly study that have been marginalized within medieval studies at large.  “We want to value and promote the work of medievalists who have been under-represented in the field, including BIPOC and LGBTQ+ medievalists … We are also expanding the field geographically to include Asia and Africa,” Davis says. “It is very exciting, and hearing these different voices and perspectives has enriched our discipline.” Beyond the academy, diversifying medieval studies helps counter disturbing trends in the political sphere. “Even to this day, White supremacists appropriate the Middle Ages for their own agendas. They are obsessed with medieval purity, which is very dangerous,” Davis says. By dismantling a purist view of the medieval past, scholars counter these pernicious mythologies. Davis is especially excited about the MAA’s centennial conference , which is scheduled to take place at Harvard University in March 2025. “It’s going to be our biggest conference ever, and it will be amazing. There will be all kinds of special events, performances, and exhibitions. Our team at Harvard and other Boston-area colleagues did a phenomenal job with the programming,” she says.  Honing Librarianship with Medieval Studies In her SLIS courses, Davis introduces graduate students to medieval manuscripts from a librarian’s perspective, focusing on collecting, archiving, and curatorship. She explains how modern booksellers routinely dismembered manuscripts (i.e., pulled them apart, page by page), and sold them as individual leaves to maximize profits. This way of selling manuscripts as fragments circles back to Davis’ book fair talk — this is how women in the Boston area would have acquired these objects.  Another topic that Davis addresses is provenance, or the history of ownership. Knowing who owned manuscripts and other works of art is useful for authenticating materials. (In other words, it can help curators detect modern forgeries). Even more importantly, “I tell my students that, as a curator, you need to know that the objects in your care have been legitimately acquired,” Davis says. “At some point along an object’s long journey to the United States, it may have been acquired illegitimately … this often happens during times of major upheavals, like wars and ensuing destruction and looting.”  Davis’ own research has led to several repatriations. “I did a repatriation case for the Boston Public Library. When I informed them of my findings, they immediately called the Department of Homeland Security to start repatriation proceedings. It’s the right thing to do,” she says. With more than 500 US institutions owning medieval manuscripts and/or fragments, provenance research is an important skill for librarians to have in their repertoire.  In her course “The Medieval Manuscript: Charlemagne to Gutenberg” (LIS 464), Davis’ favorite aspect is the final project. The class rebuilds a medieval manuscript that had been dismembered and dispersed during the early twentieth century. Each student receives a page or (digital) image of a page from different libraries, and they catalog it themselves. Then the students work collaboratively to assemble images of the codex in the proper order. For this assembly, they use a manuscript software called Fragmentarium .  “There is a moment in the class where we push the button, and the whole thing comes together. The students always cheer and burst into applause,” Davis says. “They know that we did something important. This object no longer exists — it has been irreparably destroyed. But by using their librarian skills and digital tools, they’ve done reparative work, which is incredibly rewarding.” In her discussions with SLIS students (most of whom are not medievalists), Davis contemplates the significance of these premodern European objects in North America. “They [medieval manuscripts] matter precisely because they are not part of our cultural patrimony … In Massachusetts, Indigenous communities like the Wampanoags were decimated. You cannot go outside and see their monuments and works of art,” she explains. “But by holding this medieval artifact in your hand, you become part of a longer chain of human history. This brings history to life, and it is really powerful.” Davis also finds contemporary resonance in these old artifacts. “Our current political climate is very Orwellian,” she says. “Something may have happened recently, but people are already denying that it happened; they are contradicting the historical record. And as a medievalist, I will fight against this denial of history.” Enshrining truth, critical thinking, and sound interpretation, medieval studies correlates with the key principles of library and information science (LIS) and information literacy. “Librarians will save the world,” Davis says. “The work of librarians and archivists is crucial for keeping us honest.”  Author: Kathryn Dickason News submitted by: Alisa M. Libby, Simmons University

When a patient has an organ transplant, clear, accessible information can make all the difference. That’s why Transplants.org turned to Heinz College Trustees Professor of Management Science and Healthcare Informatics Rema Padman , a health care analytics and informatics expert, and a team of Heinz College graduate students to analyze patient education materials from transplant centers across the U.S. With the mission of improving outcomes and access for transplant patients, Mace and Padman evaluated a variety of topics that were important to patients. Transplants.org identified the transplant patient handbook as one critical aspect of care that could potentially be improved to meet the evolving needs of patients. Mace partnered with Padman and the Heinz College student team on a semester-long capstone project to produce an in-depth comparative analysis of patient materials across U.S. organ transplant centers. The interdisciplinary student team analyzed 100 handbooks from 23 transplant centers, large and small, across the U.S. The result, powered by natural language processing and generative artificial intelligence methods to produce models with data-driven evidence, demonstrates the current state of organ transplant patient educational materials in the U.S., highlighting the challenges in maintaining consistency, completeness, and currency of the content. By building awareness of the discrepancies in the content for a complex patient population, this effort is anticipated to inform and influence transplant centers in the development of future patient education handbooks that best serve transplant recipients everywhere. Padman, who advised the student team throughout the project, emphasized the significance of this kind of applied learning. “This was an opportunity for students to engage deeply with a real-world health care challenge using cutting-edge AI and analytics methods,” Padman said. “Their work not only supports better outcomes for patients and health systems, but also showcases how technology, analytics, and policy can be aligned in the service of public good of great societal value.” This text is a short version of the original news post by Jennifer Monahan (Carnegie Mellon University)