The iSchools Organisation is happy to announce two new Basic-level members: Xidian University, School of Economics and Management, China  and Swinburne University of Technology, School of Law, Business and Entrepreneurship, Australia . Xidian University, China The School of Economics and Management (SEM) of Xidian University was founded in 1980 as the Department of Management Engineering and Information Engineering. It was one of the first management schools (departments) set up in the early period of China’s Reform and Opening-up. After more than 40 years of development, SEM now has one postdoctoral research station, four first-class disciplines, one doctoral degree authorization point, four first-class master's degree authorization points, five professional master's degree authorization points, 10 undergraduate majors (four national first-class majors, six provincial first-class majors, including one China-US joint education program) and one provincial experimental teaching demonstration center. Xidian University, China There are 136 full-time faculty in the School, of whom 58 are associate professors and 28 full professors. There is one candidate for the New Century Talent Support Program, and 9 provincial talents. More than 30 renowned professionals recruited as adjunct professors. Jian Chai , Chunxiu Qin , Ma Xubu  will represent Xidian University in the regional and international Lists and Groups. Swinburne University of Technology, Australia The rich culture of the Swinburne University of Technology, School of Law, Business and Entrepreneurship, Australia focuses on innovation, social responsibility, law and technology, and external engagement. The school develops flexible, inclusive, relevant and highly engaged learning experiences to prepare students for a successful career. Robust connections with industry partners such as Siemens, Bendigo Bank, Leo Cussens Institute and Medibank as well as government and community organizations across teaching and research are very important to the school. Swinburne University of Technology, Australia The school provides students and graduates with the skills, knowledge and mindsets to make them flexible and adaptable within the changing and globalized world. Students are part of technology-rich learning and teaching environments that meet the expectations of contemporary learners and equip them with the digital literacy and confidence to respond to opportunities in their field and to operate their own business. Sean Sands , Nicki Wragg  and Misita Anwar will represent Swinburne University of Technology in the regional and international Lists and Groups. The iSchools organization was founded two decades ago with roots dating back to the late 1980s. The iSchools educate thought-leaders of the future, and their researchers focus on enhancing the lives of people, the productivity of companies, the innovation cycles of industries, the design of technologies, the policies that govern technology and information use, information services to communities, and much more . The iSchools Organisation currently consists of more than 130 iSchools worldwide.

Issue #99 by Gary Marchionini  (UNC School of Information & Library Science) For four decades I have taught iSchool courses at multiple universities and collaborated with researchers around the world on various human-information interaction problems.  My syllabi and reference lists from these experiences have some common threads, one of which is Douglas Engelbart’s 1962 paper “Augmenting human Intellect: A conceptual framework” .¹  Like others, I found this paper to be profound, prescient, and somewhat complex and I have returned to it regularly.  It has inspired me and many of my students over the years.  The paper is a hard read in that it is lengthy, mixes theory and engineering, and so many of his imagined tools and processes are now so commonplace (e.g., text editing, online collaboration) that the reader must constantly remember this was written more than 50 years ago in a very different technical and cultural context.   This week, I started the new semester and a seminar on the information exposome and Engelbart’s paper again is included for student consideration and discussion.  After the first day of class, I came home from campus physically exhausted from a long day of teaching and a faculty meeting but mentally energized about students and the ideas we will discuss in the months ahead.  In my mail, I found the January/February (Vol 32.1) issue of Interactions ² [yes, I still get journals in paper form because they afford and demand at least a casual full scan of the latest work in our field]. Over breakfast the following day I was elated to see that the issue gives homage to Engelbart’s paper with a set of articles and a thoughtful editorial introduction by editors Elizabeth Churchill and Mikael Wiberg (“Human Augmentation: A Paradigm Shift for HCI?” DOI:10.1145/3708356 ) . There are articles in the issue on Assistive Augmentation (Tan, Gupta, Rajendran, Maes, & Nanayakkara), Neural Interfaces for Education (Chris Crawford), Human-Data Interaction (Koesten & Gregory), a conversational sketch on memory (Wolfangel), among others articles and interviews in the issue.   Interactions  is the CHI community’s magazine for UX practitioners and is a fitting venue for work that springs from the intellectual framework Engelbart gave us half a century ago.  Doug Engelbart was an engineer and visionary who eventually was recognized with a Turing Award and many other honors.  He is credited with inventing the mouse and presenting the first online system demonstration.  His writings are few but his influence on the CHI community has been extraordinary.  I was fortunate to talk with him a few times over the years and quibble a bit that his examples seem more like amplification rather than augmentation, a distinction I now see was simply semantics because his framework, inventions, and vision truly have taken us into new capabilities rather than only to faster or more accurate execution of old capabilities.     I am filled with strong competing emotions at this particular slice of space/time because of the passing of 20th Century leaders, the despair and tragedy of war and natural disaster counterposed with the potential of a new year, new classes to lead, and new students to learn with and from.  Emotion, personal memory, and hope are somewhat strange bedfellows for information science because they do not yield to metrics or algorithms. I welcome them nonetheless, and go forward with optimism that we will continue to learn, relearn, and augment the ideas and tools of pioneers like Engelbart.  Today we continue to grapple with the challenge Doug Engelbart gave us so long ago in the final page of his classic paper:   “After all, we spend great sums for disciplines aimed at understanding and harnessing nuclear power. Why not consider developing a discipline aimed at understanding and harnessing "neural power?" In the long run, the power of the human intellect is really much the more important of the two.”¹   In the mold of Dr. Engelbart, let us develop and apply today’s powerful technologies to harness and understand the power of the human intellect and the power of the human spirit. 1 : Engelbart, D. (1962).   Augmenting human intellect: A conceptual framework  (SRI summary report AFOSR-3223). SRI International. Report prepared for Director of Information Sciences, Air Force Office of Scientific Research.   https://web.archive.org/web/20110504035147/http://www.dougengelbart.org/pubs/augment-3906.html 2 : Interactions Magazine. https://interactions.acm.org/

Stanford University Application Deadline: 2/15/2025 The Symbolic Systems Program at Stanford seeks to hire a Lecturer for a three-year, renewable term. Symbolic Systems is a unique, interdisciplinary program focused on the intersection of minds and machines. We offer a rigorous BS program with concentrations in artificial intelligence, cognitive science, natural language processing, neuroscience, human-computer interaction, and other areas as well as a small research-focused MS degree. A successful hire will be expected to (1) teach undergraduate level courses for Symbolic Systems, (2) perform other SYMSYS-related duties, and (3) contribute to Stanford's COLLEGE program. The COLLEGE program is a new first-year requirement. You can read about its offerings here: https://college.stanford.edu/courses . Stanford is on the quarter system (three academic quarters of 10 weeks each) and the normal teaching load of a lecturer is the equivalent of 6 courses over the three quarters.

Texas A&M University Libraries Application Deadline: 3/2/2025 Are you passionate about creating seamless digital experiences? Join the Texas A&M University Libraries team as a User Experience (UX) Librarian and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our Libraries’ digital interfaces! You will be at the forefront of planning and coordinating user research, collecting, and analyzing data to understand our users' needs better. Your insights will directly impact the success of A&M students, faculty, and staff by enhancing their interactions with our digital resources. As a UX Librarian, you will bring your expertise to project teams, driving the design and improvement of user interfaces. You will also manage collaborative projects, ensuring user experience research and recommended improvements are effectively implemented. Working closely with campus stakeholders and library colleagues, you will champion user needs and accessibility in all technology decisions. We are seeking a candidate who is passionate about User Experience, customer service-oriented, has excellent communication skills, and is passionate about continuous growth and improvement. This position provides abundant opportunities for professional development and support, fostering a mentorship environment through collaboration with other team members. The selected candidate will be expected to work onsite in our College Station, Texas location. Opportunities to Contribute: Initiates, collaborates, and advises on UX research projects. Designs and coordinates usability studies, focus groups, surveys, and interviews. Follows ethical best practices in study design and data analysis. Maintains user recruitment lists and conducts outreach. Synthesizes research findings into actionable insights and recommendations. Generates reports and advocates for user experience improvements. Supports various phases of UX research (e.g., information architecture, user flows, visual design, accessibility, usability testing). Works with product teams on UX research initiatives using qualitative and quantitative methods. Uses tools like Google Analytics, SiteImprove, and LibInsights to assess web usage and quality. Communicates data needs and provides dashboards to stakeholders. Reports findings to guide planning and decision-making. Participates in professional organizations and serves the library, university, or community in a professional capacity. Qualifications: Master's degree in library science or equivalent combination of relevant education and UX experience. A well-qualified candidate will also possess: One to three years of professional experience or completed graduate coursework on conducting UX research and/or usability studies Ability to multitask and work cooperatively with others. Skills in and experience with multiple UX research methodologies, such as focus groups, usability studies, user interviews, and surveys. Skills in and experience with effective project management tools and techniques. Knowledge of current technologies for UX data collection, manipulation, analysis, and reporting. Skills in and experience with accessibility testing, web analytics, and/or user experience design (e.g., content strategy, information architecture, prototyping, visual design). Strong understanding of design principles related to accessibility, responsive design, and user centered design. Demonstrated ability to discuss technical information with users, discern their needs, and collaboratively develop programs, systems, and screens that meet those needs. Demonstrated knowledge of principles of web design and accessibility (hands-on experience with CSS, SCSS, HTML, or PHP preferred). Experience with user testing research platforms and remote, online testing. Proficiency in design tools such as Figma. Proficiency with analytics tools like Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and LibInsights. Ability to take initiative, be flexible, work creatively, and quickly adapt to and learn from new situations. Salary: $62,900.00 annually, additional $3000 yearly stipend for conference travel and professional development opportunities.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign The School of Information Sciences  at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign seeks nominations for the 2024 Robert B. Downs Intellectual Freedom Award. The deadline for nominations is March 15, 2025. The award is cosponsored by Sage .   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 abridge the freedom of individuals to read or view materials of their choice or to hear or express ideas, the award may be in recognition of a particular action or a long-term interest in and dedication to the cause of intellectual freedom.   The Downs Award  was established in 1969 by the iSchool’s faculty to honor Dean Emeritus Robert B. Downs, a champion of intellectual freedom, on the occasion of his twenty-fifth anniversary as director of the School.   Previous winners have included:   Missouri Library Association Intellectual Freedom Committee (2023) for their education and advocacy work; New College of Florida faculty, librarians, student reporters of The Catalyst, and the Defend New College and Save New College student and alumni organizations (2022) for their efforts to support academic freedom; #FReadom Fighters (TX) and the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (2021) staff for their contributions in the defense of intellectual freedom; Amy Dodson, Director, Douglas County Public Library, Nevada (2020) for supporting the value and necessity of equity, diversity, and inclusion as a part of her library’s mission and service; and the Education Justice Project, for its defense of the First Amendment rights of incarcerated individuals (2019). Sage provides an honorarium to the Downs Award recipient and, with the iSchool, co-hosts the reception held in honor of the recipient. The reception and award ceremony for the 2023 Downs Intellectual Freedom Award will take place in June 2025 at the American Library Association Annual Conference in Philadelphia.   Letters of nomination and documentation about the nominee should be sent by March 15, 2025, to Emily Knox, Chair of the Award Committee, by email at knox@illinois.edu  with a copy to ischool-dean@illinois.edu .

University College Dublin, School of Information and Communication Studies Application Deadline: 21 February 2025, 12pm noon Irish time Applications are sought for Ad Astra Fellow - Lecturer/Assistant Professor in AI and Digital Cultural Heritage within the College of Social Sciences and Law.    UCD School of Information and Communications is undergoing a major period of growth, with successful undergraduate and graduate educational programmes and an ambitious programme of research across a range of subfields including library and information studies, communication and media studies, digital policy, human computer interaction, information systems, science/technology/society (STS), applied artificial intelligence and critical digital media. The school is seeking to recruit an Ad Astra Fellow in AI and Digital Cultural Heritage who will provide research leadership within the school and across the wider university, in this important field. Reporting to the Head of School, the Ad Astra Fellow will have a key role in research and scholarship, undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and academic administration, management and professional organisation in the academic areas of Information and Communication Studies, in active collaboration with colleagues in this School, in the other schools of the UCD College of Social Sciences and Law and throughout the University.   The School of Information & Communication Studies is committed to research-led education, and the candidate will be expected to conduct research in the area of AI and Digital Cultural Heritage that supports high quality teaching in their field, and to lead innovations in both research and teaching as well as expanding and deepening our partnerships with sectoral stakeholders nationally and internationally. The candidate will be expected to seek national and international research funding opportunities to grow capacity and consolidate relevant interdisciplinary interests across the college and university, towards developing a dedicated research group in AI and digital cultural heritage studies, thus enhancing UCD’s profile in this area.   The Masters in Library and Information Studies (MLIS) programme at ICS is a foundational taught programme of relevance to this area of research and attracts Masters applicants from North America, Europe and Ireland. This Ad Astra fellow will pursue growth in taught graduate enrolment on this topic, as well as engage with funding opportunities to develop AI and GLAM research, offering a pathway for PhD candidates from 2026. The candidate will contribute especially to the newly revised and accredited MLIS and demonstrate the ability to enhance existing digital cultural heritage contributions and offerings in the programme. The candidate will also be invited to design a new AI-focused interdisciplinary module that will be delivered across our MSc in Human-Computer Interaction, MSc in Communication and Media programme, as well as MLIS to further build synergies within the School. The candidate will also contribute to the development of new undergraduate modules for the BSc in Social Science (ICS) and BA in Creative and Cultural Institutions to which ICS is a key contributor, to enhance ICS UG offerings and inform discussions on a potential AI related major on the undergraduate DN700 BSc programme.   With UCD’s new HEA supported micro credential strategy a scholar with this expertise will also support potential development of micro credentials in AI and digital GLAM studies, to meet the demand for skills development from professionals working in the Irish cultural heritage sector.   95 Lecturer/Asst Professor Above the Bar (7943) Salary Scale: €62,855 - €99,533 Per Annum Appointment will be made on scale and in accordance with the Department of Finance guidelines.   Closing date: 12:00 noon (local Irish time) on the 21st February 2025.    Applications must be submitted by the closing date and time specified. Any applications which are still in progress at the closing time of 12:00 noon (Local Irish Time) on the specified closing date will be cancelled automatically by the system. UCD are unable to accept late applications.

Meriam Libray, CSU, Chico Application Deadline: 02/17/2025; complete applications received after that date may be considered The Meriam Library at CSU, Chico is looking for a Senior Assistant Tenure-Track Librarian for the College of Engineering and Library Makerspace. Working independently and collaboratively with colleagues, the Engineering Librarian works as part of the Research, Instruction, and Outreach department under the supervision of the Library Dean. The Engineering Librarian will provide research and teaching support to and collection development for faculty, staff, and students in the Chico State College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Construction Management (ECC). The Engineering Librarian will work with Meriam Library personnel to engage students across academic disciplines with the Meriam Library Innovation Lab, which includes the library’s Makerspace, through dynamic programming and outreach. The Engineering Librarian will identify strategic partners across campus and collaborate with librarian liaisons in other disciplines to integrate the Innovation Lab into academic departments across the university. Additional assignment areas will include reference service, collection development, and subject-area liaison duties. The successful candidate will be energized by working in a collaborative, team-based environment with colleagues who are passionate about helping all of our students succeed. The Engineering Librarian develops and nurtures strategic partnerships across the Chico State campus and within the Meriam Library to continuously learn about students’ needs and expectations, playing an active role in developing a culture of evidence-based and informed practice in the Meriam Library.

Information Research Are you seeking ways to improve your understanding of scholarly communication and publishing? Would you like to improve your professional networks and engage with cutting edge research? Are you keen to contribute to the quality of LIS research papers?   Information Research  is seeking editorial associates/copyeditors to support the publication of the journal. This is a voluntary (unpaid) role which offers the opportunity to engage with and develop their skills in scholarly communication and publishing, and to build networks. We acknowledge the contribution of editorial assistants/copy editors is significant for ensuring the journal maintains high standards and the quality of its papers.    This is a good way for PhD students to engage with the LIS community and develop a better understanding of the mechanics of scholarly communication. Many copy editors have been librarians seeking to contribute to the research environment and extend their professional skills. It’s a good way of gaining continuing professional development.   Editorial assistants/copy editors work with senior LIS professionals, including the eight regional editors, the wider editorial team , and authors of papers. The role can be as small (e.g., 2-3 papers/year) or as large as you like.   Skills: an interest in and ability with editing, fluency in English, strong grammar skills and understanding of referencing, attention to detail, and an ability to work to deadlines. Training will be provided.   Information Research  is a highly regarded open access scholarly journal which was established in 1995 by Professor Tom (T.D.) Wilson. The first issue was April 1995 and so we will be celebrating 30 years of the journal in 2025.    As someone who originally started as an editorial assistant/copy editor, was then appointed to the Editorial Advisory Board, and is now a Regional Editor, I can attest to the value and enjoyment I have gained from this work, as well as the support it has provided for my professional reputation.   Please send questions or your expression of interest plus CV to the Editor-in-Chief, Prof Crystal Fulton crystal.fulton@ucd.ie

The iSchools Organization is happy to announce that Nanjing University, School of Information Management , represented by iSchools Board of Directors member Lei Pei,  and Shanghai University, School of Cultural Heritage and Information Management , represented by Vice Dean of School Lihua Wang , have upgraded their membership level to iCaucus . iCaucus is the most prestigious membership level and indicates the highest possible support for the organization and its role in shaping the future of the information field. Shanghai University, School of Cultural Heritage and Information Management become iSchools Member in 2019. The School of Cultural Heritage and Information Management has a strong scientific research strength. In the past 10 years, it has won more than 60 projects funded by the National Social Science Fund, among which the Library, Information and Archives management discipline ranked first in the country in the number of projects approved by the same discipline in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2019 and 2021, which is known as the "Great Phenomenon of Shanghai" in academic circles. The College aims to cultivate outstanding innovative talents in cultural resource management who are both majoring in arts and sciences and integrating the past and present. It is rooted in tradition and future-oriented, and hopes to build itself into a world-class school of cultural resource research and management. Nanjing University, School of Information Management joined the iSchools in 2011. The School is one of the pioneers in Information Management education in China. As the rapid development and constant outstanding performance, the school won high reputation both inside and outside the country. The school plays a very important role in the LIS community, it contains many steering academic organizations such as the Secretariat Office of Education Directive Committee for Professional Master of Publishing, the Strategy Consultant and Secretariat Office of Education for Secrecy Science.

University of Texas at Austin Application Deadline: Rolling The School of Information (iSchool) at The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) invites applicants for the Bill Daniel Endowed Professorship in Archival Enterprise. The iSchool is seeking internationally recognized scholars who advance our understanding of the nature and role of data, information and cultural records across all areas of human endeavor. Successful candidates will likely currently hold or be eligible to hold a full professor position in a peer institution. We are particularly interested in candidates with innovative research programs that can help the school envisage an inclusive and discipline-wide focus on the centrality of accurate records to knowledge production in the sciences, the arts, and the humanities.

Issue #98 by Michael Seadle  (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin) On 1 January  2025, Ryan Hill, and Carolyn Stein published a research article in Kellogg Insight called “Scientists Don’t Want to Get Scooped—and It’s Hurting Science “¹, which a staff writer put together:   “Being the first to publish a finding is a major way for scientists to establish this recognition. Still, little is known about the effects that these ‘priority races’ have on scientists’ careers—and on the quality of the science itself.”¹    The fact is well known, as is the cultural competition obsession among American scholars at elite schools. Few scholars ask what damage competition does, since generations have grown up with the mantra that competition is invariably good. This is in part a sign of Milton Friedmann’s effect. The interesting question is what consequences competition has among academics.   The article goes on to explain that “Hill and Stein found that failing to be first does have a measurable cost: second-place projects are nearly 20 percent less likely to be published in a top journal,.... Furthermore, Hill and Stein found that the more competitive a particular structure-solving race was, the more the researchers rushed their work—resulting in lower-quality findings.”¹    So there is an apparent tradeoff. The authors found that “... investing more time into research would ensure higher-quality results but would also increase the risk of getting scooped … .”¹      Some of the fear of competition is exaggerated:    “... Hill and Stein surveyed 877 structural biologists and found that they significantly overestimated both the likelihood and costs of getting scooped. Respondents guessed that they had a 27 percent chance of getting scooped by a competitor, when the actual probability was only 3 percent. They also estimated that a scooped research project would get 59 percent fewer citations, when, in reality, the penalty was nearly three times smaller.”¹     “... Hill says that it’s a good time to reconsider the institutional incentives driving these discoveries.”¹ Perhaps it is time to reconsider the culture of competition with the academic world and perhaps with society itself. Every country is different. At top European universities, professors are often civil servants with stable and comfortable salaries. How much more money and recognition matters is a personal choice. 1 : Hill, Ryan, and Carolyn Stein. Summarized by John Pavlus,. “Scientists Don’t Want to Get Scooped—and It’s Hurting Science.” Kellogg Insight. January 1, 2025.   https://insight.kellogg.northwestern.edu/article/scientists-dont-want-to-get-scooped-and-its-hurting-science .

Universitat Oberta de Catalunya Call for applications to UOC doctoral programme Networked and Information Technologies Topic: Misinformation and disinformation through the lens of data analytics This thesis proposal focuses on cases studies about misinformation or disinformation, through the application of quantitative data analytics methods to amounts of digital content such as: social media, mainstream media news and reports, Wikipedia entries, literature about historical events, open data and/or other open or public domain sources. This digital content may be created, updated, influenced and/or used by a wide range of actors: citizens, anonymous agents or activists, governments and public agencies, companies, international organizations, political parties, social organizations, etc.    Research methodologies for these case studies will usually include the advanced conceptualization of misinformation and disinformation events, so to enhance the intensive application of quantitative methods to trace and analyse them through amounts of digital content and logs. These quantitative methods may be combined when suitable with qualitative methods. Potential candidates should contact Prof. Josep Cobarsí Morales before submitting the application. Prospective candidates should address: Prof. Josep Cobarsí Morales jcobarsi[at]uoc.edu Universitat Oberta de Catalunya Computer Science, Multimedia and Telecommunication Studies Deadline for applications: February 3rd 2025