Issue #13 Udo Kruschwitz European/African Region Germany Universität Regensburg Institute for Information and Media, Language and Culture iSchool is member since 2019 Hello Udo! Please tell us a bit about you! I am the Chair of Information Science at the University of Regensburg. I took up this position about 7 years ago (how time flies!). I have a background in Computer Science and have always been fascinated by Natural Language Processing (NLP), i.e. how to make computers understand languages. This interest actually goes back a long time, and I remember how, as a small team, we conducted a research project at school in the 1980s in which we developed a LISP program that would automatically parse simple English sentences. At that time such systems were extremely brittle, and providing a sentence that did not exactly follow the expected input format would result in the entire analysis failing. It looks like this subject area has followed me ever since. You originally came from the field of computer science. How did you discover your passion for information retrieval? Information Retrieval (IR) is not miles away from Natural Language Processing, but somewhat surprisingly there are two distinct research communities. My background is a bit unusual in that I have a foot in both communities. I first got properly involved in the field of Information Retrieval when joining Essex University in 1997 on a project with British Telecom. The idea was to develop a dialogue system that would allow a user to search a classified directory (the Yellow Pages). Based on some information need expressed by the user in either typed or spoken format (such as “I need a plumbing service in Wivenhoe that does not charge a call-out fee”) the user would then be guided through the space of possible matches. This sounds simpler than it was back then. Some queries would be very generic and required the system to narrow down the request, in other cases there could be ambiguous needs and yet in other cases the query might have been so specific that no matches could be found. The solution was a mix of NLP and Information Retrieval. Since then I have been involved in a variety of research projects that sometimes had a slightly stronger focus on Information Retrieval and other times they were more dominated by NLP problems. This is also true for PhD projects I had the pleasure of (co-)supervising. And that is not limited to research. One of the fun aspects of being an academic is that you do your fair share of services to the community. I have, for example, for many years been on the steering committee of the British Computer Society’s Information Retrieval Specialist Group (BCS IRSG). Among other things we coordinate the annual European Conference on Information Retrieval (ECIR), the European flagship IR conference. Interestingly, Information Retrieval felt like a bit of a niche academic interest for decades but the recent rise of Retrieval-Augmented Generation systems has completely changed this as RAG-based systems all rely on a retrieval component. After more than 20 years at University of Essex, you moved to the iSchool at the University of Regensburg and took over the Chair of Information Science. What personally convinced you to choose Regensburg? Can you tell us a bit about your iSchool, please? If you have ever been to Regensburg, then you wonder why not everybody wants to move here. Luckily (for me), the position got advertised and I thought: this is the perfect match for my background. On top of that I knew that the team in Regensburg had a very international outlook and footprint. Despite the Chair of Information Science being a very small team (we are talking about three tenured research-active academics) it is highly visible in the community with many publications in the key research outlets of our field(s). When I joined Regensburg we were not part of the iSchool consortium yet, and it was one of my very first strategic objectives to make Regensburg an iSchool. In our application we demonstrated that across the institute (IIMSK), i.e. beyond our chair, there is an overarching theme that brings us all together, and that is an interest in exploring, understanding and shaping information behaviour. The interdisciplinary nature of our work is also reflected by the fact that most of our students get a highly interdisciplinary education, be it at Bachelor’s or at Master’s level. In recent years we invested a lot of energy in making our teaching a lot more international. For example, as part of the iSchools family we set up several Erasmus+ agreements, and just to pick some very recent developments, I am very pleased that this coming winter semester we will send our first exchange students to the University of Padua and expect the first incoming students the following semester. We also started a new Master of Science degree scheme in Human-Centred AI which is entirely taught in English. You work closely with partners from industry, society, and the healthcare system to translate AI research into practical applications. These include great projects like the AI “Driver's License” and other fantastic knowledge-sharing initiatives such as the Data Science @ Regensburg Meetup which also works closely together with the iSchools European/African Industry and Partnership Section. Can you tell us more about that? I have long been interested in seeing measurable impact of research. This includes applying academic research in practical applications — ideally with some societal benefit. In the UK such activities are well-supported through the long-running Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) scheme. I am very fortunate to have benefited from and contributed to several KTP projects. A project with what is now Signal AI even managed to pick up the award for best KTP project of the year. Right now we are involved in several projects that are conducted in collaboration with medical professionals. With the Hygiene Team at the Regensburg University Hospital we explore the adoption of graph-neural networks to prevent outbreaks of multi-resistant germs. With world-leading experts in urology we are working on combining the power of large language models (LLMs) with the unique expertise our colleagues contribute using the paradigm of a ‘human in the loop’. The MedNuggetizer is the first peer-reviewed output that emerged from this line of work, but watch this space for many more results to come. You mention Regensburg’s AI Driver’s Licence. This is a more lightweight approach to transferring knowledge beyond our ivory tower. Similarly, the Data Science @ Regensburg Meetup falls into that category. This group was set up when I joined Regensburg with the aim of creating a forum where people from industry, students, academics, practitioners and in fact anybody interested can meet informally and learn about the latest developments in the wider area of data science and AI. Together with Jaap Kamps we have now taken that to a new level. In our roles as co-organisers of the European and African iSchools Industry Partnership Section we have organised Data Science Meetups specifically aimed at the iSchools community. For example, last September we took the Data Science Meetup to Tampere, and if you want us to take the roadshow to you, just let us know and we see what we can do. Just a side note: our next Meetup is coming up in June and one of the confirmed speakers is Sophia Althammer who works as a senior researcher at Cohere. This time we will be in Munich. Come and join us (in person or via Zoom). You are supporting the organizing teams of various conferences in the area of information retrieval every year. One of those conferences is Search Solutions in London in November. Can you tell us a bit about it? Thanks for asking, this is indeed an event very close to my heart. I mentioned ECIR earlier on, the European Conference on Information Retrieval. In 2006 this conference was organised in London and a novel feature (that is now quite common at most conferences in our field) was the addition of a dedicated Industry Day. That turned out to be highly popular, especially among the local crowd. We thought: why not run this as an annual event. However, given ECIR travels around Europe we decided to set up a new regular event that would take place in London and which we called Search Solutions. This year will therefore be a special anniversary edition of Search Solutions as we have been running this for 20 years! The call for contributions just went out. As every year we expect a good mix of practitioners, academics, students etc. in November in London. There will likely be some fee waivers for students this year, so watch out. If you could give just one advice to future information scientists, what would it be? Do not expect that the future can be planned. I never expected to become an academic (but I am very happy it turned out that way!). But what can you do? Do take up opportunities that you come across. You never know what lies ahead. There are many chance encounters that could turn out to shape your future. Come along to Meetups, spend a term abroad, volunteer for a student representative role, learn German and listen to another interview I gave recently. The list goes on and on … Thank you very much, Udo! Featured Members is an 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 Michigan Application Deadline: July 1, 2026 The School of Information seeks a dynamic and innovative Full-Time LEO Lecturer III to support the launch and growth of a new Product Management (PM) pathway within the Master of Science in Information (MSI) program. This pathway prepares students to work across the end-to-end lifecycle of digital products by integrating human-centered design, strategic thinking, technical fluency, AI literacy, and interdisciplinary collaboration. This is a non-tenure track position with a 9-month appointment in the residential program. The normal teaching load for this appointment will be 6 courses per year. The first year will include a combination of instructional and course development work. The initial appointment period for this position is two years, and renewal is subject to budget, programmatic need, and performance. The anticipated start date is August 25, 2026. The successful candidate will teach graduate-level courses focused on product strategy, product execution, innovation, AI-enabled product development, go-to-market planning, and cross-functional collaboration. The lecturer will contribute to a highly applied, interdisciplinary curriculum that prepares students for leadership roles in technology, healthcare, automotive, finance, education, and emerging digital sectors. This position is ideal for candidates with substantial industry experience in digital product management, innovation leadership, entrepreneurship, or related areas, combined with a demonstrated commitment to excellent teaching and mentorship. The lecturer will play a central role in helping students translate product research and insight into impactful products and services through experiential learning, project-based instruction, and engagement with industry partners. Responsibilities* Teach graduate-level courses in product management and related topics Develop and revise curriculum aligned with evolving industry practices and technologies Mentor students in experiential and capstone-based learning environments Support interdisciplinary collaboration across design, engineering, business, UX and information science Engage with industry partners to create applied learning opportunities Contribute service to the program, pathway, and school community Participate in assessment, curriculum planning, and continuous program improvement Required Qualifications* Candidates should demonstrate expertise across the product management lifecycle and possess the ability to teach students how to identify opportunities, define product strategy, coordinate cross-functional teams, and deliver user-centered digital products. The ideal candidate will bring a strong understanding of contemporary product practices, including Agile development, experimentation, AI-enabled workflows, product analytics, stakeholder management, and go-to-market execution including marketing and pricing. Successful applicants should also demonstrate the ability to connect strategic thinking with hands-on implementation in applied educational settings. Required qualifications include: Master's degree or higher in Information, Business, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, Design, Engineering, or a related field Significant professional experience in product management, digital innovation, entrepreneurship, product strategy, or related leadership roles Demonstrated ability to teach or mentor students, professionals, or interdisciplinary teams Experience leading cross-functional collaboration among design, engineering, data, and business stakeholders Familiarity with Agile, Scrum, or related product development methodologies Ability to teach topics such as product strategy, product discovery, product increment planning, experimentation, product analytics, or go-to-market planning Experience communicating and presenting complex technical concepts to a variety of audiences Commitment to inclusive and student-centered teaching practices

The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee School of Information Studies (SOIS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Nadine I. Kozak as Associate Dean and Head of School, effective May 25, 2026. Dr. Kozak has been a member of the UWM faculty since 2012 and previously served as a postdoctoral fellow in information policy at UWM. Her research focuses on information policy, governance, and the social dimensions of information systems and services. In her new role, she will lead SOIS in advancing innovative and inclusive education, research, and community engagement initiatives. More information about Dr. Kozak’s appointment is available here: UWM announcement Please join us in congratulating Dr. Kozak on her new role.

Texas A&M University Libraries Application Deadline: June 16, 2026 The Texas A&M University Libraries are looking for a new Associate Level Web Services Librarian. This Librarian will play a key role in leading the administration of the SpringShare platform. The Web Services Librarian will oversee the full suite of Springshare applications, ensuring strong accessibility, quality assurance, and user support, while working collaboratively with Technology Services, the Discovery Systems Librarian, and the User Experience Librarian to continually improve the Libraries’ web portfolio. This role also provides training, troubleshooting support, and hands-on collaboration on a variety of web‑related projects, making it an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys innovative problem‑solving and cross‑departmental partnerships. This is an on-campus opportunity. The selected candidate will be required to work on-site at our College Station campus. Qualifications Required Education and Experience: Master’s degree in Library Science, Information Science, or Computer Science or equivalent combination of education and experience. 5 years of related experience. A well-qualified candidate may also possess: Experience administering Springshare applications (e.g., LibGuides, LibCal, LibAnswers). Ability to ensure quality assurance for websites and applications, with familiarity using content management systems (such as Cascade, WordPress, or SharePoint). Working knowledge of common web development languages (HTML, CSS, PHP) and comfort using APIs. Strong communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively, multitask, and adapt to shifting priorities. Problem‑solving skills and familiarity with current and emerging academic library web services. Knowledge of accessibility standards, including WCAG, Section 508, and ADA requirements. Ability to lift medium‑weight materials and handle items containing dust or microscopic mold spores.

Issue #12 Allan Martell North American Region USA Indiana University Bloomington Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering iSchool is member since 2003 Hello Allan! Please tell us a bit about you! I’m an assistant professor at the Department of Information and Library Science at Indiana University Bloomington. I’m 41 years old. I was born and raised in El Salvador, Central America. I came to the United States for the first time in 2010. I returned to El Salvador in 2012-2014, then returned to the United States. I’ve pretty much lived here ever since. My research centers on the role of information curation in shaping social memories of violence. I take a wide-ranging approach to my understanding of violence. As an object of analysis, violence can be discrete historical events and structural phenomena. Historical episodes of violence include genocides or authoritarian regimes, whereas structural violence pertains more to long-lasting, and often ongoing, discrimination against marginalized communities and other forms of social exclusion, like racism, classism, homophobia, transphobia, or xenophobia. You studied Social Communications at the Central American University in El Salvador in your BA and Digital Media at the Georgia Institute of Technology in the US for your Master, which both have not so many connections to (digital) memory collection. How did you come up with your research topic for your PhD at the iSchool at the University of Michigan? Much of what we do in digital media and information science is tied to issues of identity, community, and belonging. Social memory is integral to people’s social identity. After all, what is social memory if not the story that we tell ourselves about who we are and where we come from through, among other things, expressive media? The field of digital media is interested in expressing meaning through computational systems. These expressions aim to reflect our identity, including our origins as individuals and as a society. Just as paintings of Napoleon on top of a white horse tell a particular story about his epic rise to power, Gonzalo Frasca’s classic game, September 12, tells a story about the war on terror. Information science stems from the confluence of multiple disciplines, including library science, archival science, informatics, and computer science, among others. Many of these disciplines have decades-long traditions of memory-centered research. Archival scholars have been concerned with the link between archives and social memory for at least four decades. Archives play a role not just in preserving social memory, but in providing means to rediscover “dormant” memories. Archival records can be used to challenge or sustain dominant narratives of the past, and their power is heavily dependent on how archival records are mobilized. The most classic example is the Shoah Foundation, which started off preserving oral history records about the Holocaust. In museum studies, there is also a community concerned with the roles of memorial museums. These museums focus on the material cultures surrounding historical and structural violence. One classic example is the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C. Finally, from the decades-long tradition in social computing, an emerging group of researchers has spent the past decade designing and deploying computer systems to study their impact on family memories of the everyday and the colonial past of the West. Anyone interested should check the works of Jasmine Jones, Rachel Charlotte Smith, and Asnath Paula Kambunga. You received your PhD in 2020 and started your career as a postdoctoral researcher at the Louisiana State University before joining the faculty of the Indiana University in Bloomington in 2022. What brought you to Bloomington? Can you tell us a bit about your iSchool? Getting to my current position at IU was a three-year journey. I began applying for tenure-track jobs as soon as I began writing my doctoral dissertation and continued during my time at LSU. In my last year as a postdoctoral researcher, I received a couple of job offers, one of them at IU Bloomington. I chose the latter because I liked the welcoming environment of my faculty colleagues, I love college towns, and I found that IU offered me the tools I needed to focus on my research agenda: research funds, enough flexibility to focus on my research, and plenty of opportunities around campus to support my grant writing, paper writing, and instructional needs. The Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering comprises four departments: Intelligent Systems and Engineering (ISE), Informatics, Computer Science (CS), and Information and Library Science (ILS). Many faculty members, including myself, are engaged in international collaborations with other academic institutions around the world. Partly thanks to those relationships, our school offers study abroad programs. In recent years, faculty-coordinated student delegations have traveled to Ghana, Seoul, and the United Kingdom. The largest degree by enrollment at Luddy is the master’s in data science, a two-year graduate program that trains data analysts. In the ILS department, we offer three degrees, the largest of which is the Master's in Library Science. In 2025 you applied successfully for the iSchools Research Grant. Can you tell us a bit more about your project? Of course! Our project is titled “Remembering the Climate Crisis: Community Memory and Future Aspirations in Climate-Related Urban Contexts.” Our project originates from a repeated observation in studies of climate change communication: there is an abundance of authoritative information about anthropogenic climate change. Ironically, in the age of post-truth, when people struggle to agree even on what fundamental reality is, many still doubt that climate change is real or that something should be done about it. People are more likely to become more concerned about climate change when related information connects with their present concerns, aspirations for the future, and community belonging. Moreover, people who belong to social circles where others expect everyone to be informed about climate change are more likely to seek climate-change information. Interestingly, we know little about how such individuals make sense of the information they consume. Social memories of climate change help connect these factors. Recent work in memory studies has shown that some communities are actively thinking about the evolution of climate change and how it impacts them. In narrating climate change, individuals draw on culturally available frames, such as moral decline, divine will, environmental mismanagement, or political neglect, to shape events into coherent plots with identifiable agents and consequences. For example, a case study about memories from a 2014 fire in Sweden demonstrated that the social memory about this incident strengthened residents’ sense of community through common sensemaking and reinforcing a durable post-disaster identity. In other words, social memory functions as a cognitive and emotional coping tool for communities impacted by climate change. Social memory allows vulnerable communities to reinterpret present risks through the lens of shared past experiences. However, little is known about whether and how social memories of climate change influence climate action. The “Remembering the climate crisis” project aims to better understand the interconnection of climate-related social memory, community identity, community concerns and aspirations, and climate action. We want to know how communities living in climate-affected urban settings remember and narrate the impacts of climate change on their lives, the roles of such memories in community members’ sense of agency, belonging, and aspirations for the future, and whether and how social memory contributes to urban community’s climate resilience and adaptive strategies. We plan to conduct focus groups with environmental activists and residents of neighborhoods impacted by climate change in two locations: Indianapolis, in the United States, and Dhakar, in Bangladesh. You are also a member of the Climate Action Coalition - an iSchools Community group. Can you tell us a bit more about what your group is researching? The Climate Action Coalition is broadly concerned with promoting interdisciplinary and intersectional collaborations that are impactful and leverage the potency of information towards climate action. In recent years, we have explored issues such as digital literacy, inclusive systems design, and sovereign information solutions. Some of our members published a case study about the information needs of a fisher community in Bangladesh. During the iConference 2026 we held two events, a workshop and a panel. Our workshop explored how information literacy shapes people’s attitudes and behaviors towards climate change and educational interventions to increase critical climate literacy, or the ability to find and critically assess climate-change information. In addition, our panel presented results from a project about digital sovereignty with regard to climate change solutions. This project was a collaboration with indigenous communities in Indonesia and Bangladesh. Later this year, at the 2026 annual meeting of the Society for Social Studies of Science (4S), some of our members will hold a workshop on how to explore people’s perceptions of climate-related information through storytelling. If you could give just one advice to future information scientists, what would it be? The most impactful research projects come from interdisciplinary work. Your ability to identify connections between seemingly disconnected fields may yield tremendous value. While finding these connections can yield a certain degree of intellectual enjoyment, what is really at stake is solving real world-problems by thinking outside the box. This type of thinking requires not only collaborating across disciplines but also becoming conversant in them. Thank you very much, Allan! Interested in hearing more about Allan's Research? Join us for the first iSchools Community Keynote on 19 May at 1pm (London time). Featured Members is an 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.

We are delighted to announce that the iSchool Board of Directors appointed Atsuyuki Morishima as Ambassador for the Asia-Pacific Region. Atsuyuki Morishima is Dean of the Institute of Library, Information and Media Science, University of Tsukuba in Japan and served as the iSchools Asia-Pacific Regional Chair from 2022-2025. During his time as AP Regional Chair, he established various initiatives, communities, and projects and co-hosted iConference 2024 with Jilin University in China. As a former member of the Board of Directors, he provided constructive and well‑reasoned feedback that meaningfully supported the Organization’s governance. His active participation in the Bylaws Revision Committee further reflects the important role he played in strengthening the Organization’s governance framework. Atsuyuki Morishima brings an exceptional wealth of experience to the Organization, paired with a deep and enduring commitment to advancing the iSchools’ presence in the Asia-Pacific region. His longstanding engagement, proven leadership, and extensive international connections make him not only well positioned to serve as an iSchools Ambassador, but truly invaluable to the continued growth and visibility of the Organization. In his new role, Atsuyuki Morishima will help broaden the iSchools network in the region and strengthen the Organization’s international presence. By fostering connections and representing the iSchools globally, he will support an area of work that is increasingly important to the Organization’s long‑term growth.

Simmons University School of Library and Information Science is proud to share that the American Library Association has recognized two of its faculty members, Dr. Laura Saunders and Dr. Daniel Joudrey, for their contributions to the field of library and information science. Dr. Laura Saunders Receives 2026 Beta Phi Mu Award Dr. Laura Saunders, Associate Dean and Professor at Simmons University School of Library and Information Science and Director of the Simmons Center for Information Literacy, has been selected as the 2026 recipient of the American Library Association's Beta Phi Mu Award. This award, sponsored by the Beta Phi Mu International Library Science Honor Society, is given in recognition of the achievement of a library school faculty member or another individual for distinguished service to education for librarianship. The award will be presented at the ALA Awards Ceremony on Sunday, June 28, during the 2026 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, and reflects Dr. Saunders’ support of not only students, but LIS instructors through her scholarship contributions and service to the profession. Dr. Daniel Joudrey Awarded 2026 Margaret Mann Citation Dr. Daniel Joudrey, Professor and Director of the Libraries and Librarianship Concentration at Simmons University School of Library and Information Science, has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Margaret Mann Citation, sponsored by OCLC and Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures. The Margaret Mann Citation recognizes outstanding professional achievement in cataloging or classification for notable publications; outstanding contributions to professional cataloging associations; outstanding contribution to the technical improvement of cataloging and classification; and outstanding contributions teaching cataloging and classification. As part of the award, a $2,000 scholarship has been donated in Dr. Joudrey’s honor by OCLC, Inc. to support students at the Simmons School of Library and Information Science.

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Application Deadline: May 21, 2026 The School of Information Studies (SOIS) at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) invites applications for a Lecturer position in  Information Law and Ethics. This is a full-time, 9-month, renewable, instructional academic staff position (Teaching Faculty II) based on the main campus for both face-to-face and fully online methods of delivery at the Bachelor’s and Master’s levels. This position requires a commitment to excellence in teaching and student success as well as a commitment to continuous growth and professional development to keep abreast libraries, information professions, and higher education trends affecting the curriculum.   The successful candidate will be expected to contribute to a positive work environment in the school and college and to participate in school and college-wide initiatives and events. This position offers a competitive salary and full benefits. Optional summer teaching for additional compensation may be available and each three credit summer course is paid at approximately 1/9th of base academic year salary. The standard teaching load will be four classes per semester.  Key Job Responsibilities: Works with faculty to identify and develop new methods of advancing instruction in the discipline Assists in development of grant proposals for funding of model instruction programs Supervises the day-to-day activities of work unit employees involved in instructional support as needed Assists in defining the objectives of the program and plays a major role in carrying out program duties Assesses learner performance and prepares reports recommending instructional improvements May make presentations to faculty and to staff members on instructional programs and techniques Provides classroom, online and/or laboratory instruction, including grading Develops teaching techniques that enhance course effectiveness in alignment with desired outcomes and established strategy and may train other staff in use of these techniques Required Qualifications: Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from an accredited US institution or international equivalent by the start date of the appointment. Knowledge and demonstrated expertise in legal and ethical issues in librarianship and information technology, including the ethical and responsible use of AI in LIS and IST; copyright/intellectual property in digital contexts; privacy law. Evidence of university-level teaching experience in Library and Information Science programs preferably using a learning management system in areas listed above, preferably at an institution(s) in the US. Demonstrated ability in the design and delivery of courses in face-to-face and online formats.

University of Toronto   Application Deadline:   May 26, 2026   The Faculty of Information and the Department of Italian, Spanish, Portuguese & Latin American Studies in the Faculty of Arts & Science at the University of Toronto invites applications for a full-time tenure stream position in Italian cultural studies and history with expertise in fascism and far right movements in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries; archival and historiographic methodologies; and the interplay of monuments, museums and memory studies. This will be a joint appointment between the Faculty of Information (60%) and the Department of Italian, Spanish, Portuguese & Latin American Studies (40%). The appointment will be at the rank of Associate Professor, with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2026.  We seek candidates who are leaders in global and comparative research in one or more of the following areas:    Fascism and far right movements during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries in Western Europe, including how these ideologies are represented and contested in monuments and museums, and how they relate to (mis)information in the public sphere.   Memory studies as it relates to the construction and reconstruction of national narratives and heritage, especially during times of political upheaval and social re-organization.  Methodological expertise in archival research and historiography, with attention to how archives are formed and later utilized.  Expertise in Italian cultural studies and cultural history, especially as it relates to neighbouring states in the Mediterranean.   The successful candidate will play a leading role in envisioning, developing, and deploying innovative degree pathways between undergraduate and professional master programs. We seek candidates with demonstrated experience and achievements in:  Curriculum development and renewal at undergraduate and graduate levels Undergraduate humanities and social science teaching    Professional masters teaching, especially in the areas of GLAMs (Galleries, Archives, Libraries, and Museums) Administrative leadership, including stakeholder engagement and consultation, effective communication, and positive faculty-staff working relationships Inter-divisional collaboration  Understanding and applying University policies and governance processes   Successful applicants will hold a doctoral degree in such fields as Information Science, Museum Studies, History, Anthropology, Area Studies, Cultural Studies, Media and Communication or Journalism Studies, or Memory Studies. Successful applicants will have a robust teaching dossier that includes undergraduate and graduate level teaching, as well as supervision of students (undergraduate, masters and/or PhD). They will also have a proven track record of administrative efficacy and leadership commensurate with the rank of Associate Professor. Applicants must have a clearly demonstrated record of excellence in research and teaching. We seek candidates whose research and teaching interests complement and enhance our existing  departmental strengths . Candidates will have an established international reputation and will be expected to sustain and lead innovative and independent research, and to maintain an outstanding, competitive, and externally funded research program.  Candidates must provide evidence of research excellence which can be demonstrated by a record of sustained high-impact contributions and publications in top-ranked and field relevant journals, the submitted research statement, presentations at significant conferences, awards and accolades, and other noteworthy activities that contribute to the visibility and prominence of the discipline, as well as strong endorsements from referees.  Evidence of excellence in teaching will be provided through teaching accomplishments, the teaching dossier submitted as part of the application (with required materials outlined below), as well as strong letters of reference.

Dr. William Klein, a senior leader at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and a distinguished and innovative leader in academia, has been named the new Dean of the School of Communication and Information (SC&I), a role he will assume July 1, 2026. [...] In his new role as Dean for SC&I, Dr. Klein will be responsible for defining the school’s strategic vision, fostering a collaborative culture, and recruiting and retaining world-class faculty. Drawing on his experience as a first-generation college student, Dr. Klein is committed to supporting students by providing robust training and mentoring opportunities. By building on SC&I’s multidisciplinary foundation, Dr. Klein will promote innovative scholarship and an inclusive learning environment, in line with the goals and objectives of the Rutgers–New Brunswick Academic Master Plan.

iConference 2026, the 21st iConference in the annual series, concluded successfully on 02 April 2026. Hosted by the Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland, UK the virtual program took place 23-26 March 2026 and the on-site program in Edinburgh took place 29 March-02 April 2026. This year's iConference attracted more than 500 participants worldwide. About one-third of the participants attended only virtually, while about two-thirds also attended the in-person portion of the event in Edinburgh, UK. Out of over 671 submissions in total, 25% of all submitted Full Research Papers, 42% of all submitted Short Research Papers, 64% of all submitted Research Posters, 31% of all submitted Chinese Research Papers, 50% of all submitted Spanish/Portuguese Research Papers and 72% of all submitted Workshop and Panel proposals were accepted, concluding in 75 virtual academic sessions and 87 onsite academic sessions. The organizers would like to congratulate the iConference 2026 Award winners, who have been announced at the iConference 2026 Opening Keynote, 23 March 2026: Best Full Research Paper Award (1.000 USD) (ID 157) Voices from the River: Exploring Digitally Inclusive Tools with Marginalised Fishing Communities in Bangladesh by Md Khalid Hossain, Gillian Christina Oliver, Misita Anwar, Tanjila Kanij, Manika Saha Best Short Research Paper Award (500 USD) (ID 118) Engineering Oral Stories: A Conceptual Model of Traditions as Water by Andrew Wiebe Best Chinese Research Paper Award (1.000 USD) (ID 817) 智慧医疗场景中老年人健康信息的隐私风险识别及应对研究/Identifying and Mitigating Privacy Risks to Older Adults’ Health Information in Smart Healthcare Settings by ​ Shanman Li, Leye Yao, Xin Jiang Best Poster Award (300 USD) (ID 486) Privacy Concerns and ChatGPT: Exploring Online Discourse through the Lens of Information Practice on Reddit by S M Mehedi Zaman, Saubhagya Joshi, Yiyi Wu Authors from 40 countries submitted their work. More than 540 reviewers from 41 countries evaluated these submission. Track Chairs of 13 nationalities in all iSchools regions were involved on the program consisting of paper and poster presentations, workshops, student symposia, doctoral and early career colloquia. The iConference organizers and the iSchools organization would like to thank all track chairs, reviewers, moderators, presenters and volunteers for their invaluable contribution to the great success of iConference 2026. According to the regional rotation, next year's iConference will take place in the Asia-Pacific region. We are proud to announce that iConference 2027 will be jointly hosted by Victoria University of Wellington  and Monash University . The virtual program will take place 22-25 March 2027 and the on-site part of the conference will take place at the Victoria University of Wellingto n's  campus in Wellington, New Zealand from 5-9 April 2027. The call for papers will be announced soon. (Follow #iconf27 on Social Media for updates.)

University at Albany Application Deadline: Applications accepted until filled or closed Anticipated start date:  1 September, 2026 The University at Albany is accepting applications for the tenure-track faculty position of Business and Data Services Librarian at the rank of Senior Assistant or Associate Librarian, commensurate with experience. This position will serve as the subject librarian for the Massry School of Business and Economics Department, providing research support, instruction, and collection development services. The successful candidate will also play a key role in providing data services and enhancing data literacy and management. The librarian in this role will support faculty and students, ensuring access to relevant resources and research support. As a member of the Reference and Research Services Department, the librarian contributes to departmental services and projects. Primary Responsibilities: Research Service and Consultation:  Provide research assistance and consultation on business and economics research, data discovery, management, and visualization. Provide general reference and research assistance services virtually and in person. Instruction:  Design and deliver instruction on business research strategies, data literacy, and data discovery and access tools. Create and maintain relevant subjects and research guides. Collection Development:  Contribute to collection development, assessment, and deselection, ensuring that library resources align with the teaching and research needs of students and faculty. Outreach and Engagement:  Take a proactive approach to building relationships with faculty, staff, and students. Participate in or develop outreach and programming initiatives to promote library resources and services. Reference and Research Services Team Member:  Contribute to and develop projects relevant to the goals and mission of the department and the library. Data Management: Expand Libraries-based Research Data Management program, providing data management plan consultations and support for data curation and sharing. Professional Engagement:  Demonstrate sustained efforts of contributions to the library, university, and professional community through scholarship and service. Participate in relevant professional development activities to stay current. Other reasonable duties as assigned.  Minimum Qualifications: Master's degree in Library and Information Science (MLS/MLIS) from an ALA-accredited program. Minimum of one year of experience providing reference services or research consultations in an academic library. Experience providing library instruction or teaching in an academic library. Experience or formal coursework related to collection development activities such as selection and deselection of library resources, collection assessment, and user information needs assessment. Experience working collaboratively with multiple stakeholders in an academic environment. Appointment as Senior Assistant Librarian requires a record of professional experience, librarianship, and service that meets the criteria for an appointment at the rank of Senior Assistant Librarian. Appointment as Associate Librarian requires a record of professional experience, librarianship, service, and scholarly activity appropriate for the rank of Associate Librarian.