Faculty from the School of Communication and Information’s (SC&I) Library and Information Science (LIS) Department are attending and presenting at the iSchools iConference 2023. The iSchools organization was founded in 2005 by a collective of information schools dedicated to advancing the information field in the 21st century; SC&I is a founding member.

A broad spectrum of information science scholars and researchers from across the globe who share a common concern about critical information issues in contemporary society gather to explore the latest research and share post-pandemic “new normal” reflections in the field. This year’s theme is “Information for a Better World: Normality, Virtuality, Inclusivity, Physicality.” This year’s 18th annual conference includes a virtual academic program that took place from March 13 – 17 and an onsite academic program in Barcelona, Spain, from March 27 – 29.

As part of the virtual program, LIS Assistant Professor Jessica Cheng presented her research paper, “What does provenance LACK: how retrospective and prospective met the subjunctive”; LIS Associate Professor Kaitlin Costello was mentor for the iConference’s doctoral colloquium; and LIS Assistant Professor Gretchen Stahlman presented her research, “Is There a Scientific Digital Divide? Information Seeking in the International Context of Astronomy Research.”

During the conference’s onsite program in Barcelona, LIS Professor Marie Radford, SC&I doctoral students Laura Costello and Kaitlin Montague, and three other colleagues participated in the panel presentation, “Solutions for Investigating Virtuality and Physicality: Research Approaches Within and Beyond the Pandemic.” LIS Associate Professor Charles Senteio was a panelist on the iSchools Black Coalition Inaugural iConference Workshop: Social Justice Design: Actionable Strategies for Conducting Critical Research in LIS. Over the past year, Senteio has helped create the iSchools Black Coalition and serves as co-chair with colleagues Rebecca Davis (Simmons University), Nenna Orie Chuku (University College London), and Lionel Robert (University of Michigan).