Post date: Sep 4, 2025
GSLIS student Alex Fiano, currently in their second year in the program, was awarded the American Theological Library Association (Atla) Diversity Scholarship in August. The Diversity Scholarship is provided to a student from an underrepresented community, enrolled in an ALA-accredited master’s program in library and information science, considering exploring a career in library information science and religious studies or theology. Alex is attending the Queens College GSLIS program as a devoted CUNY alumnus, having previously attained a second BA in Studio Art from Hunter. Alex also has a BA in Political Science from Stony Brook, and an MA in Religion and a JD from Syracuse University. At QC, Alex is seeking to build upon previous experience teaching college humanities, art, writing, legal advocacy, museum docent/education work, and nonprofit advocacy, for a career in libraries and archives. Alex’s research focus is on aspects of library and archival accessibility and disability advocacy, including a poster presentation at the GLSIS Department Conference in 2025. Alex currently has a FOCAS community archives internship at The LGBT Center in New York, through the Archival Technologies Lab (ATL) at Queens College. Previously, Alex had internships at City Lore and the MTA Bridges & Tunnels Special Archives, including a small Grand Central Station display on the Cross Bay Bridge. Alex has also participated in the upcoming Queens College Tour video created in partnership with Amazon, in order to promote QC and the GSLIS program in particular. The Atla blog post with more about Alex’s background and the award is here: https://www.atla.com/blog/announcing-the-2025-2026-diversity-scholarship-recipient/
Congratulations, Alex!
Post date: Aug 4, 2025
The Graduate School of Library and Information Studies at Queens College, City University of New York, is pleased to announce that in 2025 / 2026 we will be hosting Visiting Professor, Dr. Yang Jing, Associate Professor in the Archives Department of the College of Public Administration, Yancheng Teachers University, China.
Dr. Yang holds a BA in History from Yancheng, a Master of Management in Archives from An Hui University, and a PhD in Archival Science from Renmin University. Her research interests center on archival access, and while she is in New York she will be conducting research on the topic with Dr. James Lowry and Dr. Ping Li.
Welcome Dr. Jing!
Post date: Jul 25, 2025
Congratulations to Professor Eric Silberberg on receiving the José Toribio Medina Award—the highest recognition granted by the Seminar on the Acquisition of Latin American Library Materials (SALALM).
This distinction is not given lightly. It honors scholarship that deepens the field’s understanding of Latinx/e and Latin American realities. Professor Silberberg’s article, "Reacciones de los docentes mexicanos ante las prohibiciones y biblioclastia de los nuevos Libros de Texto Gratuitos de México en 2023: Un estudio cualitativo descriptivo (2024)," was published in Diálogos sobre educación.
The article is available in Spanish and English at the following link:
https://revistadialogos.cucsh.udg.mx/index.php/DSE/article/view/1452
Felicidades Prof. Silberberg.
Post date: Jul 20, 2025
Archives and Emotions: International Dialogues Across Past, Present, and Future, published by Bloomsbury in 2025.
This book that Professor James Lowry wrote the afterword for just won a prize - 2025 Waldo Gifford Leland Award.
Established in 1959, the Waldo Gifford Leland Award is named for one of North America’s archival pioneers and SAA’s second president. Past recipients include Eira Tansey for A Green New Deal for Archives (CLIR, 2023), James Lowry for Disputed Archival Heritage (Routledge, 2022); and Jason Lustig for A Time to Gather: Archives and the Control of Jewish Culture (Oxford University Press, 2021).
Post date: Jul 15, 2025
Rosenthal Library IA and GSLIS student Rohan Subramaniam received this year's LACUNY Dalia Leonardo Library School Scholarship. Rohan was nominated for this scholarship in part for his excellent work at Rosenthal this past year. Rohan goes above and beyond to help patrons at the information desk and led a well-attended and well-received workshop entitled "Protecting your Privacy Online" part of the library's Byte-Sized Library Workshop series.
Congratulations Rohan!
Post date: Jun 26, 2025
Professor Simone Yearwood has been appointed dean of the School of Arts and Humanities, effective July 1, 2025.
A three-time graduate of Queens College, Simone’s journey through this institution has profoundly shaped her academic and professional trajectory, uniquely preparing her to serve in this leadership role. She brings nearly three decades of experience in higher education, a deep understanding of our mission, and a longstanding commitment to student success, faculty development, and advancing equity and opportunity across our campus community.
Simone assumed the position of interim dean of the School of Arts and Humanities in July 2023. In that role, Simone provided steady and strategic leadership grounded in vision and integrity. She advanced initiatives to strengthen student recruitment, retention, and engagement while also prioritizing faculty development and program innovation with an emphasis on inclusivity. While fostering a supportive, student-centered academic environment, Simone worked to align the School of Arts and Humanities with key institutional priorities. Under her guidance, the school expanded interdisciplinary collaborations, adopted innovative enrollment strategies, and secured funding to enhance high-impact programs and infrastructure. Her leadership is marked by collaboration, creativity, and a deep belief in the transformative power of the arts and humanities.
Prior to Simone’s service as interim dean, she served as associate dean and chief librarian, managing strategic resource allocations, launching student-centered initiatives, and securing major grant support to advance academic innovation and equity. She continues to champion projects that address organizational culture and racial equity in academic libraries. She also served as chair of the Academic Senate, where she contributed to shared governance and campus-wide strategic initiatives. As an adjunct associate professor in the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, Simone teaches courses in introduction to librarianship and research methods.
Congratulations Professor Simone Yearwood! Wonderful news, and so well deserved.
Post date: Jun 5, 2025
The Queens College Graduate School of Library and Information Studies is proud to share our Spring 2025 Newsletter (PDF)
Post date: May 30, 2024
Post date: May 20, 2025
Congratulations to GSLIS alumni who is South Jamaica ACLM Selina Sharmin on Thursday, May 15, was honored by The Office of Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. at the AAPI Heritage Month Celebration Event in recognition of her long-term contributions to the community. Selina organizes and coordinates numerous library programs for the Bangladeshi community. She is also a member of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) and the founder as well as President and CEO of Nolak Women For Bangladeshi Women, a non-profit seeking to empower underprivileged girls, women and families through educational workshops.
Ms. Sharmin received a scholarship from Queens Public Library and completed master’s in library science (MLS) postmasters’ degree from Queens College in 2009, New York and became a certified Public Librarian in America. Ms. Sharmin has been working at Queens Public Library for 25 years.
Post date: May 16, 2025
Professor James Lowry has been appointed to the editorial board of Archival Science, the leading journal in the field of archival studies internationally.
Archival Science promotes the development of archival science as an autonomous scientific discipline. The journal covers all aspects of archival science theory, methodology, and practice. Moreover, it investigates different cultural approaches to creation, management and provision of access to archives, records, and data. It also seeks to promote the exchange and comparison of concepts, views and attitudes related to recordkeeping issues around the world.
Archival Science's approach is integrated, interdisciplinary, and intercultural. Its scope encompasses the entire field of recorded process-related information, analyzed in terms of form, structure, and context. To meet its objectives, the journal draws from scientific disciplines that deal with the function of records and the way they are created, preserved, and retrieved; the context in which information is generated, managed, and used; and the social and cultural environment of records creation at different times and places.
The journal’s Editors-in-Chief are Karen Anderson, Fiorella Foscarini, and Gillian Oliver.
Post date: May 7, 2025
Matthew Snyder, a 2004 graduate of the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies with the Certificate in Archives, Records Management, and Preservation, and he has been working at The New York Public Library for almost 21 years. He recently received from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC) its 2024 Fredric M. Miller Finding Aid Award for the Alvin Lucier papers, a collection held by the Music Division of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. The finding aid is here:
https://archives.nypl.org/mus/23034
Also, more information on the MARAC award can be seen here: https://www.marac.info/finding-aids-award
Dr. Nafiz Shuva's paper titled "Everyday Life Information Behavior, Health Information Seeking, and HIV and STI Awareness among People Who Inject Drugs (PWID)" has been published in the Canadian Journal of Information and Library Science. Here is the full citation:
Shuva, N., Taisir, R., & Mallick, P. S. (2025). Everyday Life Information Behavior, Health Information Seeking, and HIV and STI Awareness among People Who Inject Drugs (PWID). The Canadian Journal of Information and Library Science, 48(1), 10-5206. https://ojs.lib.uwo.ca/index.php/cjils/article/view/22154
Post date: Mar 30, 2025
Dr. Joe Sánchez, Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies at Queens College (CUNY), delivered the prestigious Baker Lecture at the 50th Anniversary Conference of the South Carolina Association of School Librarians (SCASL). Hosted by the University of South Carolina School of Information Science, the lecture was made possible through the leadership of Dr. Nicole Cooke, Augusta Baker Chair. Titled “Like, there is Nobody Like Us”: Manga, BIPOC Teens, and Social-emotional Learning, Dr. Sánchez’s talk explored the intersection of manga, identity, and emotional development among BIPOC teens, drawing on research funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
The lecture highlighted key findings from a year-long study examining how BIPOC teens engage with manga and how librarians can support their reading practices to promote equity and belonging. By centering teen voices and emphasizing culturally responsive librarianship, Dr. Sánchez underscored the importance of youth-driven collections and programming in school library spaces. The event marked a meaningful moment of reflection and celebration for SCASL’s 50-year commitment to empowering school librarians and advancing inclusive education across South Carolina.
The Research and Pedagogy Committee is pleased to announce our next Research in Praxis Discussion Series talk, coming up on Wednesday, April 2nd, at 5:30pm. We will be joined by Professor Parthasarathi Mukhopadhyay, who will be discussing his recent work, "Gender Pluralism in Bibliographic Records: Designing Automated Subject Indexing based on Multilingual Homosaurus." Please see the flyer (attached, below) for more information about Prof. Mukhopadhyay and his work, and we hope to see you there! Register at: https://bit.ly/RiPDSsp25
Post date: Mar 15, 2025
Juliane Edler is currently finishing her MLS and is expected to graduate in May 2025. She recently obtained a children’s librarian trainee position at NYPL’s Inwood library, i.e. in the neighborhood where she lives. She also holds a PhD in politics and brings her critical perspective to her work leading her to explore liberatory librarianship.
GSLIS alum Mary MacLeod recently completed 14 months as a Member of the Diverse BookFinder’s 2023/2024 Metadata Community of Practice. In this role, she read and analyzed books to contribute metadata to the Diverse BookFinder database, supporting the discovery and exploration of youth literature featuring BIPOC characters. She will continue her involvement as a volunteer coder while working as a Taxonomy Manager at a nonprofit that provides continuing legal education.
Post date: Mar 2, 2025
Please join us for the first Research in Praxis Discussion Series talk of the semester on Thursday, March 13th at 6:40pm via Zoom. We will be joined by legal scholar Professor Rachael Lorna Johnstone, who will be discussing her work on Colonial Archives and International Law. Please see the flyer below for more information, and you can register for the talk at: https://bit.ly/RiPDSsp25
Post date: Dec 12, 2024
The Queens College Graduate School of Library and Information Studies is proud to share our Fall 2024 Newsletter
Post date: Dec 12, 2024
Post date: Dec 11, 2024
Professor Ashley R. Hawkins co-wrote a book with Emily Ratica, Sara Smith, Julie Stivers, Sybil Mouna Toure: Manga Goes to School: Cultivating Engagement and Inclusion in K–12 Settings. The press release from ALA is linked here.
Post date: Dec 10, 2024
Join us on Thursday December 12th at 6:30pm via Zoom for the final Research in Praxis Discussion Series talk of the semester. Joining us will be Erin E. McCabe to discuss her work Art, Research, and AI: Collaborations Amongst Unlikely Bedfellows. You can register at https://bit.ly/RiPDSfa24 and we look forward to seeing you there!
Post date: Nov 21, 2024
Dr. Nafiz Shuva had an article published in the Journal of Librarianship and Information Science.
Shuva, N. Z. (2024). More than a place for social capital creation: Public library as a place for immigrants’ social integration. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science. https://doi.org/10.1177/09610006241286910
Post date: Nov 15, 2024
With great pride, welcome all students and alumni to our December GSLIS Conference! Advised and sponsored by our new Alumni Network, this will be a conference that acknowledges student excellence, career advancement and inspiring networking including:
Job Fair employers
Student Project Showcase
Reception sponsored by our new Alumni Network
See flyer below for details. RSVP here.
Post date: Nov 7, 2024
The Archival Technologies Lab and The Drama, Theatre, and Dance Department’s “Plays and Pizza” Series Present:
Document of Identity
by Wole Soyinka
Document of Identity is a story of political machination, forced migration, and the complexities of the modern state. It was originally commissioned for BBC Radio and is presented here with the permission of the playwright. Directed by Aniko Szucs, the reading is part of the Archival Technology Lab’s research program exploring the impacts of identity documentation on the lives of the most marginalized.
Wednesday, Nov. 13
12 pm
Rosenthal Library
Lecture Hall 230
Register here
Post date: Oct 25, 2024
Queens Memory, the community archiving program jointly sponsored by Queens Public Library and Queens College, recently published The Memory Keeper’s Guide to Home Movies. It’s the latest brochure in a series intended to educate the public about personal archiving issues. This publication was created by GSLIS Prof. Robin Margolis and built on previous work in the series by students in Prof. James Lowry’s Fall 2022 Digital Preservation class: Claudia Acosta, Josselyn Atahualpa, Sarah Barlow-Ochshorn, Paulette Bellins and David Kambhu. The brochure can be freely downloaded from the Queens Memory website and will also be distributed in print form at related Queens Memory programs.
Post date: Oct 16, 2024
Join us at 6:30pm on November 21st at 6:30pm in the Research in Praxis Discussion Series. Community Archives and Participatory. Action Research: Reports on the Virtual Belonging Project.
Post date: Sep 21, 2024
Open Broadcaster Software for Online Teaching
The GSLIS Research and Pedagogy Committee presents a pedagogy workshop on September 26th at 6:30pm via Zoom. Faculty member Dr. Shack Hackney will introduce Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) as a tool for online teaching. OBS is a piece of open-source software which allows users to share their screen, embed images and video, control audio across programs, and create stylish and practical scenes and transitions. Dr. Hackney will demonstrate the basics of installing and using the software, and show some examples of how they make use of the OBS suite of tools in the classroom.
OBS integrates with Zoom, and allows users to share windows and parts of their desktop without needing to use the Zoom screen share feature, giving users greater control over the content that they share. It also includes additional features such as closed captioning/automatic transcription, easy switching between windows and videos, and the creation of persistent "scenes" with dedicated formatting and settings. OBS is an incredibly powerful tool for use in the online classroom, please join us to learn more!
RSVP for the Zoom info at: https://bit.ly/obsgslis
The demonstration and instruction portion of this workshop will be recorded and made available to GSLIS faculty after the session on the 26th. The live discussion/Q&A will not be recorded.
Post date: Sep 21, 2024
Join us at 6:30pm on October 24th for this semester’s first Research in Praxis discussion featuring Dr. Joseph Winberry. Dr. Winberry will be sharing his work on information services to LGBT+ older adults. Sign up here:
Post date: Sep 16, 2024
Post date: Aug 29, 2024
On Friday, August 23rd, Grad students from Manga in Libraries course, taught by Professor Jillian Rudes, moderated/presented a panel at Anime NYC! This program was a part of the Librarian and Educator day! And, they were absolutely amazing!
Building Community and Engaging Teen Readers Through Manga
Join students from the Queens College Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, as they delve into strategies for empowering teens through manga, social-emotional learning, and innovative programs. Engage with dynamic manga booktalks, explore the integration of SEL, and discover program ideas and reading guides aimed at enhancing teen engagement.
Congratulations! What an exciting news for Professor Jennifer Brown since it falls in line with her research interests and passion in the field. Here is the description of the committee:
The ALA-APA Certification Review Committee (CRC) for the Certified Public Library Administrator Program (CPLA) is a standing committee with the following responsibilities: (1) Review and approve the requirements for certification and re-certification. (2) Establish guidelines for education programs offered by providers. (3) Review and approve education providers based on the provider’s self-attestation that the provider’s program fulfills the guidelines. (4) Oversee the process for development and validation of the certification program. (5) Address appeals from applicants and refer them if necessary to the ALA-APA Board of Directors. (6) Review periodically (at least every five years) the standards established for the certification program and request that the [ALA] division(s) make changes as needed. (7) Work cooperatively with ALA-APA and ALA staff.
Post date: Aug 13, 2024
Stephen Tumino, GSLIS graduate, just published a open access book, "Thinking Blue / Writing Red". Here is the link to view this released book:
https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0324
Congratulations to Stephen Tumino from everyone at GSLIS!
Post date: Jul 10, 2024
James Lowry has been appointed to the editorial board of The American Archivist, the journal of the Society of American Archivists. The journal was founded in 1938 and seeks to reflect thinking about theoretical and practical developments in the archival profession, particularly in North America; about the relationships between archivists and the creators and users of archives; and about cultural, social, legal, and technological developments that affect the nature of recorded information and the need to create and maintain it.
This appointment builds on Professor Lowry’s extensive editorial work, as co-editor of the Routledge Studies in Archives book series, editor of two anthologies including the award winning Disputed Archival Heritage (2022), co-editor of one edited anthology and numerous special issues of journals, and editorial board member of Archivaria, 2023 – 2026; Journal of the South African Society of Archivists, 2019 – 2022 and 2022 – 2025; ESARBICA Journal: Journal of the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives, 2019 - 2021; Journal of the Society of Nigerian Archivists, 2017 - 2021; Archives and Manuscripts: The Journal of the Australian Society of Archivists, 2015 - present; Archives and Records: The Journal of the [UK] Archives and Records Association, 2013 - 2023.
As a current student in the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, working in the Queens College Library to process the Helen Marshall Papers over the past 5 months has been an invaluable learning experience for which I am incredibly grateful. Helen Marie Marshall (1929–2017) was an American politician and community organizer who served in the various elected positions of New York State Assemblymember, New York City Councilmember, and Queens Borough President between the 1980s and mid-2010s.
This collection has proven to be robust in scope and diverse in content, covering a wide range of historical events, social issues, and political eras throughout the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. While the magnitude of this project posed practical challenges of adequately preserving, arranging, and describing the records, its vastness also provided amazing opportunities to view these archival traces of Marshall’s life and legacy from a variety of angles.
Composed of 35.75 linear feet of records produced between the 1920s and 2014, the Helen Marshall Papers document Marshall’s role as a community activist and elected official in New York City and State politics. The collection includes correspondence, project files, subject files, certificates, campaign ephemera, photographs, and audiovisual reels. Additionally, the Helen Marshall Papers include personal materials that chronicle the immigration story of Marshall’s Guyanese family. Overall, this collection reflects Marshall’s principal concerns of racial justice, women’s rights, public libraries and parks, health care, and senior citizens.
I am honored to share the completed finding aid for the Helen Marshall Papers with the Queens College community and beyond. The collection can be accessed by emailing Special Collections and Archives at QC.archives@qc.cuny.edu to schedule an appointment. You can also learn more about the collection by registering for the “Virtual Show and Tell” taking place online on September 19 from 4-5pm.
Michael Deering (GSLIS ‘24) completed his internship in partial fulfillment of requirements for the Advanced Certificate in Archives at the Louis Armstrong House Museum (LAHM) in Corona, Queens this past Spring. His initial tour of the Museum and Center was shared with congressperson Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose visit coincided with Michael’s first day. Three months later, Ocasio-Cortez invited LAHM staff for a private tour of the National Archives in Washington D.C. While there, they met Colleen Shogan, the 11th Archivist of the United States and were shown numerous priceless documents dating back to the American Revolutionary war. The trip to our capital and the developing partnership between LAHM and Ocasio-Cortez highlight some exciting ways in which archives are evolving for new and existing audiences.
While pursuing his MLS, Robert Lebowitz (GSLIS ‘24), continued working part-time assisting Holocaust survivors in obtaining reparations for their wartime experiences. In the course of this work, Robert began searching through archival collections in order to find documentation to prove his clients’ claims. After encountering both the excitement and the frustration of this research, Robert enrolled in LBSCI 710: Applied Research in Information Studies with a focus on how archival resources can be better utilized to establish reparations claims. Together, he and Dr. Johnathan Thayer developed a plan of study to systematically investigate this topic. Robert reviewed literature on the history of several key repositories of Holocaust-era records, compared their organizational structures, and corresponded with archivists. The results highlight the political, economic and social issues that arise in utilizing archives for reparations research and also offered reflections on how both researchers and archivists might approach the issue going forward, as racial and ethnic groups press countries to make amends for historical injustice through financial redress.
Current GSLIS Archives Certificate student, Kathryn McKenzie, has been a volunteer archivist at St. Bartholomew’s Church in the City of New York (St. Bart’s) for the past few years. On behalf of St. Bart’s and as part of her coursework in LBSCI 710: Applied Research in Library and Information Studies, Kathryn applied for and received a Documentary Heritage and Preservation Services for New York (DHPSNY) Archival Needs Assessment. The purpose of the assessment is to examine the archival program, identify and address specific organizational needs, operational efficiencies, storage concerns, and collection management issues. The St. Bart’s volunteer archives team and other stakeholders will begin working with DHPSNY this summer.
In addition to the DHPSNY assessment work, Kathryn aims to take a community archives approach to the church archive expanding opportunities for community engagement and missional social justice work and reflection.
Post date: Jun 3, 2024
Post date: May 28, 2024
Post date: May 25, 2024
Through the generous support of the Pine Tree Foundation, GSLIS is pleased to offer a new class this summer.
BOOK LAB
Book Lab is a hands-on study of the book. Learn through doing in the studios of Center for Book Arts with experienced crafts people. Students will learn about the development of the book from manuscript to printed edition. Find out why the printing press in combination with the codex revolutionized information technology. Students will learn about how letterforms are made, hand set type and print it on a historic Washington hand press, and learn how to bind a book.
Book Lab is part of a wider effort of the GSLIS Curriculum Committee to develop a specialization in rare book librarianship. Book Lab will be especially valuable to students who wish to work with rare books, to work in archives and special collections, or in art librarianship.
The class is a standard 3 credit class, but it is scheduled across six full days:
Friday, July 12th, from 10AM to 5PM (bookbinding)
Saturday, July 13th, from 10AM to 5PM (bookbinding)
Sunday, July 14th, from 10AM to 6PM (bookbinding)
Friday, July 19th, from 10AM to 5PM (letterpress)
Saturday, July 20th, from 10AM to 5PM (letterpress)
Sunday, July 21st, from 10AM to 6PM (letterpress)
The class will be held at the Center for Book Arts, 28 W 27th St, NY 10001
To mark the inauguration of this class, the Pine Tree Foundation is generously granting $750 to each student enrolled in Book Lab.
To enroll in the class, email Esther Van Sertima Esther.Vansertima@qc.cuny.edu We will begin enrolling students on Wednesday, May 29.
Post date: May 22, 2024
Will be taught by Prof. Rachel Leff, Research and Instruction Librarian and Head of Research Services at Sarah Lawrence College.
This course provides students with an understanding of the major components of academic libraries, common academic library resources, and academic library services. Students will learn about the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy, academic library classification systems, how to conduct a research consultation, how to plan an instruction session, and current issues impacting academic libraries, including open educational resources and information ethics.
Post date: May 22, 2024
Will be taught by Prof. Kyle Triplett, Rare Book Librarian at New York Public Library.
The class will survey issues in rare books and special collections, including an overview of the history of the book, descriptive bibliography and information sources and services for rare book librarianship.
Post date: May 16, 2024
The MLS/MA Dual Degree in Library Science and History program will host the 2023/2024 Capstone Symposium on Thursday May 16th, where many of our most recent graduates from the MLS/MA Dual Degree program will be presenting short synopses of their research projects from the past year. The Queens College MLS/MA Dual Degree program has been in operation for more than a decade, training students in academic librarianship, archives, and public history, and preparing students for PhD programs, in addition to other careers in teaching, research, and librarianship.
See the program below:
Post date: May 13, 2024
Solicit donations to our scholarship/award fund for the Karen A. Ruzycki Award!
Post date: May 8, 2024
Dina Schuldner, GSLIS Alumni , a contributor for the recently published book "Young Adult Library Services: Challenges and Opportunities." Her chapter is Chapter 20: YOYA: The Motivational Magazine.
Congratulations to Dina from everyone at GSLIS!
Post date: May 3, 2024
Congratulations to Josselyn, Amber, Jennie, and Tara from everyone at GSLIS! See their profile and links below.
Josselyn Atahualpa | Movers & Shakers 2024—Advocates
Employer: Queens Public Library
School: Queens College
Amber Gagliardi | Movers & Shakers 2024—Innovators
Employer: Middle Country Public Library
School: Queens College Grad School
Jennie Pu| Movers & Shakers 2024—Ban Battlers
Employer: Hoboken Public Library
School: Queens College, CUNY
Tara Somersall | Movers & Shakers 2024—Innovators
Employer: Yonkers Public Library
School: Queens College, CUNY
Queens College GSLIS students Maria Byrne and Nande Walters have been selected as 2024-25 Citi Center for Culture + Queens Public Library Fellows. The fellowship positions will involve students spending time working in archives and cultural heritage at both sites. A $4,000 stipend each will be provided. Congratulations to Maria and Nande!
Post date: Apr 24, 2024
Please join via Zoom us on Thursday May 2nd from 6:30 to 7:30pm for a talk by OlaRonke Akinmowo, the founder and director of the Free Black Women's Library, a reading room, art space, and collection of materials by Black women and nonbinary authors located in Bed-Stuy Brooklyn. You can register for the event at https://bit.ly/RiPDSsp24
Attendance is open to anyone, but you must register in advance via the link. Please share widely, and we hope to see you there!
Post date: Apr 24, 2024
GSLIS Assistant Professor Dr. Nafiz Zaman Shuva has been awarded a Cycle 55 PSC-CUNY Research Award (Traditional B). Dr. Shuva will use the award to explore the employment-related information experiences of Bangladeshi recent immigrants in New York City. To learn more about this award, please visit https://www.rfcuny.org/rfwebsite/principal-investigators/explore-pre-award-resources/psc-cuny-award-program/
Post date: Apr 12, 2024
GSLIS alumnus Raymond Pun has been elected 2024-2025 president-elect of the American Library Association (ALA)!
Raymond Pun (he/him) is the academic and research librarian at the Alder Graduate School of Education, a teacher residency program in California, where he supports library services by engaging with residents and teacher educators. With over 17 years of experience in the library field, Ray has previously worked at Stanford University, Fresno State, New York University Shanghai, and The New York Public Library in various roles. Ray holds a Doctorate in Education from Fresno State, a Master of Library Science from the City University of New York - Queens College, a Master of Arts in East Asian Studies, and a Bachelor of Arts in History from St. John's University. Pun has previously served as President of the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) and the Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA), and on the American Library Association (ALA) Council as the CALA Councilor.
Congratulations Ray, from everyone at GSLIS!”
The First Amendment and the Freedom to Read,” led by Prof. Arlene Laverde, receives American Association of School Libraries Roald Dahl's Miss Honey Social Justice Award.
See the details:
Post date: Mar 28 , 2024
Congratulations to GSLIS alum (and faculty) Natalie Milbrodt, newly appointed University Archivist for CUNY!
A Farewell Letter from the Queens Memory. Director, Natalie Milbrodt
Post date: Mar 28 , 2024
Congratulations to Prof. Emily Drabinski. She will receive the Torchbearer Award from The Publishing Triangle, the association of LGBTQ+ people in publishing.
The award, now in its second year, is given to organizations or individuals who strive to awaken, encourage, and support a love of reading, or to stimulate an interest in and an appreciation of LGBTQ literature.
See more details: https://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2024/03/american-library-association-president-emily-drabinski-be-honored-award
Post date: Mar 20 , 2024
GSLIS invites you to a reception to mark the publication of Dr. Johnathan Thayer’s book, "Citizenship, Subversion, and Surveillance in U.S. Ports: Sailors Ashore".
Thursday, April 18
5:30pm
President’s Conference Room 2 (RO-525)
Fifth Floor, Benjamin Rosenthal Library, Queens College
Citizenship, Subversion, and Surveillance in U.S. Ports: Sailors Ashore
The forces of industrialization that transformed ship technology simultaneously transformed the working-class lives of merchant seamen, intensifying class conflict and producing collective networks of subversion and resistance within the urban borderland spaces of sailortowns in which sailors fought to maintain control over their mobility, agency, and rights. Given their social, cultural, economic, geographic, and legal marginalization, merchant seamen have occupied essential roles at the parameters of US urban, legal, labor, immigration, and wartime history. The constellation of these histories, embedded in the encounters and negotiations that merchant seamen provoked along the nation’s coastlines and sailortowns, collectively represents a unique and essential perspective on the history of US citizenship. These arguments are advanced by Johnathan Thayer in his book Citizenship, Subversion, and Surveillance in U.S. Ports: Sailors Ashore, available in hardcover and ebook formats from Springer: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-45618-3
Dr. Johnathan Thayer is Assistant Professor at the Queens College Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, City University of New York (CUNY). He holds a PhD in History from the CUNY Graduate Center and an MLS from Queens College. He is a former Graduate Fellow in Labor Studies at the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies and is a recipient of the E. P. Thompson Fellowship in United States History. Dr. Thayer is a maritime studies researcher and a public history and archival studies educator. His previous works include the co-edited volume Negotiating Masculinities and Modernity in the Maritime World, 1815-1940 (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021). He has worked in maritime libraries and archives for more than twenty years and has sailed as a Voyager on the nineteenth-century whaleship Charles W. Morgan, as oral history interviewer on the liberty ship SS John W. Brown, and as Ship’s Librarian on SUNY Maritime’s training ship Empire State VI.
Post date: Mar 16 , 2024
The GSLIS Admissions, Academic Standing and Student Affairs (AASSA) Committee invites nominations from GSLIS faculty members and GSLIS graduates for the Alum of the Year Award 2024. This award is presented to an alum who has made a significant contribution to the field, community, or beyond and who represents the highest ideals of the profession.
Please submit your nomination via https://forms.office.com/r/TqRrBaXPjU
Selection criteria:
The selection committee will carefully consider all nominations based on the following criteria:
The significance of the nominee's accomplishments
The impact of the nominee's work on their field, community, or beyond
All nominations will be reviewed by the AASSA Committee, which will present qualified nominees to the full faculty for consideration and final selection.
Recognition:
The GSLIS Alum of the Year will be honored at a special ceremony during the 2024 GSLIS Commencement on May 30, 2024, and will be featured in the GSLIS newsletter, websites, and relevant professional listserv and social media.
Don't miss this opportunity to recognize a remarkable GSLIS graduate!
We look forward to receiving your nominations by March 31st, 2024.
For any questions, please contact Nafiz Zaman Shuva, AASSA Chair, GSLIS at nafiz.shuva@qc.cuny.edu
Feliks Gross/Henry Wasser Award lecture on Friday March 22, 2024 12:30-2:30pm (In the Segal Theater on the first floor of the Graduate Center). The lecture series is to hear about the research of our awardees and celebrate their accomplishments.
On March 22, Dr. Nerve Macaspac will present his research along with one other of our awardees. Welcome all to join in recognizing Dr Macaspac's achievements.
Post date: Mar 16 , 2024
“I wake up every morning hoping this is over,” said Emily Drabinski, the president of the organization [ALA]. “What I find striking is that this is still happening, and it’s happening with more intensity.”
Next Research in Praxis event to be held March 27th at 6:30pm.
Organizing to Win: The Fight Against Censorship in St. Tammany
Winning the fight against censorship requires all of us to pull together for libraries. We need more than just the librarians. Join Mel Manuel and Jeremy J.F. Thompson, founders of Queer Northshore, for a discussion of how the community organized for wins in Louisiana. Reporting from one of toughest spots for book bans in the country, Manuel and Thompson connect the struggle to keep books on shelves to broader struggles for a better world.
Register here
Speakers:
Mel Manuel is the Operations Coordinator for the Louisiana Abortion Fund, an LGBTQ rights activist, former teacher and congressional candidate from Southeast Louisiana. After finishing as the valedictorian of their high school class and graduating from Tulane University summa cum laude, Mel lived abroad in six countries before returning to Louisiana. They are the Co-Director and Co-founder of the nonprofit Queer Northshore and a founding member of the St Tammany Library Alliance. They devote their personal and professional time to increasing visibility for underrepresented communities, defending our public libraries from censorship and assuring access to reproductive healthcare for the Gulf South. Mel is looking forward to bringing the first PRIDE parade to St. Tammany county this summer.
Jeremy JF Thompson is an independent digital strategist with clients ranging from The Rock and Metallica to state and congressional political candidates. The child of a missionary, Thompson experienced life abroad at a young age, establishing a long term appreciation for other cultures. Cofounder of the nonprofit Queer Northshore and the St Tammany Library Alliance, they are dedicated to creating the infrastructure necessary to organize and mobilize groups of people. Thompson is currently campaigning to represent their district on the Louisiana Democratic State Central Committee. They find joy in building community and empowering others to have a voice within communities.
Post date: Mar 4 , 2024
Post date: Mar 1 , 2024
The next Social Sciences Research Seminar is next Wednesday, March 6, at 12:20, in Powdermaker Hall room 333. Our distinguished speaker will be Professor Johnathan Thayer from QC GSLIS, who has recently published a book titled "Citizenship , Subversion, and Surveillance in U.S. Ports: Sailors Ashore"
Post date: Feb 15 , 2024
The Citi Center for Culture and Queens Public Library would like to extend an invitation to apply for a two-semester fellowship taking place during Fall 2024 and Spring 2025. Applicants must be currently enrolled students in the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies who are committed to earning the Advanced Certificate in Archives and/or those participating in the MLS/MA Dual Degree in Library Science and History program.
Fellows will each receive a $4000 scholarship from the Citi Center for Culture at the conclusion of the fellowship in the summer of 2025.
Students can apply here.
Post date: Feb 15 , 2024
The first research talk of this semester’s Research in Praxis Discussion Series (RiPDS) will be held Wednesday, February 28 at 6:30pm ET via Zoom. We are pleased to be able to hear from new GSLIS faculty member Dr. Nerve Macaspac, who will be discussing his research on "Digital Civic Spaces." Please see the flyer below/attached for more information and please be sure to register!
Please share widely, and we look forward to seeing you all there!
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Nerve Macaspac (he/him) is a political geographer and cartographer. His research examines community-led spaces of peace amid active violent conflict. He is an Asst. Professor at the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies at Queens College and a Doctoral Faculty at the Earth and Environmental Sciences Program at the Graduate Center.
Digital Civic Spaces
In the Philippines, human rights defenders face threats and harassment on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) for standing up for human rights and democratic reforms. They face online threats due to their long-standing work against extrajudicial killings, social injustice, and many forms of societal violence. From state counterinsurgency to the government’s "drug war", human rights defenders have documented thousands of cases of extrajudicial executions, illegal detention, gender-based violence, and torture. Many of the perpetrators of these atrocities remain unknown and maintain impunity. Meanwhile, the Duterte government has filed trumped-up charges repeatedly against human rights defenders for alleged “terrorist activities,” which human rights experts refer to as “red-tagging.” Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, reports that red-tagging in the Philippines results in extrajudicial killings and poses a dangerous threat to civil society and freedom of expression. This research asks: How do human rights defenders create digital spaces of peace and protect themselves from online violence? At stake is a better understanding of the challenges and prospects of digital civic spaces in the promotion of human rights and peace.
Post date: Feb 7 , 2024
Two of Dr. Nafiz Shuva's papers have been published recently. Here is the information:
Shuva, N. Z. (2023). “They act like we are going to heaven”: pre-arrival information experiences, information crafting and settlement of immigrants in Canada. Journal of Documentation, 80(7), 1-24. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JD-05-2023-0082/full/html
Shuva, N. Z., Taisir, R., & Mallick, P. S. (2023). Information behavior and HIV/AIDS/STI awareness among Bangladeshi female sex workers: Do informational programs help?. Information Development, 02666669231222461. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/02666669231222461
Post date: Feb 2 , 2024
GSLIS alumnus John Drobnicki, who graduated in February 1993, just marked thirty years of reviewing for Choice magazine (1994-2024). Drobnicki has worked as an academic librarian at York College/CUNY since 1995, and prior to that worked for the Queens Public Library. His most recent journal article (https://doi.org/10.1080/17460263.2020.1778074) was published in Sport in History in 2021.
Post date: Jan 30 , 2024
Dan Woulfin (GSLIS 2021) will be giving a workshop, From Python to R: Learning the Basics of R Programming, this Friday, February 2 from 12-2PM. It will explore the basics of the R programming language from a Python user's perspective, paying particular attention to some of the structural, as well as syntactic and idiomatic differences between the two languages. We'll look at R's strengths and weaknesses with the goal of exposing non-R users to the language using practical hands-on exercises. suitable for beginning/novice programmers but based on the practicalities of working with real-world data. The workshop is open to the public over Zoom. Register here.
Dan Woulfin is Computational Research Instruction Librarian at Columbia University.
GSLIS Assistant Professor Dr. Johnathan Thayer's book Citizenship, Subversion, and Surveillance in U.S. Ports: Sailors Ashore has been published in Palgrave Macmillan's Global Studies in Cultural and Social Maritime History series.
Dr. Nafiz Shuva has been selected for the spring 2024 CUNY Faculty Fellowship Publication Program (FFPP) as a Faculty Fellow. As part of this fellowship, Dr. Shuva will work on publishing scholarly journal articles from his PSC-CUNY funded research on “Public library usage, settlement, and Bangladeshi Immigrants in Queens, New York in Queens, New York.”
Post date: Dec 12, 2023
View QC GSLIS Fall 2023 Newsletter pdf: Desktop version | Printable version
Post date: Dec 9, 2023
New for Spring 2024, GSLIS will offer a course on Bibliotherapy (7903), taught by Bibliotherapist and Psychotherapist, Emely Rumble, LCSW, who is the private practice owner of LiterapyNYC. The class will be held synchronously online Wednesdays 6:40 - 9:15pm.
This course examines the history, methods, tools, and clinical practices of incorporating the use of literature, poetry, and expressive writing into healing practice. The course will teach a brief history of bibliotherapy as a modality that uses literature as a tool to promote mental health and overall wellness. Students will consider their role as information professionals in prescribing books to meet the emotional needs of patrons by assessing intersectional identity, reading style, genre preferences, and more.
Students in this course will have the opportunity to both study bibliotherapy as a treatment modality, as well as curate their own book prescriptions for patrons based on unique case studies spanning the human life cycle stages. They will learn techniques to engage and speak with patrons about emotional challenges, book match based on a patron’s unique needs and intersectional identity, and confidently curate a list of go to texts for different life ailments in the tradition of bibliotherapy.
Students completing this course will be able to:
Understand, define, and explain to others what bibliotherapy is and how it supports treatment goals for patrons in therapy or those who are seeking self-healing practice support.
Explain the science behind how literature benefits emotional, psychological, and social well-being.
Discuss the process of book matching, conducting a reading intake, and pairing an individual with the right book to support their reading and/or therapy goals.
Explain the difference between clinical and developmental bibliotherapy.
Post date: Dec 3, 2023
New for Spring 2024, GSLIS will offer a course in Digital Humanities (709.3), taught by Assistant Professor S.E. Hackney, who has worked in DH for nearly a decade. The class will be held synchronously online Wednesdays 6:40 - 9:15pm, and is a Zero Textbook Cost course, and utilitzes Open Educational Resources whenever possible.
This course examines the history, methods, tools, and scholarly practices of teaching and research in the digital humanities (DH), including ways in which the library can engage with, enhance, and support those activities. The course will focus on digital humanities as a burgeoning field in its own right, as well as the development of digital methods in specific disciplines within the humanities. Students will consider their role as information professionals in the creation, cleaning, storage, and dissemination of digital humanities datasets and research projects, as well as gain hands-on experience with some of the tools and methods used in these activities.
Students in this course will have the opportunity to both study DH as a field, as well as create their own digital projects using DH methods. They will learn techniques to identify potential datasets, collect that data, clean and prepare it for analysis, and to identify appropriate tools and methods to answer DH research questions using data. Additionally, we will engage specifically with the role that the library and larger information professions play with regards to the collection, storage, and curation both of data with the potential for use in DH work, as well as the broad range of deliverables and project types that can result from DH research.
Students completing this course will be able to:
Understand, define, and explain to others what DH is, the types of research and scholarship activities associated with DH, and the general history and development of the field
Conduct secondary research on DH topics using academic and popular sources, tools, networks, and services, and synthesize, organize, and describe the findings of this research
Identify and describe various digital data formats, as well as tools and techniques appropriate for the gathering/cleaning/storing of that data.
Identify and evaluate tools and methods for conducting DH research/developing DH projects
Articulate in-depth the research practices, trends, tools, and methods for conducting DH research within a specific humanities field of their choosing
Identify and evaluate the research lifecycle as it uniquely relates to digital projects, and the role of LIS workers in the creation, maintenance, dissemination, and preservation of DH projects
Post date: Dec 2, 2023
An Introduction to Accessible Digital Pedagogy with Dr. Leila Walker
December 6, 2023 - 5:00 p.m. on Zoom
Register at https://bit.ly/ripdsaccess23
In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn the basics of creating and evaluating accessible digital resources for teaching and learning. The workshop will begin with an overview of the major characteristics and considerations of accessible materials. Then, participants will practice identifying and resolving accessibility issues in a live demonstration. By the end of this workshop, participants should be able to create their own accessible materials, or update existing materials for greater accessibility.
Dr. Nafiz Shuva has been elected Vice-President/President-Elect of the Canadian Association for Information Science (CAIS), Chair of the American Library Association, International Relation Round Table (IRRT) Membership Committee, and a member of the International Federation of Libraries and Information Institute (IFLA) North American Regional Division.
Post date: Nov 30, 2023
On Tuesday 11/28, GSLIS hosted Brooklyn Public Library, Queens Public Library, Long Beach Library, Great Neck Library, West Hempstead, Sea Cliff Library, NY Courts, Hempstead Library, Port Washington Public Library, NYC Depart of Records, and Kirkland & Ellis LLP at a careers and networking event.
Post date: Nov 20, 2023
One of the most sacred institutions in America is under attack: our libraries. But thanks to Emily Drabinski, the president of the American Library Association, and other brave librarians, they have a real fighting chance.
Read the full article: https://www.out.com/out100/storytellers/emily-drabinski
Dr. Joe Sánchez has been appointed to the Advisory Board of the Library of Congress Literacy Awards and the ALA Committee on Accreditation.
Dr. Joe Sánchez presented a paper at ASIST in London ‘Culturally responsive pedagogy in undergraduate research experiences’. He also gave an invited research seminar to the faculty and doctoral students at Emporia State University Library and Information Management Program.
Post date: Nov 14, 2023
GSLIS graduate of the Library Media Program, Amanda Birro, had an article published in the Spring/Summer 2023 issue of Young Adult Library Services---Birro, A. (2023). To genrefy or not to genrefy. Young Adult Library Services, 20(3/4), 53–58.
Read the article from the issue:
Post date: Nov 14, 2023
Prof. Arlene Laverde published in the Spring/Summer 2023 issue of Young Adult Library Services--- Laverde, A. (2023). Librarians of New York take a stand against book banning. Young Adult Library Services, 20(3/4), 29–31. and in May/June 2023 issue of Knowledge Quest--- Laverde, A. (2023). Librarians of New York take a stand against book banning. Young Adult Library Services, 20(3/4), 29–31.
Post date: Oct 25, 2023
The second research talk of this semester’s Research in Praxis Discussion Series (RiPDS) will be held Wednesday, November 8th 2023 at 7pm ET via Zoom. We are pleased to be able to hear from GSLIS alumni and data librarian Dan Woulfin, who will be discussing his research, "Touring the invisible college: using bibliographic networks to measure influence and impact in academic topics" Please see the flyer below/attached for more information and please be sure to register!
Please share widely, and we look forward to seeing you all there!
Post date: Oct 25, 2023
Dr. Nerve Macaspac's Public Syllabus project, "Here Lies Love in Critical Context", made in the news via The Straits Times:
Post date: Oct 19, 2023
WMI FolkTales Set to Music From Around the Globe. Hosted by Prof. Bill Gordh.
The WMI FolkTales podcast is an original production that features improvised re-imaginings of classic folk tales from around the world set to music. Hosted by acclaimed storyteller Bill Gordh, each episode invites a guest musician to improvise a culturally-appropriate score in dialogue with Bill’s inspired re-tellings of beloved stories from around the globe. Recommended for children of all ages.
Prof. Bill Gordh is an award-winning storyteller, author, educator, early childhood and elementary literacy specialist and consultant. He has performed with the New York Philharmonic, at the Gerald Ford Amphitheater in Vail, CO, the Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum in Houston, TX, the American Museum of Natural History in NYC, the Clearwater Festival and for three years was a featured storyteller at the White House Easter Egg Roll in Washington DC.
Read the full article: https://www.worldmusicinstitute.org/folktales-podcasts/
Oscar Zamora Flores presented a poster titled “Didactic booklet on climate change: a long term risk assessment to protect archives” that won “Most Outstanding Poster, All Categories and Themes Combined” at the 2023 International Council on Archives in Abu Dhabi.
The next talk in the Research in Praxis Discussion Series (RiPDS), brought to you by the GSLIS Research and Pedagogy Committee, will take place Wednesday October 4thh, 2023 at 7pm ET. We are pleased to hear from Vikki Terrile, Assistant Professor at GSLIS share her research in a talk titled, “More than a Problem?: A Systematic Review of the Homelessness and Libraries Liberature.” Please share this information and the attached flyer with anyone who may be interested—and don’t forget to register! See you on October 4th!
Dr. Nerve Macaspac (GSLIS) and Lara Saguisag of New York University launched Here Lies Love in Critical Context: A Public Syllabus. Compiled in response to the Broadway show Here Lies Love, the syllabus delves into the complex and painful history of the Philippines under the Marcos dictatorship.
Link the syllabus: https://wp.nyu.edu/herelieslovesyllabus/
“The NYLA Awards and Recognition Committee is pleased to announce that” Simone Yearwood is “ this year’s winner for Academic/Special Librarian of the year!”
Professor Simone will be officially presented with the award at the Inaugural Reception, to be held at NYLA Annual Conference in Saratoga Springs, NY, on Friday, November 3, 2023.
A BIG congratulations to Professor Simone Yearwood!
Post date: Sep 13, 2023
Prof. Jess deCourcy Hinds featured Emely Rumble in her latest article for School Library Journal on graphic novels and mental health. Emely Rumble, a bibliotherapist and incoming GSLIS adjunct instructor who will teach a course this spring! Congratulations to both of you.
Post date: Sep 13, 2023
Congratulations! Dr. Dr. Vikki C. Terrile published an article at The Library Quarterly.
Terrile, V. C. (2023). It’s Meaningful Work, but It’s “Really, Really Hard”: Librarians’ Understanding of Their Work with Families Experiencing Homelessness. The Library Quarterly, 93(3), 333-351.https://doi.org/10.1086/725066
https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/725066
Post date: Sep 7, 2023
Brilliant article by Sarah Pousty, one of Professor Jessica Hinds's LBSCI 737 star students from last semester!
Congrats, Sarah!
Please read, post, share widely.
https://www.slj.com/story/newsfeatures/How-to-Read-Wordless-Picture-Books-with-Children
Post date: Aug 26, 2023
Congratulations! Dr. Shuheng Wu published an article online in June.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01639374.2023.2224781
Wu, S. (2023). Implementing bibliographic enhancement data in academic library catalogs: An empirical study. Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, 61(3/4), 308-345. https://doi.org/10.1080/0
Post date: Jul 26, 2023
Post date: Jul 9, 2023
Ashley Hawkins who is the professor of LBSCI 764 & 767 was the content editor for the May/June 2023 AASL magazine Knowledge Quest. She wrote the featured article "The Everyday Bravery of Students in the Library"
Professor Arlene Laverde also had the honor of contributing a supporting article in the issue titled " Testifying in Fromt of the NYS Committee on "The Furture of NYS Libraries".
Post date: May 2, 2023
Prof Jess deCourcy Hinds wrote School Library Journal's May cover story (Stress Tested: These School Librarians Hit the Breaking Point. Here’s How They Moved On). In this article, Prof Arlene Laverde and GSLIS have a starring role! She also recorded a video for their website where she give a shout out to QC!
Special thanks to Prof Arlene Laverde for giving the perfect quotes in the article!
Post date: May 1, 2023
In Fall 2023, GSLIS will be offering a new class on Data Ethics. The class emerges from GSLIS’ ongoing curriculum reform process.
This course will introduce students to the foundations of ethics – the moral principles that govern behavior – and ethical approaches to information problems. Shaped by the current and emerging big data environment, this class considers problems in data ethics related to identity and intent, visibility and control, responsibility, and truth and trust, as well as special topics in data ethics. The course covers algorithmic accountability, ethics in machine learning and other types of artificial intelligence, the ethics of computational approaches to information work, and the contributions of LIS to ethical data futures.
In the Fall 2023 semester, the special topics covered will be: content moderation; the encoded body; surveillance capitalism; and privacy and obfuscation.
The learning outcomes for the course are:
Explain foundational concepts in ethics (applied, normative and metaethics)
Analyze information problems or issues for their ethical dimensions.
Apply ethical approaches to solving information problems.
Identify social issues where data ethics might contribute value.
There are two required textbooks for this class:
Ruha Benjamin, Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code, Polity, 2019.
Louise Amoore, Cloud Ethics: Algorithms and the Attributes of Ourselves and Others, Duke University Press, 2020.
The learning outcomes will be assessed through a short paper, in class exercises, and a video essay. The class will include a workshop on video essay production.
The class will meet virtually (Zoom) on Tuesdays from 3:55pm to 6:30pm. The class will be taught by Dr. James Lowry.
Post date: May 1, 2023
In Fall 2023, GSLIS will be offering a new class on American Sign Language for Librarians. The class emerges from GSLIS’ ongoing curriculum reform process.
This introduction to American Sign Language and Deaf culture will bring you a new perspective to both Deaf and hearing worlds. You will learn that American Sign Language (ASL) is its own language with distinct grammar structures, syntax, and mouth morphemes, far different from English language. You will learn that Deaf culture in America has fought to be recognized as a group of linguistic minorities, rather than a group of disability. From the course readings, you will learn the history of ASL and Deaf culture; the obstacles and challenges that many Deaf people have faced and overcome, and still struggle in contemporary society. The goal is for you to walk away from this course with basic knowledge in conversational ASL signs and American Deaf culture.
Please note this class is new territory for both GSLIS and the instructor, who is not a librarian, and as such the first time it is offered, students will be helping to shape the content of the class for subsequent iterations by bringing their perspectives on library operations, reference services, etc.
The provisional learning outcomes are:
Identify and analyze the 5 ASL parameters (the foundation that makes up sign language)
Understand and apply proper cultural norms in the deaf community
Be able to produce and understand ASL fingerspelling
Demonstrate basic introductions, basic conversations, and phrases associated with library activities
Demonstrate accurate usage of cardinal number signs and basic math signs
Comprehend and produce vocabulary signs for different types of libraries and subjects, colors, numbers from 0-millions, genders, pets, family relations, relationship status, employment status, and professions
Analyze and apply proper ASL translation with correct syntax, mouth morphemes, and grammar
Demonstrate and utilize the difference between noun and verb pairs and listing and ordering techniques
The class will meet virtually (Zoom) on Wednesdays from 3:55pm to 6:30pm. The class will be taught by April Cheng.
Post date: May 1, 2023
In Fall 2023, GSLIS will be offering a new class on Oral History. The class emerges from GSLIS’ ongoing curriculum reform process.
In this hands-on class, students will engage with the theory and practice of oral history as a transdisciplinary field in the social sciences and humanities, specifically the fields of memory studies, history, sociology, anthropology, psychology and the arts. The main objectives of the course are to learn and practice the skills required to conceptualize, conduct, analyze and disseminate oral history interviews. Students will learn project design, interviewing, audio recording, transcribing, indexing, and digital archiving. The goal will be to critically engage in interdisciplinary conversation as students become proficient in underlying principles and practices necessary for conducting and designing oral history projects.
By the end of this course, students will:
Acquire in-depth knowledge of oral history as a transdisciplinary and global field of study and practice originating in its modern form in the 20th century; exploring its roots in the social sciences and the humanities, specifically the fields of memory studies, history, sociology, anthropology, psychology and the arts.
Examine the ways in which oral history theory and practice intersect, in order to enable those we interview to make meaning of their life experiences and the events they witness.
Through intensive fieldwork, students will learn and practice the skills required to conceptualize, conduct, analyze and disseminate oral history interviews.
There are no required textbooks for this class.
The learning outcomes will be assessed through weekly reading responses, a recorded oral history, with a legal release and annotated transcription, an archival plan, an essay, and a project design document.
The class will meet in person at Baruch College on Mondays from 3:55pm to 6:30pm. The class will be taught by Dr. Cynthia Tobar. This class is an eligible elective for the Certificate in Archives and the Preservation of Cultural Materials.
Post date: Apr 24, 2023
GSLIS Assistant Professor, Dr. Nafiz Shuva, has been awarded a Cycle 54 PSC-CUNY Research Award (Traditional A). Dr. Shuva will use the award to explore public library usage among Bangladeshi immigrants in Queens, New York, and their reading habits. To learn more about this award, please visit https://www.rfcuny.org/rfwebsite/principal-investigators/explore-pre-award-resources/psc-cuny-award-program/
Congratulations to Dr. Shuva!!
Post date: Apr 14, 2023
Congratulations to Professor Jennifer Brown, Newly Elected ALA Councilor-at-Large! (2023-2026)
The next talk in the Research in Praxis Discussion Series (RiPDS), brought to you by the GSLIS Research and Pedagogy Committee, will be occurring Tuesday April 18th, 2023 at 4pm ET. We are pleased to be able to hear from Sepideh Mckensy, Senior Services Specialist with Library Impact Ontario and the Toronto Public Library, and Joseph Lalonde of TPL for their talk “Technology Measurement to Demonstrate Impact: A practical use case of a data solution in the public library sector for collective advocacy, digital inclusion advancement and strategic success” Please scroll to the bottom of this email for more information about the speakers and their work, and please share this information and the attached flyer with anyone who may be interested—and don’t forget to register!
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZArceiuqjsqE9Z92Rfnt7HW-haD4Wya7Ky_
Post date: Feb 16, 2023
QC GSLIS Assistant Professor Dr. S.E. “Shack” Hackney and Adjunct Professor Jess deCourcy Hinds have both been named a Queens College Open Educational Resources Fellow with the Queens College Library for Spring 2023. OER Fellows will learn the fundamental principles of OER and open pedagogy, develop technical skills to create and curate accessible course content, organize cohesive and coherent materials tied to overarching learning objectives, and apply rigorous assessment standards to identify existing resources for classroom use.
Post date: Feb 14, 2023
Meral Agish (she/her) is an oral historian, educator, and the community coordinator of the Queens Memory Project, where she leads outreach efforts, training sessions for the public, and collaborations with volunteers, colleagues, and community partners. She is in her third semester at GSLIS, where she is focusing on participatory archiving, civic engagement, and oral history-based documentary practices.
The HASTAC Scholars fellowship program is an innovative student-driven community of graduate and undergraduate students. Each year, around 100 new Scholars are accepted into a new 2-year cohort of the program. Scholars come from dozens of disciplines and have been sponsored by over 200 colleges and universities—ranging from small liberal arts colleges to large Research 1 institutions. We are building a community of students working at the intersection of technology and the arts, humanities and sciences. HASTAC Scholars write blog posts; interview leaders within the digital research and digital humanities fields, host online forums, organize events around the future of higher education; organize collaborative book reviews; and much more. Much of the work here centers around rethinking pedagogy, learning, research & academia for the digital age.
Post date: Feb 4, 2023
Literary Hub recently published Professor Hinds's article, How Can Literary Spaces Support Neurodiverse Readers and Writers? was recently published an article.