College of Information and Communications

News 2021

Going the extra mile for literacy

Cocky's Reading Express celebrates 15 years of cultivating literacy in South Carolina.

Contemplating the library of the future

Alumnus Jason Broughton discusses his new post at the Library of Congress and emerging trends in library and information science.

Leaning into Augusta Baker's Legacy: Nicole Cooke creating diversity infrastructure at the iSchool

Scanning Nicole Cooke's list of accomplishments at the School of Information Science, it's hard to believe she has only been at South Carolina for two years. Cooke recently discussed the new projects she's shepherding at the iSchool.

Building a culturally competent librarian workforce

Diversity, equity and inclusion have been woven into the School of Library and Information Science since it was founded 50 years ago. But we took stock of some notable examples of the iSchool’s progress in hiring, outreach and strategic programs.

Librarians help students navigate an age of misinformation – but schools are cutting their numbers

The number of school librarians in the United States has dropped about 20 percent over the past decade, and research shows access to school librarians has become a major educational equity issue. Karen Gavigan, information science professor, writes for The Conversation about the impact school librarians have on student achievement.

Teachers of the year

Teacher of the Year recipients Erin Long and Shelley Ward are prime examples of librarians who exercise their education in many more ways than logging book checkouts.

Research rabbit holes

With boundless information at our fingertips, it's easy to get lost in curiosity. A simple search can lead to a page, which leads to another, which leads to several more until you're 10 tabs deep and 45 minutes short. MLIS alumna Jenna Strawbridge channels this same unique, relentless curiosity daily — and she's lucky enough to call it her career.

Lost and found

When she was a college freshman, Elise Lewis learned firsthand what happens when a student gets lost in the shuffle of a big university. Now, as faculty principal of the Capstone Scholars Program, Lewis is keen on getting students connected with one another and university resources.

Partnership possibilities

A new partnership between the University of South Carolina and the Charleston County Public Library system will create learning opportunities for librarians in South Carolina and beyond.

Interns write chapter in Digital Collections story

If every picture tells a story, what do one million pictures have to say? That is the question Tami Blumenfield Kedar and Cindy Garcia-Rivas, MLIS students and interns at University Libraries Digital Collections department, are trying to answer.

Gamecock football players find success in the classroom

Information science major Jovaughn Gwyn is one of the players featured in this article whose on-the-field discipline pays off in academic pursuits.

Researcher helps provide better health information to marginalized communities

In just four years at the college, Vanessa Kitzie has made quite a name for herself as a researcher. She focuses on how information institutions like libraries can better serve LGBTQIA+ people and communities, particularly in South Carolina.

Library Journal names iSchool alumna to class of 2021 Movers & Shakers

Christina Fuller-Gregory was one of 46 individuals honored for moving the profession forward. She was chosen for her advocacy for justice and commitment to advancing equity, diversity and inclusion in the field of librarianship.

iSchool leadership changes announced

School of Information Science Director David Lankes will leave the University of South Carolina this summer for an endowed professorship at the University of Texas School of Information. He has led the iSchool since 2016. Professor Karen Gavigan will return from retirement to serve as interim director beginning July 16.

iSchool alumna's new book gives children with limb differences a character like themselves

School media specialist Alexis Cannon Hale (2010 MLIS) was disappointed when she found out about the underrepresentation of limb loss in children's literature. Her discovery inspired her to write "It's Me, Zoey!" starring her daughter as the main character.

Annual Deans' and Directors' Lecture held virtually

The School of Information Science honored students, faculty and alumni leaders at the Deans' and Directors' Lecture and Awards ceremony on April 23. The annual event, which was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was held virtually this year with former deans Fred Roper and Dan Barron among those in attendance.

iSchool Innovators: Jonah Rotholz

Jonah Rotholz, who made headlines last year after he and Nick Jeffcoat won the undergraduate division of The Proving Ground, shares how his information science major prepared him to become an entrepreneur and offers advice to students hoping to follow in his footsteps.

Student spotlight: Alyssa Bunting

Senior Alyssa Bunting is someone you should know around Davis College. Armed with a passion for research, an interest in the intersections of information science and geography and more than a few scholarships and awards to her name, Bunting brings a lot to the iSchool community.

RCLC Albers Fellow shares research on social justice in graphic novels

Thanks to a Carnegie Whitney grant from the American Library Association, Karen Gavigan has created a website for librarians looking to use graphic novels as a means of fostering meaningful discussion on social justice issues with young adults.

David Lankes awarded Isadore Gilbert Mudge Award

David Lankes, iSchool director, was recognized for his 30 years of visionary leadership in reference services; for his national leadership in virtual reference; for his ongoing work in expanding reference services to build stronger communities; and for his excellence as a scholar.

Student spotlight: Anntwanette "Netty" Sulton

As a child, Anntwanette “Netty” Sultan volunteered at libraries with the goal of one day working in one. Now in her final year as an information science student at the University of South Carolina, she’s one step closer to turning that dream into reality.

What we miss about misinformation: Q&A with Dr. Nicole Cooke

Library Journal caught up with Cooke to discuss what librarians need to know about how misinformation and disinformation work in the modern era and how they can be combated effectively.

Researchers to help LGBTQIA+ populations navigate barriers to health information

Health disparities are common in LGBTQIA+ populations, in part because discrimination makes health information harder to come by. Over the next two years, a team of researchers from the School of Information Science and Arnold School of Public Health will collaborate to recruit, learn from and develop specialized training for LGBTQIA+ community health workers.

iSchool Social Impact Committee and Diversity Leadership Group hosts discussion on Caste by Isabella Wilkerson

As part of this semester's equity, diversity, inclusion and social justice programming, the iSchool Social Impact Committee and Diversity Leadership Group hosted a discussion on Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson. The discussion was led by iSchool alumnus Gerald Moore.

iSchool hosts panel on information science careers

iSchool graduate Jared Stephens and Capgemini recruiter Kaitlyn White fielded questions on how COVID-19 has affected the work environment, opportunities for information science students, advice on getting started in the workforce and more.

The heart of the school

For many students, March 2020 became a pivotal moment. Classes went online, and teachers began rescheduling deadlines while trying to figure out how exactly the pandemic would affect learning. Luckily, school librarians have played a critical role in helping everyone adapt.

Learning with love

Puppets, puppies and karaoke. These are some of the nontraditional tools that alumna Penny Esterley uses to teach at Community Literacy Lab.

Got skills?

Love a good podcast? Publishers Weekly has launched The Skillset Podcast with iSchool Director David Lankes and Augusta Baker Chair Nicole Cooke. The Skillset illuminates the complex issues facing libraries and other key institutions in these unprecedented times.

How libraries can help us make a more perfect union

Civil, honest conversations based on facts and science, history and truth, have long brought people together. And iSchool Director David Lankes believes libraries and schools are the essential social infrastructure to help us find our commonalities once again. Read his column in Publishers Weekly

Applications are open for school library research and teaching fellowship

The School Library Research and Teaching Fellowship Program aims to fund a doctoral student who is committed to development as a school library researcher and educator.

Nicole Cooke named one of UofSC's 2021 Social Justice Award winners

In a field where more than 85 percent of the professionals are white women, Cooke stood out. And that observation inspired her desire to help diversify the field of librarians to make the profession more equitable and better reflective of the communities librarians serve.

Starting the spring semester and bringing light

iSchool Director David Lankes calls on faculty, staff, students and alumni to bring about light by embracing the mission of the school: to bring meaning and justice to communities through information and knowledge.

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