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.
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.
As 2020 comes to a close, Director David Lankes reflects on the iSchool’s many accomplishments. These include enrollment gains in the BSIS and MLIS programs, as well as new academic programs, faculty positions, public scholarship efforts and more.
Each year, the American Library Association awards dozens of scholarships to underrepresented students looking to earn a master's degree in library and information science. Now, by matching that $5,000 scholarship, the iSchool is giving students a new reason to enroll.
Love a good podcast? Publishers Weekly has launched The Skillset Podcast with iSchool Director David Lankes and Augusta Baker Chair Nicole Cooke. The Skillset will illuminate the complex issues facing libraries and other key institutions in these unprecedented times.
In this Publisher's Weekly article, Dr. Nicole Cooke discusses how allies for social and racial justice are choosing to 'stand in the gap.'
Since April, CRE's Virtual Storytime YouTube playlist has featured a line-up of guest readers, including former mascots, Miss Gamecock 2020, and even famed talk show host and University of South Carolina alumna Leeza Gibbons.
The South Carolina Center for Community Literacy, the Augusta Baker Endowed Chair for Childhood Literacy, and the South Carolina State Library announce a Learning Cohort course for Project READY (Reimagining Equity & Access for Diverse Youth) S.C.!
Only 50 librarians are selected each year in the ALA’s competitive Emerging Leaders Program, but several of our alumnae were chosen in recent years. We sat down with three of them to talk about their academic journeys and experiences.
David Lankes writes in Publishers Weekly that today's crises in public health, the economy and in racism demand we rethink everything — including what we’ve always considered virtuous institutions, like libraries, schools and publishers.
In this Publisher's Weekly article, Dr. Nicole Cooke suggests viewing one's anti-racist journey in three stages.
The University of South Carolina’s School of Information Science community strongly condemns the systemic and systematic oppression of black people, indigenous people and all people of color.
Having an impact on their students and communities, being more inclusive for underserved populations and encouraging a lifelong love of reading and learning are passions shared by three alumnae who have been recognized as 2020 Movers & Shakers by Library Journal.
The School of Library and Information Science is now the School of Information Science, following a vote of approval by the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees at an April 24 meeting.
Are you looking for local and national resources to engage kids while learning at home? Explore the San Diego Zoo, doodle with Mo Willems, participate in a virtual storytime and hang out with Dr. Seuss.
Dr. Karen Gavigan says teen activists are making headlines for their social justice advocacy, and it's being reflected in the graphic novels they are reading. Read her article in The Conversation.
A new partnership between Dominion Energy and the University of South Carolina's literacy outreach program will help teach gardening and nutrition skills to elementary school students in Lexington County.
Dr. Nicole Cooke believes the law, if enacted, would be a potential threat to information access, intellectual freedom and the freedom to read. Read her article in The Conversation.
Storyteller-in-residence sounds like a dream job for some library science students, but for Augusta Baker, it was more than a fairy tale. Baker led a life that saw her overcome all obstacles to become one of the top 100 most important leaders of the 20th century.
With the click of a button, class registration is complete. It's that simple to register for School of Library and Information Science distance education courses.
Last fall, SLIS welcomed Nicole Cooke as its new Augusta Baker Chair in Childhood Literacy to advance the school’s literacy efforts. Here are some highlights of what Cooke has accomplished so far and a glimpse into her next steps.
Is blockchain technology confusing? Will the removal of Instagram likes affect the way people use the social media platform? Students explored these questions and others at the fifth annual Information Science Day, a showcase of undergraduate research and internship experiences.
Nicole Cooke is the School of Library and Information Science’s new Augusta Baker Chair in Childhood Literacy, a position named for the pioneering African American librarian who served as the university’s storyteller-in-residence.
A $15,000 grant from International Paper has allowed Cocky's Reading Express to teach nutritional literacy to children in two Laurens County schools.
School librarian Kathy Carroll likes to be in the middle of the action and that’s where she finds herself every day, whether it’s helping students at Westwood High School in Blythewood or advocating for her profession as president-elect of the American Association of School Librarians.