Spring 2014 saw Illinois librarians leading the discussion on topics as diverse as information literacy, open access, and Puerto Rican archives. Below are just some of the many presentations they gave at conferences, special occasions, and more.
The elected positions, appointed task forces, and appointed advisory work covered in recent posts are only the tip of the iceberg when looking at the ways Illinois Library Faculty are shaping the profession. Contributing to the preservation planning for the Federal Depository Library Program, creating new models for shared collections across HathiTrust partners, developing the professional program for librarians worldwide, doing the everyday work to ensure national library organizations foster their members’ well-being: Illinois librarians are doing it all, and more.
Libraries and education are community endeavors, and often that community is state-, nation-, or world-wide. University of Illinois Library Faculty are key members of groups doing cooperative work that shapes local practice and the public good. The future of digital libraries, digital preservation, and outreach to Spanish-speaking populations are just some of the ways our faculty help libraries move into the future.
Beyond the previously covered elected positions they fill, Illinois Library Faculty serve the profession through appointments to task forces and planning groups that address pressing issues in library and information science. They are shaping changes to the revised information literacy competency standards, creating research agendas for science librarians, and more. What follows are highlights from the ways our library faculty is moving the profession forward.