UW-Madison Information School

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The Information School, a department of UW-Madison's College of Computing & Artificial Intelligence

10/15/2026

People interact with data constantly, but how often do we fully understand how it’s collected, used, and protected? What has changed when it comes to safeguarding personal and research data, and what challenges remain?

Join UW-Madison College of Computing & Artificial Intelligence faculty as they share how they approach data and information privacy in their teaching and research in a virtual panel discussion exploring evolving risks, responsibilities, and strategies for navigating privacy.

Professor Emilee Rader and Teaching Faculty Bradley Bryant of the iSchool will join UW-Madison Dept. of Computer Sciences Associate Professor Rahul Chatterjee for an engaging and relevant discussion. It will be the final installment in our Continuing Education unit's ongoing webinar series Tech Crash Course: Data & Information Privacy.

Register by Oct. 27 (Students get free registration with code UWStudent): https://ow.ly/h3KY50ZXeEa

10/13/2026

Caitlin Perkins MAx'27, one of our graduate students in Library & Information Studies, recently participated in a roundtable conversation with other MLIS students hosted by the Association of College & Research Libraries.

She discussed her path into librarianship as well as the unique strengths of the iSchool at UW–Madison:

"Something that I think UW–Madison excels at is having a faculty that is incredibly current in the LIS research," Perkins said. "The program feels deeply relevant to the moment, and we are reading about and discussing the latest concerns, trends, and innovations in libraries, archives, and museums. This is crucial for LIS programs right now. We know how fast the information landscape shifts, and as up-and-coming librarians, we need to be prepared to enter the profession with the most-relevant knowledge and be ready to be innovators in the field."

Read the full conversation: https://ow.ly/Ni6i50ZXe4Q

10/07/2026

This week we hosted Back in Circulcation 2026, a conference convening library staff and leaders from around North America.

This year's keynote speaker was Bobbi Newman, associate professor of practice at the University of Iowa, who trains future librarians and leaders by integrating research, practice, and compassion, shaping healthier workplaces across the profession.

Back in Circulation is one of several conferences run by our outstanding Continuing Education & Professional Learning Services team.

More about the conference: https://ow.ly/wkSm50ZUYi8

09/29/2026

Alumna Hilary Seo MA'93 recently retired after serving as Dean of Library Services at Iowa State University.

In a recent interview with the Association of Research Libraries, Seo reflected on her start in Madison, her distinguished career in library leadership, and the impact of AI on research libraries. As new technologies change how libraries operate, the core principles of "managing information, instructing users, and equitable access" remain constant, Seo said.

Read the full conversation → https://ow.ly/mr4K50ZSHY2

09/21/2026

Congratulations to Yinka Ajibola PhD'26, whose digital project Swahili Verse has been selected as the recipient of the African Studies Association’s 2026 Conover-Porter Award.

The Conover-Porter Award recognizes outstanding achievement in Africana bibliography and reference tools and is presented biennially by the Africana Librarians Council of the African Studies Association.

Swahili Verse is a community-driven digital project documenting linguistic and cultural resources, including vocabulary and expressions across different Swahili-speaking communities, in an effort to bring more underrepresented languages online.

Ajibola completed much of the project during his PhD studies at the iSchool, under the guidance of Professor Reginold Royston.

"The iSchool generously supported my research travel to Kenya, enabling the fieldwork and community engagement that helped shape the project," Ajibola said.

His work represents a core purpose of the research conducted at the iSchool: making information accessible and meaningful across communities through thoughtful, collaborative design.

Explore Swahili Verse online: https://ow.ly/n3O150ZPKTJ

09/16/2026

Congratulations to Distinguished Teaching Faculty Dorothea Salo, who will collaborate with researchers from University of Illinois Chicago on a new project, funded by an Institute of Museum and Library Services grant, to explore how academic library leaders make decisions around technological adoption.

As part of this applied work, Salo and collaborators will create a tool to support evidence-based decisions around future technologies.

More: https://ow.ly/e4jX50ZO0SN

09/11/2026

Through the MA Library & Information Studies practicum, several of our students over the past three years have partnered with museums, technical colleges, libraries and historical societies statewide to digitize local histories in partnership with Recollection Wisconsin.

“These materials are one‑of‑a‑kind, rare, unique, content you can’t find anywhere else,” said Vicki Tobias MA’03, project coordinator for the Recollection Wisconsin Digitization Initiative. “Digitizing them is an opportunity not just to share resources, but to preserve what [communities] have.”

The partnerships represent the Wisconsin Idea at work: students using their skills to support communities statewide by preserving their interconnected histories for generations to come.

Read more about how our students — including the summer 2027 cohort of Kathryn Kulie, Sophia Auron and Hazel Johnson — are building a statewide digital history hub: https://ow.ly/Qaus50ZLE1f

Photos:
1. Machine tooling students in class at Northcentral Technical College in Wausau, WI. Photo by Robert Giesel, c. 1970s.
2. Dentistry students at the Kenosha Technical Institute (now Gateway Technical College Technical College) in 1970.
3. Wisconsin Library Association (WLA) Library Legislation Day table, 1995.

09/02/2026

New semester, new faces: The iSchool is pleased to welcome Dr. Rod Abhari as postdoctoral fellow as part of the Wiscosnin Exchange, a campus-wide initiative to advance civil dialogue in higher education.

An expert on information integrity and science communication, Abhari will work closely with Professor Jodi Schneider, seeking a deeper understanding of how civic disagreements with science can be incorporated into research.

We're thrilled that he is bringing his teaching and research expertise to our department!

Learn more about Rod Abhari's work: https://ow.ly/fclt50ZHnl2

08/31/2026

With the Dane County non-emergency phone line implementing an AI-powered virtual assistant, our Assistant Professor Devansh Saxena — an expert in human-AI interaction — weighed in on what these changes may mean for local government employees.

"These systems are being proposed as addressing a long-standing issue in public systems, which is worker shortages and worker burnout," Saxena said. But, he added, "Oftentimes [AI] makes a lot of mistakes, and that verification and correction work is offloaded back onto the workers."

Read more from Spectrum News 1 Wisconsin: https://spectrumnews1.com/wi/milwaukee/news/2026/08/15/dane-county-rolls-out-ai-assistant-for-non-emergency-calls

08/25/2026

We are excited to welcome Lin Gokee as Northern Outreach Specialist for the Tribal Libraries, Archives & Museums (TLAM) program!

Gokee grew up in Red Cliff and has worked at the Ginanda Gikendaasomin (“We Seek to Learn”) Red Cliff Tribal Library, as Library Engagement Coordinator and eventually as Library Director.

In the new role, "I will be working with the Tribal Nations in the northern part of what we now call Wisconsin to share knowledge, connect with Tribal cultural institutions, and facilitate student involvement in service learning projects," they said. Gokee's position is funded by a Reilly Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Grant, exemplifying the iSchool's commitment to serving communities statewide and beyond.

Get TLAM Director Cassy Leeport's perspective on the bright future of TLAM as Gokee steps into the role: https://ow.ly/Thoh50ZESI4

📸Leeport (left) with Lin Gokee at the recently opened St. Croix Chippewa education building.

Address

1205 University Avenue
Madison, WI
53703

Telephone

+16082632900

Website

https://ischool.wisc.edu/

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