The Department of Library Economy in the College of Liberal Arts becomes the Library School.

From an article written in 1922 by the Library School’s first Director, William E. Henry: When I came to the University Library in 1906 and Mr. Judson T. Jennings came to the Seattle Public Library in 1907, and Mr. Franklin F. Hopper, now of the New York Public Library, took charge of the Tacoma Public Library in 1908, we all found ourselves much hampered in building up our respective staffs for want of well-prepared people. We found, as all have found in the Pacific Northwest, an excellent supply of keen, intelligent, wide-awake, academically well-educated young people, ready in spirit for any kind of service, for the people who have migrated to the westward for a thousand years have been the keen, energetic, venturesome, and progressive. The West Coast has been well supplied with educational institutions of good standards for half a century. It has had few professional schools. Until 1911 [when the UW Library School was established] the nearest library school was 2,200 miles east of us—the Wisconsin Library School. Farther east and nearing the Atlantic Coast were several good library schools, but the libraries of the East and the so-called Middle West largely absorbed their output. Our libraries, then just getting under way, could not offer financial inducements or professional opportunities that compared favorably with the many libraries east of the Mississippi, especially when we must add to these differences the fact that coming to the West Coast involved an expensive journey of from 2,000 to 3,000 miles. However, with all of these handicaps we did secure a few who were willing to make the sacrifice necessary and, as was to be expected, then a high-class, well-prepared group of persons, and these, more than any other single influence, made our libraries successful.

Ruth Worden was the first full-time faculty member appointed to the Library School.

The Library School becomes the Department of Library Science in the Graduate School

Margaret Herrick was the Academy of Motion Pictures librarian from 1936 to 1943, and served as the Academy’s executive director from 1945 to 1971. It was Herrick who laid the foundation for what is now considered to be one of the world’s finest film-related libraries. And it was Herrick who expanded the Academy’s activities into several key non-Awards areas, negotiated the Academy’s first television broadcast and oversaw the transformation of the annual Oscar ceremony into a major televised event.

Margaret Herrick was born Margaret Buck in Spokane, Washington. She earned a library degree from the University of Washington, and in 1929 became head librarian of the Yakima Public Library. Miss Buck married Donald Gledhill, an assistant to the executive secretary of the Academy, and in 1931 she moved to Hollywood to join her husband. Mrs. Gledhill soon offered her services to the Academy as its volunteer librarian, and was well on the way to building the Academy’s library when Donald Gledhill was named executive secretary in 1933. Throughout the 1930s, Mrs. Gledhill continued to develop and improve the library and its holdings. Her position as the Academy’s librarian was formalized in 1936.

In 1943, Margaret Gledhill successfully assumed her husband’s duties when he left for military service in World War II. The couple divorced in 1945, and soon after, the Academy Board of Governors offered Mrs. Gledhill the executive position on a permanent basis. In 1946, Mrs. Gledhill married Philip A. Herrick. They divorced in 1951, but she continued to use his name professionally.

Following her retirement in 1971, the Academy library was renamed in her honor. Margaret Herrick died on June 20, 1976.

From the Academy of Motion Pictures website at www.oscars.org/library/about/herrick.html

Bob Gitler arrived in 1945, at the end of the war. It might have been late in the year, and he left for the Japanese duty in 1950, as I believe. In later years I met Bob in California, through friends.  (Dorothy Bevis was a close friend of both of us.)  Bob was a gentleman of the old school. Even when he was crippled with arthritis, he would persist on standing when meeting a woman! When he returned from Japan, Irving Lieberman hired him to help the faculty develop a new curriculum. I think he was at Columbia University for a time, and later was the Librarian of the University of San Francisco. Note: Robert Gitler was the Director of our School of Librarianship (then part of the Graduate School) from 1946-1950.

The period of time covered by World War II brought no radical changes in curriculum; however, in the 1946-47 academic year one notable change took place—the introduction of a course concerned with the role of the library in society. (Lieberman, 1981, p. 443) The modern librarian of the postwar world reaches out beyond the walls of the library to take a vital part in community life: introducing books and all the library resources wherever they are needed; supplying factual information for research workers in all fields—technological, scientific, sociological, and humanistic; opening fresh discoveries in the world of literature; maintaining reading as a privilege of the individual in a democratic society. (Announcement 1946-1947, 1946, p. 3)

In the summer of 1951, after many years of scrutiny, the UW School of Librarianship instituted its new one-year (four-quarter) master’s degree program. (Lieberman, 1981, p. 444) The first graduates of the new master’s program were awarded the Master of Librarianship in June of 1952.

The master's of librarianship (M.Lib.) was added as a degree program.

In 1961, the School of Librarianship Alumni Association established the Distinguished Alumnus Award to honor an outstanding graduate for achievement in some area of librarianship. (Shinn, 1986, p. 12) The Distinguished Alumnus Award has been granted annually (or nearly so) for over fifty years. The first recipient of this prestigious honor was Lydia May McCutchen, graduate of the class of 1913.

My favorite memory is of Professor Mae Benne and my first day of class in her Children's Literature class. She strode into the room in the old Suzallo classroom area with a picture book tucked under her arm. She read us the story, "Thy Friend, Obadiah" by Brinton Turkle. It was as if a bolt of lightning had hit me. I knew from that moment that I wanted to be a Childrens Librarian. I left the classroom adn went to the University Bookstore and purchased that book. I still treasure it and the fact that Mae was such an inspiration to all her students. How fortunate I was to learn from her. -Jerene Battisti, Class of 1969.

I was Miss Bevis' student assistant starting Winter 1970. I was looking for part-time work and a classmate mentioned that she heard that Miss Bevis' assistant was leaving and that I was going to be the new assistant. This was news to me so I went to her office and talked with her and it was news to her as well. She said I could have the job if I wanted it and of course I said yes. My favorite part of the job was to pick up materials from the Rare Book Room for the "History of the Book" and "guard" them during the class. She talked with great passion about the books. In particular I remember her talking about a tiny Elsevier Press book with its white parchment cover and a wine stain and imagining the student spilling his wine and wiping it off the cover and putting it back into one of his big pockets and continuing to drink! Miss Bevis was a wonderful person to work for and I have always been grateful that I had the chance to learn from such a great "old school" person. -Gregor Henrikson, Class of 1971

My grandmother, Jessie Alma Ballard MacKintosh, graduated in the class of 1913. She was the first professional librarian in Yakima, Washington. She served on the library board and on the state library commission. Her name is inscribed on the front of the state library -- well, it used to be the state library building. She used to tell me stories of living on a houseboat (it was cheaper than other forms of accommodation then) and rowing to school every day. One of the things she learned in the UW Library School was a form of lettering, called calligraphy, so the call number could be painted on the book's spine. She was very proud of her degree. She took me to get my first library card, which I received from Mae Benne, the children's librarian in Yakima then. I love library work. My grandmother never saw a computer. Now I work elbow deep in computer databases. A librarian's goal today is the same as it was in 1913 - to share information and knowledge. It's the best of jobs! -Mary MacKintosh, Class of 1972

My final quarter of grad school (back when it was the School of Librarianship), I took a class in Basic programming from Dr. Mignon and yes, he changed my life. I learned enough in that one quarter (and this was in the days of keypunch machines in Sieg Hall and IBM cards and huge paper print-outs at the Academic Computer Center) to give me the skills to help design the financial aid portion of the UW Student DataBase a few years later.

It's funny, the different directions a degree in librarianship/information sciences can take one, but I don't know that I could have contributed to students' educational access for so many years without that course from Ed. I always meant to thank him but I didn't think he'd remember me--I'm hoping he knew anyway. However, now I'll say it: "Thanks, Dr. Mignon, from me and all the students you helped! We'll carry on your good work."
- Eileen F. Robison

After considerable discussion and effort, a new curriculum for a two-year master’s degree program was completed and instituted in the fall of 1979. (Hiatt, 1979) In 1979, UW and UCLA were the only schools in the nation to offer a two-year Master of Librarianship program. (Lieberman, 1981, p. 448) The new curriculum came at a time when the present curriculum was still solid, up to date, and valid. Why the change? It had become increasingly clear to all concerned with the delivery of library services that dramatic social and technological changes had altered the environment in which information and library services operate. The need for new graduates to be knowledgeable and comfortable with developments on the cutting edge of librarianship was more pressing and more real every year. A good deal of investigating, thinking, and discussing led to several basic considerations: 1) The school should reverse 75 years of library educational practice and begin, not with skill courses, but with basic theory and philosophy on which advanced and skill courses could be built. 2) It should expand the number and depth of specialties available to students. 3) It should develop a flexible program which would allow students greater latitude if program construction. In addition, the curriculum emphasized users rather than the library institution and reflects an intense interest in user studies, information transfer, and changing patterns in the delivery of library services. (Lieberman, 1981, p. 449)

Margaret Chisholm is named director of the school.

I loved Edmond Mignon's courses. I took my first course from him. It was during the summer of 1991 and compacted into summer term. I worked from 6 in the morning until midnight learning the material for this course. I had never had to study so much nor so hard before in my academic career. I also never learned so much, and I credit Ed with providing me with an excellent foundation in librarianship. He set the standard. -Irene Harold, Class of 1992

Terry Brook's class in internet programming languages taught me that I really could learn to write code. This opened up a whole new world to me. Thank you Dr. Brooks! -Kristen Daniels, Class of 1997

In 1998, after a nationwide search, Michael B. Eisenberg was appointed the new director of the School of Library and Information Science, replacing acting director Betty Bengtson. The Alumni Association introduces the long-awaited, new director in 1998: "Michael B. Eisenberg has been appointed the new director of the school. Eisenberg arrived in August and plunged into his duties with an energy and vision that have earned him an international reputation in the field of library and information science and education." Eisenberg joins what he describes as a “concerted effort on the part of the entire university community, the people at the school and the library and information profession to create the very best school in the known universe.” Eisenberg spearheads an expansion program that will result in new undergraduate and doctoral programs in the school. “Eventually we will have our own major technology,” he said in a recent interview. “Graduate” has been dropped from the name of the school in recognition of its broader appeal and is now called the School of Library and Information Science. (Fraser, 1998, Fall, p. 1)

Vint Cerf, co-designer of the TCP/IP protocol and architecture of the Internet, keynotes conference at UW that launches the Center for Internet Studies, now the Technology & Social Change Group (TASCHA). Cerf and 50 pioneering thinkers from industry, government and academia met to discuss how the rise of the Internet will impact the future of the global political economy. This conference launched what is now TASCHA, a center that conducts research in 50 countries exploring the design, use, and effects of information and communication technologies in communities facing social and economic challenges.

Beginning Autumn quarter of 2000, the iSchool began offering a new Informatics major that emphasized the human side of technology, as well as a more humanities-oriented approach to information technology. From the UW Daily: The School of Library and Information Science will be offering a new major called informatics, which is scheduled to begin in autumn 2000. The bachelor of science degree program will be an alternative to the computer science program. In the computer science program, students build the tools needed in technology," said Terry Brooks, a professor in the school. "However, the informatics major will teach students how to use these tools." Brooks said that the new major will take a social-sciences and humanities approach to information technology. The major was developed because the Washington state government has been urging institutions to produce more opportunities for students to learn information technology, according to Brooks. Currently, there are many programs that teach software development, but these programs do not examine the way the software is received by users or the development of information technology. When Mike Eisenburg of the School of Library and Information Science joined the University, development of an undergraduate major began that would service many of the students interested in the human aspect of technology. The informatics major is the result of Eisenburg's and the department's work. Students will study a range of information systems from simple systems, which support personal information management, to complex systems that involve vast databases of current information. Informatics students will analyze everyday information behavior, national and global information policy, and the management of formal information systems in organizations. In their senior year, students will do independent fieldwork as well.

The iSchool is pleased to announce a new degree program beginning Autumn 2001. The Master of Science in Information Management (MSIM) is a 47-credit mid-career course of study that is administered on Fridays and Saturdays. The MSIM program is a mid-career program focusing on users and the use of information. Prospective students are management professionals who desire more exposure to information technology, information technology professionals aspiring to information management responsibilities, and mid-career library and information science professionals who want to further their education and advance professionally.

I worked as a student assistant in the UW libraries for almost my entire undergrad career. I remember wanting to go to library school when I graduated in '92, but it was a time when the future of library schools was uncertain so I decided to wait. Six years later, I was back at the UW, this time as a staff member, and Mike Eisenberg had just been appointed director. What I saw and heard from about what he was doing at the library school made me eager to apply. After I was accepted, I was SO excited about finally being able to take a class at Suzzallo Library, but it was not to be. On my first day of class, I walked down the concrete halls of the old Engineering Building. But spending my last year in Mary Gates Hall and especially working with Raya Fidel, the goddess of information seeking behavior, made it all worthwhile. My entire education at the school was one of transition: a new building, a new curriculum, a new program name, and a new look at the world of library and information science. It's an experience I hold as one of my greatest treasures. -Stephanie Wright, Class of 2001

The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks shocked and saddened us all. But as recovery began, the world sought information to explain what had happened and to understand its causes and ramifications. Libraries and information professionals responded swiftly and with compassion. Within days of the tragedies, the University of Washington posted two Web pages that tied in with on-campus lectures and discussions that addressed the events and their implications. The UW libraries' page, http://www.lib.washington.edu/about/sept11/, provides links to further information on current news, background, campus events and reading lists. At http://www.washington.edu/oue/sept11/, UW administration, faculty and students react and respond. “We can take some consolation from the conviction that the preservation, advancement and dissemination of knowledge are powerful means of striving for a world in which despicable acts of terrorism do not take place,” UW President Richard McCormick writes. Many other UW personalities offer statements on the events, and links are provided for information about related campus activities, counseling and other services. On Sept. 18, Cheryl Nyberg, a reference librarian at the UW’s Gallagher Law Library, posted a Web page entitled “September 11 Tragedy: News and Information Sources” (lib.law.washington.edu/ref/sept11.html). “We tried to be pro-active,” she explained. “When an event like this happens, people will turn to the Internet for information. Our job as librarians is to organize that information and make it as useful as possible.” Nyberg noted that the UW law library has posted Web resource pages for other legal topics in the news, such as the Microsoft antitrust case. The Sept. 11 page, however, has provoked the most response, attracting about 2,200 hits in its first three months. It also got the attention of the American Library Association’s Office for Diversity, which featured the UW Web page on its own Web site (http://www.ala.org/diversity) as a model for what libraries can do to respond to the heightened demand for Sept. 11-related information.

The first Bachelor of Science in Infomratics degrees awarded.

Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission (UGM) is well known for its work with the urban homeless population, but the public isn’t as aware of UGM’s Youth Reach Out Center (YROC) in the Columbia City neighborhood south of I-90. This UGM division provides off-the-street activities for area youth, with athletic, artistic, educational and spiritual programs for more than 300. One of its biggest wish-list items has been development of a library. In response to UGM’s request for assistance, students from the iSchool’s Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) program are helping to make that wish come true. Eric Riley, a second-year MLIS student, is heading the group, working with other MLIS students including Ann Margaret Thompson, Jane Tyrrell, Teresa Jones, Monica Jackson and Sameera Khalifa. To get started, the UW team wrote a project outline and a master plan for developing the collection. “The project is extremely challenging,” Riley said. “How often do you get to build a library from scratch?” With the groundwork laid, the students are ready for more tangible tasks. During the winter 2002 quarter, the MLIS student team plans to implement an online catalog system, establish a Web presence for the library and organize preliminary acquisition of donated books and other materials. “We are not officially accepting book donations yet, because we don’t have any real mechanism to collect them,” Riley said. “However, we may begin collecting midway through the winter 2002 quarter.” There is currently no projected date for the library’s grand opening. “They will have to do a number of fundraising activities first,” Riley explained. “The library, which will be located in the Columbia City YROC facility, will be part of a renovation that will convert currently used warehousing space into the library and classrooms.”

Pets can help children learn about life, love and death. Two University of Washington Information School faculty members are studying whether robotic pets can also do these things, or whether they fall short when it comes to stimulating a preschooler’s moral and intellectual growth. The researchers—Batya Friedman, chair of the Informatics degree program with a joint appointment in Computer Science and Engineering, and her husband Peter Kahn, a researcher associate professor in the Psychology Department with an adjunct appointment in the Information School—say their findings could affect how society views not just these sophisticated interactive toys but also the growing array of other “smart” devices that chatter at people in their homes and cars. “Given its multi-disciplinary aspects, it is sometimes difficult to find a home for this kind of research,” notes UW Information School Associate Dean Harry Bruce. “But Friedman and Kahn’s project is perfect for the iSchool, because their concerns match those of our faculty and staff—ensuring that information and technologies, whether they come from a book or a complex information technology system, truly meet the needs of the people who use them. Information devices of the future will come in many forms, yes even as robot dogs. At the Information School, we bring a human-centered approach and sensitivity to issues regarding information in all its new forms.” In the Friedman-Kahn study, 80 preschoolers spend 40 minutes apiece with Aibo, Sony’s $1,500 computerized canine, while researchers ask questions and observe. The youngsters (ages 3 through 5) cuddle and “train” Aibo much as they would a real dog. Missing, say the researchers, are the feedback and consequences that come with handling a live animal. While a toy, Aibo and its brethren have gotten increasingly lifelike, thanks to voice recognition software and sensors that allow them to “learn” and interact. Even young children know Aibo is not alive, but its fluid movements, realistic responses and simulated emotions make it different from a doll. “With a stuffed animal, children tend to have a rich fantasy life,” Friedman says. “Aibo can confuse the boundaries between what’s real and imaginary, because the children get clues that prompt a real social rapport. “In coming years,” she continues, “robotic pets will become more technologically sophisticated and more animal-like. As they do, our research suggests, they will evoke more and more psychological responses from humans. But is that a good thing?” “We have concerns about what happens when children fall prey to accepting robotic companionship without the developmental benefits that real companionship involves,” adds Kahn.

The first Master of Science in Information Management degrees were awarded.

The iSchool Research Commons opens in the Roosevelt Commons Building in the University District. The research space provides the School with an additional 8,000 square feet of labs and office.

The iSchool co-sponsors the first conference ever on the subject of how to use information technology to help the justice systembecome more accessible, fair and equitable to all.

The iSchool confers its first Ph.D. degree to Joseph Tennis.

Mike Crandall has seen the growth of his field and the Information School from both sides now. A 1986 University of Washington graduate in Library and Information Science, Crandall returned as adjunct faculty in 2002 and was named full-time senior lecturer and chair of the Masters of Science in Information Management (MSIM) program earlier this year. In between his campus stops, the 56-year-old Crandall worked for two icons of Washington industry, Boeing and Microsoft, and then as technology manager for the U.S. Library program of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Born in Ann Arbor, Mich., Crandall grew up in Los Angeles and received his bachelor’s degree in geology from California’s Pomona College in 1969. After moving to Seattle for graduate work in oceanography at the UW, he ended up working as engineering geologist for eight years on projects involving landslide correction, foundations for houses and large office buildings, fish hatchery design, bridge foundations and more. He later moved to the San Juan Islands and started the first retail bicycle store there. In one of his quiet winter moments, he read Jeremy Campbell’s Grammatical Man, which got him fascinated with the pervasiveness of information in all aspects of the world. Wanting to explore further, he started UW’s MLIS program in 1985. “My hope was to explore the impact of personal computers and the implications of the burgeoning individual access to digital information,” Crandall recalls. After graduating, he joined Boeing as a research librarian, and his interest in electronic information led to his development of Boeing’s first distribution systems for published digital information through the company e-mail system. He later led development of the Boeing Technical Library’s first web site and the company’s first intranet search engine. At Microsoft, Crandall developed a shared-taxonomy management system and search-engine strategy for MSWeb, the company’s internal portal. He moved to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in late 2000 to manage support and technology strategy for the U.S. Library program, which installed and supported more than 40,000 computers and Internet connections in 11,000 public library buildings throughout the country. You were a graduate student at the UW in the mid-1980s and returned as a full-time faculty member nearly 20 years later. How have things changed? What attracted me to UW was the opportunity to study the effects of the exploding access to information as the Information Age began to expand in our society. When I attended the MLIS program, there were perhaps a half-dozen faculty members and around 170 students in a two-year program, and that was it. The computer lab had just been established and consisted of a couple PCs and lots of CD-ROMs (along with a thermal line printer!!!). Coming back, the changes are spectacular. Almost 40 faculty, with an incredibly wide range of research and teaching interests, are now part of the school, with many more adjunct faculty and research affiliates adding to that range. We have nearly 600 students in four degree programs, ranging from the undergraduate Informatics program to the Information Science Ph.D. program. The research activity of the faculty is incredibly well supported and varied, as evidenced by the Center for Human Information Interaction, the many symposia convened by the faculty and the grants received every year. The iSchool has also partnered successfully with other departments and UW Educational Outreach to offer certificate programs for continuing education and post-graduate study. How have you changed? When I started my master’s program, I was a complete novice in the world of information and technology. After more than 20 years working in the field, I’m starting to understand a few things, but still am completely in awe of the transformation that has happened in that short time. I am equally in awe of the immensity of the challenges we face in the realm of information. I’m more excited than ever about the possibilities that have opened up through this change, but also very concerned about the implications it has for our societies and the world in general. More than ever, I see a need for all of us to study the constantly changing universe of information and try to understand how and why it works, doesn’t work, contributes or detracts from our growth as a community of information producers and users. The fabric of all our lives has become so entwined with information that everything we do depends upon it, and our future will be determined by how well we can understand information design, behavior and patterns. I’m more engaged in this pursuit than ever, and find the iSchool and its community the perfect place for that exploration. And how has your profession changed? The advent of the Web, and the broad availability of information services and information to the general public (at least in the developed world) has radically altered the conception of what a library is, and what librarians do. The core skills and knowledge that were gained in the many years prior to this change have become key to the Information Age, but the understanding of how libraries and librarians fit into that picture is not as clear. I am particularly excited about the MSIM program, because it takes those skills and that knowledge and moves them into other areas that greatly need them—the traditional IT world and the world of information management are struggling with the same issues that librarians have worked on for centuries, and they can benefit greatly from that wealth of knowledge and experience. On the other hand, I also see a crossroads for libraries. How can we redefine the essence of what a library is in a world where people are drowning in information and have lost sight of the core purpose of libraries as a center of community? I think these two pathways are essential for the future of our societies—taking the core of library and information science out into the community and using it to transform other professions and institutions, but also bringing libraries into the center of the information stage again through a better engagement with the entire community. You worked for two icons of Washington industry, Boeing and Microsoft. How do they differ in their approach to information management, and in their corporate cultures? Boeing, of course, is much older and more mature as a company, and the internal processes and organizational structures reflect that. Microsoft is newer and more nimble, an organization born in the Information Age and a product of it. Their products are extremely different as well, both in terms of the regulatory environment surrounding them and in the substance (Boeing produces things, Microsoft produces ideas). Given those fairly substantial differences, the two organizations face many of the same challenges in managing their information, and have taken surprisingly similar approaches. If I were to characterize the main difference, I would say that Boeing—because it has more legacy information to deal with, and because it has to meet Department of Defense and Federal Aviation Administration regulatory compliance requirements—is probably a little more cautious in trying new ideas and approaches, and certainly in implementing them across the company without thorough testing and exploration. Microsoft, because its core products center on information, is more likely to try something internally on a larger scale because it has to make sure its products work—this is the famous “dog food” approach. This difference results in a more rapid adoption of new practices at Microsoft, and a faster-paced change cycle, but the end results are often not that far apart in terms of organizational impact. I am very interested to see how Microsoft changes as it moves into the more mature phase of its lifecycle (which is happening now) and becomes more like Boeing, with legacy products, increased regulation and increasing diversity of workforce and organizational structure. After two decades in the corporate world, why did you decide to teach full-time? I actually went back to school in the early 70’s (Western Washington University) to get a secondary teaching certificate, and when I lived in the San Juan Islands I taught elementary and high school. I also taught at community colleges periodically and at City University when I worked at Boeing. I’ve always enjoyed teaching and working with students to open up doors into new worlds of thought and practice, and I find it a rewarding and challenging experience. The MSIM program has been a wonderful chance to engage with bright people who are eager to learn and explore an area that I have spent a great deal of time working in and thinking about. How could you ask for something better than a chance to talk with people who are smart, interested and passionate about the same things that you are?

When Joanne Euster graduated with a Master’s of Library Science degree from the University of Washington in 1968, war raged in Vietnam, gas was 30 cents a gallon and an electric typewriter was high tech. When her daughter Lisa Euster soon finishes her UW MLIS degree 38 years later, a war rages in Iraq, gas tops $3 a gallon, and software converts typed documents—or even bad handwriting—into digital files. More than ever in the fast-changing world we live in, information is power, and knowing how to access and manage information effectively are is essential to society. Originally from Oregon, Joanne earned her undergraduate degree at Portland State in 1965 and her master’s in 1968 from what was then the School of Librarianship in the UW’s Graduate School. She later returned to the UW for an MBA in 1977 and received her Ph.D. from University of California-Berkeley in 1986. After finishing her MLIS degree, Joanne became assistant librarian at Edmonds Community College, beginning a 29-year career in academic libraries. She was later director of university libraries at Rutgers University and University of California-Irvine, from which she retired in 1997. A specialist in library organization and management, she reorganized academic library systems at Rutgers, San Francisco State, Loyola University (New Orleans) and UC-Irvine and sat on many library and community boards. “Joanne is thoughtful, considerate and always prepared to go the extra mile to make sure that things get done the way they’re supposed to be done,” said Joe Boissé of the University of California-Santa Barbara, who worked with Euster in a number of venues and succeeded her as president of the Association of College and Research Libraries. Upon retiring she moved to back to Seattle, where she lives near Green Lake with her husband Stephen Gerhardt (MLIS 1965). She now does a lot of traveling, gardening and volunteer work for the Seattle Repertory Theatre, for the past two years as president of SRO, the theater company’s volunteer association. She has three grown daughters from her first marriage, all of whom live in the Seattle area. Lisa, the youngest, graduated from Seattle’s Garfield High School, earned her B.A. in anthropology from the UW in 1983, and raised and home-schooled her two girls. She began the MLIS program in June 2002 and is currently working on her graduate portfolio, her last degree requirement. After working as a page in the King County Library System and as a volunteer in other public libraries, she originally intended to become a public librarian upon graduating, but her volunteer work for Seattle’s Museum of History and Industry has her thinking about a career in special libraries. “Or academic libraries might be nice,” she adds. “I understand the key to finding a job is being flexible. I’ll see what’s there.” iNews caught up with the Eusters as Joanne was getting ready for a trip to Africa and Lisa had just returned from dropping off her older daughter for her senior year in college. Joanne, you were a librarian from 1968 through 1997. How did the profession change over that time? When I began at the School, a few older faculty still talked about how great it was not to hand-write catalog cards anymore. For me, however, those catalog cards were always hard to keep in the typewriter, and I was glad !for pre-printed cards. The computer Technology revolution was right around the corner, and since then the explosion of technology and the increase in information published has been phenomenal. I can remember being told that a bigger university or public library didn’t select, it simply acquired. That’s just not possible anymore. Now I’m told that eEven the Library of Congress has to be semi-selective. And libraries are so expensive to run because of the information explosion and the growth of library technology to run that the librarian’s role has changed. The library director used to be a scholar, but now being a scholar is no longer a useful qualification for running a complex, multi-million-dollar organization. What do those who are training now to be librarians need to know? Joanne: Some needs haven’t changed. There are still basic things you have to know: organizing information, reference skills, matching collections to user needs, and basic information technology. Beyond that, I emphasize problem-solving abilities, the ability to work effectively in groups, and communication skills, especially in writing. If you can write clearly, you are thinking clearly. Lisa: They need to know their resources, of course, but they also need people skills, especially knowing how to listen. When I answer a reference inquiry for the Museum of History and Industry, I always re-read the question again before I send back the answer. Librarians can provide great information, but if they weren’t clear on the question to start with, the information will not be relevant. Teaching ability, being able to instruct both staff and patrons, is also important, as are managerial skills. We all have to manage somebody, sometime. It’s important to be able to get your staff on board; if you try to be a little dictator, you won’t get very far. Why did each of you decide to become a librarian? Joanne: My motivation was really bad. I had a friend who worked at a reference desk at the Portland Public Library. All he did all day was read and read and read. I thought, “What a perfect job!” Of course, it didn’t exactly turn out to be like that! It has been a phenomenally interesting field for me, and keeps getting more exciting all the time. Lisa: It seemed like a job where I could do some good and also stay solvent. Information is important, and knowing how to use it is important for the empowerment of people. What was the library program like when you entered the UW? Joanne: We moved from Portland to Seattle so I could go to library school; Oregon didn’t have one. Irving Lieberman was the ddirector then, and he really gave us a sense of professionalism. For years afterward I felt like I had a little “Irving doll” sitting on my shoulder telling me how important it was to be professional and emphasize the importance of libraries. He was an amazing man——terrifying to me, as a shy rank beginner,, but a wonderful role model. Courses were not interrelated, except for the introductory course, which Dr. Lieberman taught, and there was little connection to the campus or the community. Field work was four weeks during the last semester before graduation. Lisa: There was a backbone of core courses that provided a framework to hang things on, so you can see how the information life cycle is connected—why cataloging is important, for example, even if you’re not that interested in cataloging. The introductory courses had a lot of the instructors in to talk to us, and you could learn who they were and what they did, so when you read the course schedule it wasn’t just another name. Is being a mother and daughter going through the same academic program anything like Ken Griffey Jr. following his father into baseball or President Bush following his father? Lisa: It’s more like (former U.S. Surgeon General) C. Everett Koop having a nurse’s aide for a daughter. Really, what Mom and I do is not very much the same: Mom became a manager very quickly. I don’t anticipate getting on the fast track into management. Joanne: Directors don’t do anything but administrate. In terms of doing the actual tasks of librarianship, the staff will tell you we don’t know how to do anything, and in a way they are mostly right. It’s pretty different. Mike Eisenberg is stepping down as dean after seven years of significant transformation for the Information School. What do you think the legacy of this era will be? Lisa: The scope of the school broadened in many ways: up-to-date technology, more programs. In particular, the Ph.D. program has been a great thing for the Master’s students. The doctoral candidates are a real inspiration: great role models, good leaders, good instructors. They’re all very smart, dedicated and work hard on interesting, important projects. They are people you’ll hear about later. Joanne: His greatest accomplishment is growing it into a full-fledged school with undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs. A stand-alone master’s program just doesn’t have that level of academic stature on campus. I’m also impressed by his ability to bring in outside funding for research and teaching assistantships. Previous directors (they weren’t called deans then) were well connected with the library community, but not so well with the campus community at large. Lisa: The interest in being part of the community goes both ways. The iSchool is also more involved off campus, doing things that are useful to the community.

The University of Washington’s Information School has embraced diversity in enrollment, hiring and curriculum, and also as a critical component in the information field and the training of future professionals. The Boeing Informatics Diversity Scholarships, bestowed for the first time this year, provide a great boost for that commitment. “Recruitment, retention and success of underrepresented populations in the information field is critical to the Information School, the University of Washington, the profession and the larger community, “ says Mariko Navin, iSchool director of undergraduate student services. “In particular, the undergraduate Informatics program has actively recruited minority and underrepresented student populations on and off campus. We hope—and expect—that our effort to build long-term relationships with campus groups already working with underrepresented students (such as the Office of Minority Affairs and the Women’s Center) will bring students up the pipeline. Scholarships such as Boeing’s really support that effort.” “We can accomplish much more if we bring varied viewpoints and experience to the workplace,” says Cristina McHugh, a spokesperson for the Boeing Company, explaining Boeing’s interest in encouraging both education and diversity in the workplace. “We must be able to offer present and future employees the advantages of a creative, harmonious, inclusive environment. This will allow us to attract talent, improve quality performance and come up with the innovative products, services and solutions we need to be competitive in a global economy.” The largest technology employer and private employer in Washington, Boeing supports higher education through partnering with schools such as the UW and also contributes $3 million annually statewide for children’s education. The two $3,000 Boeing Informatics Diversity Scholarships are the first the company has ever granted to the Information School. “Awarded on the basis of both merit and financial need, they are intended to reward achievement and to provide critical financial support, “ Navin says. “Recipients will be able to reduce work hours to allow more time to focus on studies, purchase computer equipment, or pay for tuition, fees, books and transportation.” “This scholarship is a tremendous benefit and a great source of inspiration for me,” says inaugural recipient Yared Ayele, a UW senior who immigrated to Seattle from Ethiopia 10 years ago. “Boeing’s financial support will enable me to concentrate more on my schoolwork and pursue my research interests without having to worry about finances for a while.” Zoila Sedano, a UW junior from Manson, Wash., near Lake Chelan, would have spent last summer working alongside her Mexican-American family in the orchards and processing plants if she had not received the other inaugural Boeing scholarship. Instead, she was able to remain in Seattle, work with iSchool Professor Melody Ivory-Ndiaye on the Universal Benefit from Information Technology (UBIT) research program and take a course in Web tools and development. “I love designing Web pages and wanted to improve my skills, but I didn’t have the money,” she says. “The scholarship made it possible to take the course, work full-time to save money and experience the research internship. I am working on the IT Perception study, which analyzes people’s experiences and attitudes towards information technology, and helped create the Web page that explains what all of the interns did to make this study possible (http://ubit.ischool.washington.edu/techstudy). I truly believe this scholarship will help me fulfill my dreams.” Beyond the financial implications, both Boeing scholarship recipients appreciate the significance of diversity in their awards. Sedano, first in her family to attend college, notes that her parents made sure their four children learned both English and Spanish. “Being bilingual and bicultural is a great advantage for me,” she says. “Now I am a person who can interact with two different cultures and be able to get down to business without any difficulties. This is an important step towards personal success.” “I am passionate about the technical aspects Informatics, but I am more interested in the social aspect and its profound effect on people around the world,” adds Ayele, who was 12 and could not speak English when he and his father arrived in Seattle, seven years before his mother and three siblings were able to join them. “I feel really honored to have received this in the name of ‘diversity.’ I received it at a time I was really thinking about diversity, equality, equal opportunity and globalization, as I had just returned from first-hand exposure to these issues in South Africa.” Studying in Capetown in winter 2005, Ayele encountered the other side of the digital divide. “The school I was assigned to had a functional computer lab but lacked the technology and educational resources to effectively use it,” he explains. “The lab had 25 computers, but no educational software and materials that could be used for teaching. I was relying on simple, self-made slides and animations to teach basic skills to students with no prior exposure to computers. Imagine trying to teach the concept of the ‘mouse’ using PowerPoint slides—not to mention the language and cultural barriers.” The experience inevitably made Ayele compare his South African students with those he mentored in computer activities in American high schools. “The American students have abundant resources, school facilities and economic support, and yet they lack the motivation and enthusiasm to take full advantage of it,” he observes. “They often have to be pushed to take advantage of the resources that are available to them. The South African students, despite the lack of resources, poverty and financial problems that characterize life in the townships, are optimistic, hard working and full of life and laughter. Unlike their American counterparts, they are determined to take advantage of every possible opportunity available to them at school. I thought about creating an environment in which students in both countries could learn together.” Ayele is now developing a Capstone project proposal for a computer instruction program that will link high school students in Capetown and Seattle. “My idea is to create a program that is sustainable and able to create a two-way exchange of cultures, resources and experiences between students and organizations in both countries,” he says. “My experience in South Africa helped me reflect on my own experience trying to adapt to a new country that I was abruptly exposed to at a young age. My first exposure to computers came at a Seattle public library soon after my arrival. The library not only gave me access to computers, but also helped me alleviate my separation anxiety.” Both Boeing Scholarship recipients envision mixing technology and social service in their professional careers. “Working with technology is exciting and has endless possibilities,” Sedano says. “It is changing and evolving faster all the time. After graduating, I would like a position where I can apply the skills that I learned in the university, and also go out to communities and speak with high school students about college and the information technology field. I would like to help them see why they should go to college, to give them a little motivation and to help them see that education is the path to success.” “Technology can be a positive catalyst in our society, not only for social change, but also as a tool for encouraging cultural interaction and understanding between people across the globe,” Ayele says. “My future ambition is to work in an organization that strives to bring these changes to disadvantaged communities and Third World countries.”

Our beloved Beverly Cleary, famous iSchool alumna and creator of the lovable Ramona Quimby, celebrated her 90th birthday last April. The iSchool and the UW Alumni Association hosted “Ramona Forever,” an event to honor Beverly’s birthday and to introduce Dr.Lynne McKechnie, the first Visiting Cleary Professor in Children and Youth Services. Beverly Cleary earned a degree in librarianship in 1939 from the UW Information School. Her first job was as a librarian in Yakima, Washington, where she met many children who were searching for the same books that she had always hoped to find as a child herself. She wrote her first book, Henry Huggins, which was published in 1950, and she won the Newbery Award in1983 for Dear Mr. Henshaw. With 39 books under her belt, Beverly published her most recent book, Ramona’s World, seven years ago at the young age of 83. Her books are available in 14 languages in over20 countries. Cleary received the Library of Congress Living Legends Award in the “Writers and Artists” category in April 2000for her significant contributions to America’s cultural heritage. The Hollywood branch of the Multnomah County library, near where she lived as a child, has created a map on their lobby wall of Henry Huggins’ Klickitat Street neighborhood, and statues of her beloved characters Ramona, Henry Huggins, and Huggins’ dog Ribsy can be found in Grant Park in Portland, Oregon. In 2004, the iSchool completed fundraising for a Beverly Cleary Endowed Professorship for Children and Youth Services to honor Beverly’s work and commitment to librarianship. What’s next for Beverly? Well, according to an article in Vanity Fair (July 24, 2006), she has some notes on a new book. The iSchool caught up with Beverly this summer to see if we might learn more about her future projects and hear her thoughts on being interviewed by VF senior articles editor, Bruce Handy. “I do have some notes on a new book,” said Beverly, “but it’s unlikely I will write it.” She added that she was pleased with Mr. Handy’s article and described the interview as a “pleasant occasion.” Here’s hoping Beverly — and Ramona — will embark on more exciting adventures in 2007.

A “digital divide” separates participants in the revolution in information and technology from those who are not. It happens across international borders, and it happens within any community in which economic and social barriers separate people. At the first phase of the U.N. World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), held in Geneva in 2003, world leaders declared their commitment to turning this digital divide into a digital opportunity for all, particularly for those who risk being left behind and further marginalized. Information School Assistant Professor Karine Barzilai-Nahon was a key member of the Israeli delegation to the second phase of WSIS, held in Tunisia in November 2005. “The WSIS was the first real attempt for countries and other stakeholders to convene and try to solve issues that concern the information society, such as free speech on the Internet, access to content, localization mechanisms, xenophobia and more,” Barzilai-Nahon says. “While representing Israel as the academic director of its delegation, I also participated in the conference as an iSchool researcher, and I strongly felt the iSchool’s moral and social support.” The objective of the Tunis summit was to put Geneva’s Plan of Action into motion and to find solutions to the remaining stumbling blocks. Nearly 50 heads of government and vice-presidents and 197 ministers, vice ministers and deputy ministers from 174 countries attended, as well as high-level representatives from international organizations, the private sector, and civil society. Overall, more than 19,000 participants attended the summit and related events. The summit adopted a Statement of Commitment and an Agenda for the Information Society and Barzilai-Nahon notes two other major developments. “The WSIS created an international implementation mechanism, moderated and facilitated by U.N. agencies when appropriate,” she says. “The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) are expected to play leading facilitating roles in formal global information society processes. “Most importantly, WSIS created a new international body called the Internet Governance Group (IGF) with a mandate to facilitate discourse on these issues,” she continues. “The group was a result of a conflict in which the European Union and other countries asked to move control of Internet governance away from the U.S. and suggested, among other things, internationalization of Internet governance as an alternative. The compromise was leaving the situation as is, but constructing the IGF, which will advise and suggest policy in this area.” Barzilai-Nahon, who has doctoral, master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Tel-Aviv University, held senior positions in research and development in high-tech companies in Israel and San Francisco before joining the UW faculty in 2004. She teaches information policy and ethics and focuses her research on information politics and social aspects of technological changes. Her specialties include information control on the Internet, particularly in virtual communities, and tools for measuring the digital divide. During the three formal days of the summit, Barzilai-Nahon organized the Israeli delegation’s panels and worked on delegate committees that attempted to reconcile disagreements and make sure that all participating countries approved the summit’s accords. “Task groups worked until the small hours trying to bridge disagreements, and it was fascinating to see how decisions are made behind the scenes,” she recalls. “One of the conflicts revolved around free speech in the media. The debate was whether to anchor this subject around national or international laws. Most of the developing countries preferred using national laws, since some of them do not permit a large degree of free speech, while most of the developed countries preferred international mechanisms for regulation of free speech. Finally, when the summit closing was approaching, they decided on a vague formula as an exit from the conflict (‘We reaffirm our commitment to the freedom to seek, receive, impart and use information’).” Beyond its global importance, Barzilai-Nahon found the summit professionally valuable in several ways. “I met many colleagues from other countries from academia, public administration and business,” she explains. “Encountering and exchanging information with colleagues from countries that Israel does not have any relations with was fascinating and moving as well.” Things she experienced outside of the formal framework of the conference affected her as much if not more than the summit itself, she says. “It was fascinating to see the daily life in a rather wealthy society that is still under an authoritarian regime,” Barzilai-Nahon explains. “For example, Tunis was closed to free movement during the summit – when our bus passed, the streets were evacuated. It was strange to drive a usually noisy street and see it quiet.” Barzilai-Nahon left Tunis with mixed emotions about the summit’s accomplishments. “The fact that all the countries sat around the same table for three years negotiating issues concerning access and use of information and technology is encouraging,” she says. “Nevertheless, I am sorry to say that I bring a more pessimistic perspective to the table regarding bridging the digital divide. The concept comprises so many levels of analysis and different factors that it feels almost patronizing to say we are closer to bridging it in actual means. The problems are different and contingent upon the context: In the First World, bridging the digital divide would come in terms of improving skills; in the Third World, the bridge could be just having one computer in a village. “Gaps have always existed and will continue to exist – socially, politically and economically” she continues. “I do believe in the iSchool statement preaching ‘information for all.’ My perspective may be pessimistic, but I think as information scientists and leaders we should take a big role in helping wherever we can through research and education. Although it is a small drop in the ocean, as the saying goes, ‘Saving one soul is saving a whole world.’”

UW Today profiles the rapid expansion of the Information School in over the past decade, and its unique academic tradition: "A decade ago, with much fanfare, the UW undertook a study of what should happen to what was known at the time as the Graduate School of Library and Information Sciences. A distinguished group of educators and administrators, dubbed the "Futures Committee," looked around at the resources that were available on campus and in the community. They issued a bold plan, calling for the re-creation of the school as a vital piece of the Information Age in a city known as one of this age's capital cities. At that time, the Library School, founded in 1911, had a core of just six faculty and two staff. It offered only a master's degree. It had a loyal following among its alumni, but its reputation could be regarded as a closely-held secret. Fast forward to 2006. The Information School, known colloquially as the iSchool, now has 40 faculty members and a staff of about 30. It offers an undergraduate major, two master's programs, a doctoral degree and distance education. An iSchool degree has become hot property, with its graduates prized by many of the region's high-tech companies. Recent rankings in US News & World Report, while hardly the sine qua non for an academic unit, indicate its reputation among peers: overall, the school placed fourth nationally, while six of its programs were judged to be in the top 10." Read the full story »

Relying on easy-to-measure factors like how many Internet access points a place has presents a simplistic picture of today's digital divide. A more sophisticated approach is needed to get an honest assessment of who is being left behind, according to Karine Nahon, an assistant professor at the University of Washington Information School. Read the full article at UW Today.

Phillip Endicott is no stranger to the Seattle-area arts and culture scene, having held strategic jobs with successful endeavors including the Columbia City Farmers Market, Consolidated Works (a multi-disciplinary arts center), the Seattle Men’s Chorus, and On the Boards, a theater group. He’s also worked in the high-tech arena while at Festivals.com and habit.com. But it took a graduate internship and one of the biggest arts events in Seattle’s recent history to finally combine his experience in the arts with his interest in technology. The Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park, which opened Jan. 20, 2007, at the north end of the Seattle waterfront, has transformed a nine-acre industrial site into a beautifully landscaped space for outdoor sculpture with incredible views of the Space Needle, downtown, the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound. Admission is free. Endicott’s internship, which began in September 2006, originally focused on launching and expanding the park’s website (http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/visit/OSP), which serves as its primary communications link and information source for staff, media, and the public. But getting the site up and running was only the first part of Endicott’s objective. “I’ve been sifting through hundreds of digital images and documents to create an organizational structure and to feed the website, but I’m also hoping the site will support a ‘virtual gallery’ that will provide access to information about artists, artwork, and well, tons of related information, a chronicle of the park,” he explains. For his Capstone Project, Endicott wants to take the Olympic Sculpture Park’s website to a higher level of service and intricacy, utilizing technology and database software to coordinate and manage the growing collection of images, video, audio and documents about the art, artists, and development of the park. Using a web-based interface, he plans to develop a multi-media experience to engage museum visitors interested in learning more about the art and culture, stories and history of the park. Museum staff will also be able to use the website’s organizational structure to deposit, store, and retrieve data, and to digitize and store documents and pictures to make them easily accessible. “The virtual visit will be an incredibly valuable tool for families planning visits to the park, students conducting research, and teachers wanting to connect youth to art in new and exciting ways,” says Endicott, whose internship with SAM will continue into the Spring quarter.

Dean Emeritus of the Information School Mike Eisenberg begins working with the wider UW community, to help establish a new Office of Information Management. The new office addresses several issues. According to an article in UW Today, "the University... had heretofore chosen a highly decentralized and incremental approach to information management and to its administrative systems that support the UW's core operations (including student, human resources/payroll, finance and research). Among its other recommendations, [Eisenberg's task force] called for better tools to enable sharing of information across the University, as well as a strategic planning process to assure that the institution's needs are being met." Read the full article at UW Today.

Professor William Jones and his team designed the Personal Project Planner because participants in their studies complained that their day-to-day information is parked in too many places: multiple computers, multiple phones, multiple e-mail accounts, multiple software tools and Web applications. The Personal Project Planner expands and reshapes as information is added. The planner works with existing software applications to organize not only documents but also email messages, Web pages, informal notes and other kinds of information. The Personal Project Planner is part of the Keeping Found Things Found personal information management research project. It is funded by the National Science Foundation. Read the original article at UW Today.

A new center based at the Information School launches, with the goal of promoting interdisciplinary research around internet and communication technology in the developing world. You can visit the Information & Society Center website, or read more about the center at UW Today.

Joe and Jill McKinstry create an endowment, paying in-state tuition costs for an Information School student planning a career in academic librarianship and coming from an underrepresented population. Read the full story at UW Today.

As information gatherers, the Net Generation has distinctive ways of reading and learning. When the digital age emerged, Dr. Eliza T. Dresang, the University of Washington Information School’s Beverly Cleary Professor in Children and Youth Services, fast became one of the nation’s leading experts on the Net Generation and its information behavior. Unlike generations that preceded it, the Net Generation benefits from a seemingly endless variety of media, much of it in digitized form. But what many fail to recognize, according to Dresang, is that children’s literature in handheld print format also has changed radically in the digital age. Many also fail to appreciate the dynamic synergy between print and digitized media or the social nature of their use that transforms learning for today’s youth.

Wanna Net, MLIS graduate, is one of very few Western-credentialed librarians in Cambodia. His goal is to expand libraries in a culture where they haven't been cherished centers of education. At the Royal University in Phnom Penh, Net will help plan a 26,000-square-foot addition to the Hun Sen Library, which will double its current space. Read more about Wanna Net's story at Columns.

For homeless youth, access to computers is far from an everyday occurrence. Yet self-reflection, greater confidence and positive change are likely outcomes when homeless young people begin to develop technology and life skills. Homeless youth served by Street Youth Ministries (SYM) in the University District now participate in technology literacy and life skills classes offered in collaboration with the UW iSchool. The project illustrates how social service agencies can expand program designs so they better integrate with the values and behaviors of those they serve. Basic computer skills, for example, are necessary to build a resume, find a job website or complete online employment applications. Everyday life skills are just as crucial for homeless youth, so the SYM curriculum combines low-barrier technology skills with ways to work on issues that might prevent youth from setting and achieving their next goals. Rowena Harper, SYM’s executive director, emphasizes that fundamental computer skills are often lacking among homeless youth. Classes that might help them interact with technology also could make it easier for them to navigate obstacles they may have as a result of their past, Harper suggests.

Assistant Research Professor Maria Garrido, leading a team of European researchers, survey over 375 immigrant and 155 native-born women in five countries. One of the countries in the study, Romania, marks the 50th country in which the Technology & Social Change Group (TASCHA) has conducted field work.

The study, "Immigrant women, e-skills, and employability in Europe", uncovers how immigrant women use technology to increase their employability prospects, and the pivotal role non-governmental organizations play in fostering their social, economic, and cultural integration. This study was used by the European Union to inform new policies and programs. Neelie Kroes, European Commission vice president, responsible for the Digital Agenda, is pictured.

It’s remarkable how couples meet and somehow things connect. Similar interests, values, smarts and looks are typically part of the mix. Yet what draws two people together and triggers love? According to John Gottman, professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Washington and renowned researcher on couples’ interactions, friendship is the superglue that bonds couples together. How two people become a couple is another matter, though. iSchool Associate Professor Terry Brooks takes pride in the fact that Ellen and Fred Hanson (both MLib ’94) first met in his class 16 years ago. Even today when he sees them, Brooks introduces the Hansons as the couple who found one another in his class. There were only 13 students in that first class with Brooks in summer 1993 and, as fate would have it, Fred and Ellen sat near one another on the very first day. Had they waited until fall to start their librarianship studies, there would have been 80 in that same class. Ellen and Fred, both in their 40s at the time, spent the better part of that summer in classes together. She had worked 20 years as a teacher in Port Orchard before she decided to become a librarian. He had spent 20 years as a pipefitter for Longview Fibre Paper and Packaging. “The move to go to graduate school in the big city was a life-changing event for a country girl from a little farm town,” Ellen says. Yet she was weary of teaching and her school district offered a year’s sabbatical with half pay and benefits, an opportunity she couldn’t ignore. When he began to think about switching careers, Fred says, he was encouraged to visit with a library school student named Sally Nash in Long Beach. She affirmed his choice of a career as a librarian. She also told him it would be a great way to meet women. “I told her ‘I don’t want to meet women, I want to get a library degree,’” he recalls. Both Ellen and Fred clearly were committed to finding new careers as librarians. “I was intense, so focused and taking a lot of classes,” Ellen remembers. “I didn’t have time to think about anything else but school.” Nevertheless, their acquaintance in class turned into a friendship. They hung out with their fellow students at what they all nicknamed the CIP, a Library of Congress acronym for Cataloging in Print, also an acronym for the College Inn Pub near campus. They bounced ideas off one another and because of their similar age, started to work on projects together. Romance still wasn’t in the picture, though. Then one day Ellen wore a Portland Marathon t-shirt to class. Fred noticed and told her he had run the Portland Marathon. They realized they had common interests in running as well as mountain climbing. “It was almost a whole year before there was any romance,” says Ellen. “I just snowed him,” Ellen responds with a laugh. Fred recalls what a remarkable time it was to learn librarianship. He describes several faculty members who propelled his enthusiasm for this new profession — Brooks, Edmond Mignon, Ron Johnson, Grant Skelley and others — and whose passion and intelligence inspired him. He credits Penny Hazelton with steering him toward law libraries. “She was a riveting teacher and the whole reason I’m a law librarian today,” says Fred, who today works for Davis Wright Tremaine. After graduation, Ellen returned to her school district and taught for a few years as payback for her sabbatical before becoming a full-time school librarian. She retired after 30 years, at that time an Edmonds School District librarian. Now she, too, works for Davis Wright Tremaine part time. The Hansons had a small wedding in 1996 at the Red Lion Sea-Tac. They say they’re still in touch with at least eight of the 13 who were in their first class together. And, of course, Terry Brooks. Ryan Prins (Informatics ’05) remembers how, as a UW student, he stumbled across the iSchool. “It was the best stumble I’ve ever made,” says Ryan, who today does business analysis and project management consulting at Avanade, an IT consulting firm based in Seattle. A native of Minnesota, he came to the UW to study computer science, but discovered it wasn’t quite the right fit. He became intrigued with the idea of focusing his studies on Informatics. About the same time, Jamie Yaptinchay (Informatics ’05) realized she liked the idea of studying information, its power and how it’s disseminated. The pair joined a cohort of 35 in the Informatics undergraduate program. Jamie recalls Ryan was just another guy in the cohort until their first round of presentations (interestingly, in a class taught by Terry Brooks). She thought Ryan’s PowerPoint was especially good and told him so. “We became partners on a lot of projects,” says Jamie, “and the buzz between us was competition. Our friendship — and that of the cohort, really — was driven by competition, which built a strong sense of community and camaraderie. We always wanted to make sure our own work was the very best.” Jamie remembers Ryan saving seats for her in class. They both have fond recollections of the time they spent with other members of their cohort at restaurants up and down the Ave and in the iSchool’s Technology Exploration Lab. “Funny to think I met my husband in a computer lab. Totally nerdy!” Jamie says with a laugh. “But we had a really great time, even on weekends. There were a lot of late nights — 1, even 4 a.m. — all in the lab together, everyone getting a little loopy as we worked on all our Capstone deliverables.” She became a computer lab assistant at the Health Sciences Microlab her junior year and, before they started dating, she helped Ryan find a job there. Naturally, they shared a physical attraction, although Ryan was impressed with how smart she was with the work they did together. “Something just clicked,” he says. “Hard to believe we were co-workers and classmates before we ever started dating,” says Jamie. Their senior year, Ryan was elected president and Jamie vice president of the Informatics Undergraduate Association. “His leadership, confidence and the way he served others — that was a really big factor — the way he offered to tutor people and me. I really admired those qualities about him. We have similar interests and values, but totally different work styles. He’s structured, calm, stoic, a steady and methodical planner. I’m more extroverted, expressive, spontaneous and thrive with a time crunch. We learned there’s more than one way to do things and both are right.” Now a strategist for Razorfish, a digital marketing agency headquartered in Seattle, Jamie says her iSchool studies continue to inform her career. In particular, she credits Harry Bruce, Matt Saxton and Bob Boiko for all they taught her about usability, information needs and user research. In April 2008, while the two vacationed on Maui, Ryan proposed on the beach after a luau. “We had talked about getting married, but I was in total shock when he proposed,” Jamie recollects. Ryan and Jamie were married Aug. 8 this year at the Catholic Newman Center near the UW campus. Nine members of their cohort were among those who celebrated with them. “We’re lucky,” says Ryan, “that a series of events occurred in just the right fashion. Who would’ve thought? But I wouldn’t have wanted to write it any other way.”

The iSchool conducts a groundbreaking research study of public access to computers in public libraries. Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and IMLS, the study finds that 77 million Americans per year use public library computers and internet access to secure government benefits, obtain legal permits, make family connections, apply for college, research critical health care information, or search for jobs.

Michael Eisenberg, dean emeritus and professor at the Information School, and Alison Head, a research scientist there, conducted a survey of 2,300 students and interviewed 86 in focus groups. They found that 52 percent of students frequently used Wikipedia, the online, peer-produced encyclopedia, for background information, even if an instructor advised against it. Eight of 10 students said that to get their research underway, they often go to Wikipedia for background information. As one student said, "Wikipedia tells me what's what." “We found that while college students use Wikipedia, they do so knowing its limitations – it has some credibility but not deep,” Head said. “Our findings also lead us to believe that support and solutions from multiple outlets, not just one tool, service or individual, may work the best.” The full article can be read at UW Today.

Nationally and internationally known librarian, storyteller, and educator Professor Emeritus Spencer G. Shaw passes away at 93.

The problem: Plenty of UW Health Sciences students were willing to volunteer for service learning projects and plenty of projects needed their help, but there was no central clearinghouse, no place where the two groups could connect. Solution: The Service Learning Resource Center — and now, a website that connects students with projects that need their help. Information School graduate and undergraduate students built the site in four academic quarters, integrating events, students, organizations, faculty advisers and community partners. Read the full article at UW Today.

UW alum and Information School Guest Faculty Greg Hay releases a short-documentary on Community for Youth, a local nonprofit that provides mentors for inner-city kids facing significant challenges. Read the full article at Blog Down to Washington.

In the summer of 2009 Kris Anderson, manager of the Jacob Lawrence Art Gallery; and Judi Clark, director of the School of Art’s advising office, were in the basement of the Art Building doing some cleaning and surveying of what was there. What Clark and Anderson had discovered was the School of Art’s accidental collection. Amanda Mae from the Museology Program and Cristina Linclau from Museology and the Information School began cataloging the work, using a database that they constructed from scratch. Read the full article at UW Today.

The best experience iSchool offered me is the opportunity to be the face of iSchool in the National level SUIT business case competition held in Kelly School of Business, Indiana, March 2011. I, Deborah Schumacher & Priyanvada Barve from my cohort were the only students from an information school and we represented the diversity and academic excellence our iSchool embodies. The SUIT Showdown is an annual event for graduate students enrolled in information systems programs. Participants compete with students from other universities in an environment that allows them to share their skills.

We were asked to analyze a business problem, develop a solution, and present their solution to a panel of judges. It was quite a challenge to strike the right balance between the big picture things such as business justifications and at the same time work out the technical and financial nitty-gritties. The MSIM coursework and practice presentations helped us enormously in this regard.

Presentations done as a part of the curriculum had given our team a clear idea on how to present relevant details and keep them pertinent for our audience. Practice presentations prior to SUIT were a great learning experience — we were lucky to get some really great feedback and suggestions from faculty members and second year students who had represented the iSchool in the previous year.

The business and MBA students appreciated hearing about the depth of coursework on the information side of things. We found the competition a powerful complement to coursework in information services and managing strategic initiatives, in particular. This competition also gave us a chance to be the ambassador of our program and exposed us to a lot of great network opportunities with the fellow students and judges from the industry side. The SUIT competition was indeed a great opportunity for us to apply our skills and enhance our experience and expertise. And this has opened a lot of career opportunities for us in the field of consulting and business analysis. This is because industry people really value such experience and having that in your resume creates a competitive advantage for you as it portrays your presentation, communication, organizational skills.

-Smritilekha Das, MSIM '12

Alison Head, a research scientist at the UW Information School, and Michael Eisenberg, a professor and dean emeritus, led the study of 8,353 sophomores, juniors and seniors 20 to 30 years of age at 25 two- and four-year college campuses around the U.S. in the spring of 2010. Their findings indicate that students use online information for decisions in their personal lives, but rely almost as much on family and friends for finding and making choices about information. “Overall, we found evaluation rarely occurs in a vacuum,” Head said. “Most students turn to a few people in their lives they can conveniently reach and whom they trust. When it comes to finding and applying information in their daily lives, very few students live totally immersed in the Web.” Read the full article at UW Today.

UW Interim President Phyllis Wise outlined possible reductions of educational choices in the worst-case scenario of cuts to state funding in her Feb. 23 letter to the Legislature, including consolidating the Evans School and the Information School with another college, in addition to reductions in course offerings. Dean Harry Bruce of the Information School said that the Information School was able to secure independence after showing the administration that the graduate program would be able to provide the same kind of education, even with cuts to state funding of the university, and said he’s pleased the school will be able to continue to do so independently. Read the full article at The Daily.

Nancy Pearl is a bookard, a bibliomaniac — happy to be so and desirous that others become so. In that spirit, she and her husband, Joseph Pearl, have endowed a UW scholarship for Information School students who intend to become librarians. “I couldn’t have gone to graduate school in library science at the University of Michigan without a scholarship,” said 66-year-old Pearl, who was named librarian of the year by Library Journal this past January. She retired in 2004 as executive director of Seattle Public Library’s Washington Center for the Book. Read the full article at UW Today.

Cynthia del Rosario, director for graduate minority recruitment and retention at the UW Information School, has been named the recipient of the 2011 University of Washington Vice President for Minority Affairs and Vice Provost for Diversity Community Building Award. The award recognizes a UW student, staff member or faculty member whose efforts toward positive change on campus have resulted in multicultural community building. A statement on the award from the Office of Minority Affairs says del Rosario’s powerful leadership and networking skills have strengthened campus and community dialogues surrounding the topic of diversity. Del Rosario said she’s delighted and honored by the award, but was quick to add, “This work does not happen in a vacuum — it’s always alongside others and on the shoulders of others. It’s an honor, but there are so many people doing amazing work.” Read the full article at UW Today.

As the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda issues its remaining judgments, a University of Washington team has assembled a historic collection of interviews with the judges, lawyers, interpreters and other people who have worked on the trials. “Voices from the Rwanda Tribunal” is believed to be the first collection of stories from people who have served on war crimes tribunals. It puts human faces on international justice. Seventeen years ago, an estimated 800,000 Rwandans, mostly Tutsis, were massacred in only 100 days. The trials have focused on people accused of masterminding genocide and crimes against humanity. As an interactive website, “Voices” features video interviews with court personnel at the tribunal in Arusha, Tanzania, and its investigative branch in Rwanda. The website is historic in both its content and the public invitation to help with curation, said Batya Friedman, a professor in the UW Information School who heads the project. So often in the past, she said, such material would be kept under lock and key in library special collections. Along with offering 21 of 49 interviews in streaming video, download, or audio form, leaders of the project seek suggestions from the public about curating the interviews. “If you have as little as 20 minutes, please have a look and contribute,” Friedman said. In compelling, sometimes graphic detail, these interviews explore not only legal and political obstacles court personnel have faced, but the personal pain that comes with daily exposure to horrific stories. The interviews also document legal justice and other efforts to heal the people of a nation. In many cases, Rwandans who have been harmed are unaware of the tribunal — that perpetrators of the crimes have been tried and punished. “Voices from the Rwanda Tribunal” begins to change that, at least for some victims, and puts faces on people who help render justice, Friedman said.