Re-Envisioning LIS: Activating Social Justice

Social justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion are significant topics within the profession, but are they actually integrated into the fabric of library and information science? Among the areas that require particular understanding and dedication are our critical and pedagogical practices. "Decolonizing" or re-envisioning our profession requires looking outside of our discipline and Western norms to engage with diverse scholarship and perspectives to build a foundation for what a more equitable profession looks like.

Nicole Cooke is the Augusta Baker Endowed Chair and an Associate Professor at the University of South Carolina. Her research and teaching interests include human information behavior, critical cultural information studies, and diversity and social justice in librarianship. She was the 2019 ALISE Excellence in Teaching Award recipient, and she has edited and authored several books, including Information Services to Diverse Populations and Fake News and Alternative Facts: Information Literacy in a Post-truth Era.