iSchool's Freeman and Ross publish textbook for Informatics classes

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

  Michael Freeman and Joel Ross, both senior lecturers at the University of Washington Information School, have published a new textbook, “Programming Skills for Data Science.” The book originated from the lecturers’ experience teaching an Informatics course, INFO 201: Technical Foundations for Informatics. They wanted a single textbook suited for students who were beginning to write code to wrangle, analyze and visualize data. In their book, Freeman and Ross teach how to work with datasets to build interactive visualizations, web applications and data reports. A website pr

Journal highlights work of iSchool's Pratt and Ph.D. alumnus

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

A paper co-authored by UW Information School Professor Wanda Pratt is among a select group chosen for a Journal of Biomedical Informatics retrospective of papers that “have had a particularly important role in advancing the field of biomedical informatics.” The paper, “Healthcare in the pocket: Mapping the space of mobile-phone health interventions,” was published in the journal in 2012. It is one of 20 papers by contributors that a panel of editors selected for the journal’s 50th anniversary issue. Pratt was a co-author on the paper along with lead author Predrag Klasnja, wh

iSchool seeks faculty with industry experience

Monday, November 19, 2018

The iSchool is growing. We are responding to increased demand for research on information problems and for highly qualified information professionals. The iSchool is hiring multiple positions at all ranks and across disciplines. Successful candidates will join an award-winning, equity-minded faculty with global impact and a commitment to a leading student experience. We are seeking outstanding tenure-track faculty with research interests across library and information science and information management/information systems. Applicants will be considered for assistant, associate and full p

iSchool alumna Nicola Andrews named ALA Emerging Leader

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Information School alumna Nicola Andrews, ’17, is among 50 people named to the American Library Association’s 2019 class of Emerging Leaders. The Emerging Leaders program is designed to enable library staff and information workers to participate in project planning, network with peers, learn about the ALA structure, and take on leadership responsibilities early in their careers. Audrey Barbakoff and Pauline Stacchini, co-chairs of the Emerging Leaders program, said they look forward to working with this year's cohort of early career leaders who are eager to pursue leadership opportun

Students and Seattle's PitchBook get a boost from Capstone

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Here’s the problem: News is noisy. There’s a lot of it and understanding what’s important and what’s not is difficult. It’s a challenge taken up by PitchBook, a Seattle-headquartered data, research and technology company that provides a subscription database to venture capitalists and investment bankers. The company wants to help clients realize what news stories of the day are moving markets and affecting industry and the economy. Before starting on this initiative, PitchBook turned to the University of Washington Information School for help. The company enlisted seven Master

Rivkah Sass, '78, and her libraries stay ahead of the curve

Thursday, November 8, 2018

Rivkah Sass is passionate about libraries — and she wants to help people understand libraries are so much more than just a collection of books. They are a vital part of the community, a resource that gives people the tools they need to grow and thrive. “Libraries are about creating opportunities for people,” she said. “I love that it’s a place that has evolved as much as society. Libraries have gone from being a place only for books to a place that can help adults learn to read or help refugees settle into America. … We still fill the traditional roles of a library, but we do so

iSchool's Belarde-Lewis puts her stamp on an ancient story

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Miranda Belarde-Lewis, an assistant professor at the University of Washington Information School, recently had what she calls a “petrifying honor”: curating an exhibit of glass artist Preston Singletary’s work that tells an ancient Native story. The immersive multimedia exhibit recently began a year-long installation at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma. From there, it is scheduled to go to the Wichita Art Museum in Kansas and then to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in fall 2020. The exhibit takes visitors through the “Raven and the Box of Daylight,” a Tl

Students hone their skills on iSchool research projects

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Learning at the iSchool starts in the classroom — but that’s just the beginning. Much of the learning takes place beyond the classroom, and those experiences can set students up for success in their careers or further education. One of the ways iSchool students can gain practical, hands-on experience is by working with professors on research.  “It’s a way for them to see research done — what it looks like, why it’s exciting, where it can go wrong,” said Katie Davis, an associate professor in the iSchool who often works with graduate and undergraduate students on research.

Dean's Message: iSchool research is the engine of innovation

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

I often say that the world’s toughest problems can only be solved when we bring multiple research disciplines to bear. Fortunately, here at the UW Information School, we have no shortage of scholarly pursuits. Our researchers study topics as varied as data ethics, digital literacy, sociotechnical information systems and many more — all of them focused on how technology affects a real-world problem. At my previous post at Carnegie Mellon’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute, all of our research fell within three main disciplines; here, we have more than 20. The opportunity to lea

'Library is where our strength is,' Sharon Draper says in lecture

Monday, October 29, 2018

Author and educator Sharon Draper visited the University of Washington on Thursday, Oct. 25, to deliver the Information School’s annual Spencer G. Shaw Lecture. Draper has been honored as the National Teacher of the Year and is a five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Literary Awards. She is the author of "Stella by Starlight," "Tears of a Tiger," "Copper Sun" and "Out of My Mind," a New York Times bestselling novel for almost two years. “The library is our safe place,” she told the audience at the HUB. “The library is where our strength is. The library will always

Rolf Hapel among the 'game-changing' speakers at OCLC conference

Sunday, October 28, 2018

Rolf Hapel, the University of Washington Information School’s Distinguished Practitioner in Residence, was among the featured speakers at the 2018 OCLC Americas Regional Council Conference Oct. 25 in Chicago. This year’s conference program focused on how to apply a “game-changing” approach in several key areas, including technology and innovation; spaces and resources; analytics and data; and public purpose. Hapel has extensive experience with such topics from his time as director of citizens’ services and libraries in Aarhus, Denmark, where he oversaw development of t

iSchool team demystifies huge troves of government data

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Governments are giving away mountains of data for free. Log in to the City of Seattle open data portal and you’ll find crime statistics sorted by police precinct, biennial budgets, building permit maps, city Twitter account statistics. You can see the average hourly wages for men and women sorted by age range, locations of city-owned bicycle racks, even a list of Seattle pet licenses, with the animal’s species, name, breed, and the owner’s ZIP code. And it’s not just tech-savvy Seattle opening its data troves for the public. Across the world, governmental organizations are scramblin

Two new lecturers join the iSchool faculty

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

The Information School welcomes two new faculty, both joining as lecturers working across disciplines. Aubree Ball (Master of Design, UW) Ball specializes in design research within human-computer interaction, and has a background in industrial design, architectural design and product development. Her research interests focus on user-centric design methods (autobiographical, maker methods, participatory design, etc.) in relation to pervasive computing and tangible interactions. Ball will teach INFO 360 Design Methods, and support courses outside of the iSchool in Human-Computer Interactio

Megan Finn explores the interplay of information infrastructure and disaster events in her first book

Monday, October 15, 2018

Information School Assistant Professor Megan Finn has published a new book titled “Documenting Aftermath: Information Infrastructures in the Wake of Disasters.” Released this month, the book examines how evolving public information structures have shaped people’s experience of natural disasters over time. In “Documenting Aftermath,” Finn looks at post-disaster information and communication practices in three earthquake events that took place in northern California: the 1868 Hayward Fault earthquake, the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, and the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. S

Cheryl Metoyer's legacy honored by American Indian Library Association

Friday, October 12, 2018

Cheryl Metoyer made her mark as a leading figure in tribal libraries and museums. At the University of Washington Information School, she established the study of American Indian knowledge systems as a prime focus for scholarship. Above all her accomplishments, she takes the most pride in the people she has mentored along the way. It’s that legacy the American Indian Library Association recognized with its 2018 Legacy Award at the Joint Conference of Librarians of Color in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In bestowing the honor, the AILA noted Metoyer's contributions to librarianship; assist