Inside SOIS - Winter 09

SOISnsidenside

Winter 08-09UW-MILWAUKEE, SCHOOL OF INFORMATION STUDIES

In this issue... meet the new minds who joined us this year and learn about the recent international collaborations expanding the scope of SOIS.

SOIS Proudly Announces the PhD Program in Information Studies

Inside SOIS is published twice a year by the School of Information Studies. Dean: Johannes BritzAssociate Dean: Hope OlsonAssistant Dean: Chad Zahrt

Editors:Matt RichterChad Zahrt

Contributing Writer:Kathy Quirk, UWM Communication and Media Relations

Design and Production:Rebecca Hall

Photography:Chad Noworatzky, PhotographerMichael Fruehman, Contributing PhotographerRebecca Hall, Contributing PhotographerUWM Photographic Services: Pete Amland, Peter Jakubowski, Alan Magayne-Roshak

Send correspondence and address changes to: UW-Milwaukee, School of Information Studies, Attn: Inside SOIS, PO Box 413, Milwaukee, Wi 53201-0413PH: 414-229-4707 (TOLL-FREE: 888-349-3432)Email: [email protected]

nsideSOISSO SeeeeSF A L L 2 0 0 8 V O L . 1 , N o . 1

On the cover: (L to R) Wyatt Ditzler, Melodie Fox, Su-Yu Lin, SooHyung Joo and Kun Lu. The first Ph.D. students in the new SOIS Ph.D. in Information Studies launched Fall ‘08. Photo by: Chad Noworatzky

Save the date!May 8, 2009TED SAMORE LECTURE Harley Davidson Museum, Milwaukee

May 22-23, 2009THE ETHICS OF INFORMATION ORGANIZATION CONFERENCE

October 7-11, 2009INTERNET RESEARCH 10.0 - INTERNET: CRITICALAoIR ANNUAL CONFERENCE - Milwaukee

Inside SOIS is printed in limited quantity. Electronic version available at: www.uwm.edu/Dept/SOIS/InsidePlease share this publication with colleagues, and please recycle!

SCHOOL OF INFORMATION STUDIES | UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN - MILWAUKEE

IN THIS issueDean’s Note .................................................................01New SOIS Faculty & Staff ......................................... 02Austria/SOIS Student Exchange .............................. 04International Our Scope ............................................ 07PhD in Information Studies ...................................... 08Fast Facts About SOIS .............................................. 09New SOIS Alumni Site ............................................... 09Alumni News .............................................................. 10

Donald Peterson Scholarship ...................................10BSIR Student Blog Featured .....................................11CIPR News ..................................................................12One Web Day & Upcoming Events ...........................13Student Org. News .....................................................14Building Information Bridges to Africa ....................16Student Shares Passion for Information Studies ...18Faculty Updates ..........................................................20

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/SOIS/Inside

As one of the largest library and information science schools in North America, we at SOIS are proud of the quality, motivation, and suc-cess of our students across all program levels: more than 600 Masters of Library Science (MLIS) students, more than 200 Bachelors of Information Studies (BSIR) students, and, for the first time, five doctoral candidates who are begin-ning their studies in our PhD in Information Studies, new this fall. As teachers and mentors, we are here for you, the students of SOIS. As we facilitate your educational and professional growth, we too learn from you through our student-instructor partnership.

At SOIS, we strive to maintain as one of our core values a commitment to equal opportunity for our students. We dedicate ourselves to making possible exciting opportunities to learn, to grow, to explore, and to be a part of the international, interdisciplinary world of information…the focus of our school.

DEAN’S note

It’s all about the students!How do we make these opportunities possible for our students? Through an active support system, we succeed in pushing our students to the forefront of their chosen information professions:

1 SOIS currently participates in exchange programs with universities in South Africa and Austria, and are finalizing exchange programs with universities in Korea and Taiwan. We support students who study abroad with a foreign

studies stipend of $2,000 to help alleviate the financial burden of international travel and bring exchange program opportunities to all students regardless of economic need.

2 Students at SOIS have the opportunity to participate in the IFLA World Report, sponsored by SOIS and the University of Pretoria in South Africa.

3 SOIS has increased scholarship funding available to students. More money is now available for individuals in all program levels: undergraduate, masters and PhD.

4 We continue to actively recruit our alumni to support SOIS and our students’ development. Most recently, we have received four donations valued at more than $400,000. Less than two years ago, our support totaled $14,000. It is because of the generosity of our

donors and alumni that we continue to serve our students as one of the top library and information science programs in the country.

5 At our latest retreat in August, 2008, SOIS faculty and staff gathered to discuss strategies to further engage and serve our students, our highest priority.

As you can see, as a member of the SOIS community, whether you are a student, an alumni, a faculty or staff member, or a supporter of the library and information science profession, we have much to be proud of. But we would not be here if it weren’t for our students.

We wish you all a wonderful and productive time at SOIS this year. Please take time to review this inagural issue of Inside SOIS and learn more about the exciting ways our students are excelling to the top of their fields.

Best wishes for a good year!Dean Johannes Britz

STUDENTS...S U S

3INFORMATION our focusINTERNATIONAL our scope

INTERDISCIPLINARY our mindset

Winter 2008 | 01

Michael ZimmerWith a background in new media and Internet studies, the philosophy of technology and information policy, Zimmer’s research explores the social, political and ethical dimensions of new media and information technolo-gies, with particular focus on Web search engines, Web 2.0 infrastruc-tures and the impact of new media and Internet technologies on global information fl ows, access to knowledge and informational privacy. He has published and delivered talks across North America and Europe on the ethical implications of web search engines, Web 2.0, social networking, networked vehicle information systems and other emerging information technologies.

Zimmer’s dissertation, “The Quest for the Perfect Search Engine: Values, Technical Design, and the Flow of Personal Infor-mation in Spheres of Mobility,” (supported by an NSF SES Dissertation Improve-ment Grant) investigates how the quest for the “perfect search engine” empowers

Joyce LathamLatham pursues research in the politics of public libraries, fi rmly rooted in her 27 years of professional library practice. She has served as the executive director of the Onondaga County Public Library system in New York state where she also served as chair of the Public Library Systems Directors Organization. As the Director of Information Technology for the Chicago Public Library, she managed the technical upgrade of the city-wide system, and as Assistant Director for the Southern Maryland Region-al Library System she participated in the development of the state-wide SAILOR project.


“Joyce brings her strong practical and aca-demic experience to SOIS, which will contribute significantly to the educational opportunities in public librarianship offered through our degree programs,” Dean Johannes Britz

Latham earned her doctorate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Cham-paign, where she also worked with the Mortenson Center for International Li-brarianship. She is the 2004 winner of the Justin Winsor prize in library history. Her most recent publication, based on her dis-sertation, was “So Promising of Success: Local 88 and the Chicago Public Library”, included in the winter 2008 issue of Progressive Librarian. Her forthcom-ing publication, “Wheat and Chaff: Carl Roden, Abe Korman and the defi -nitions of intellectual freedom” is scheduled for the fall, 2009 issue of Li-braries and the Cultural Record.

This fall, Latham taught L&I Sci 501: Foundations in Library and Informa-tion Science as well as L&I Sci 734: Library Services and Resources for Adults. This is the fi rst time in several years SOIS has been able to offer Library Services and Resources for Adults. “We welcome Dr. Latham to SOIS and look forward to making this course available again to our gradu-ate students,” said Assistant Dean Chad Zahrt. Along with onsite courses, Latham will begin teaching courses online in spring 2009.

“The addition of Michael to our faculty takes SOIS to the next level in information policy and ethics, an area in which this school excels and will continue to excel with his expertise,”

Dean Johannes Britz.

the widespread capture of personal information fl ows across the Internet, threatening the ability to engage in online social, cultural, and intellectual activities free from answerability and oversight, thereby bearing on the val-ues of privacy, autonomy, and liberty.

Zimmer received his Ph.D. in the Department of Media, Culture, and Com-munication at New York University (NYU), and was the Microsoft Resident Fellow at the Information Society Project at Yale Law School for 2007-2008. His doctoral studies were supported by the Phyllis and Gerald LeBoff Doctoral Fellowship in Media Ecology from the Steinhardt School of Edu-cation at NYU. He earned an M.A. in Media Ecology from NYU in 2002.

This fall, Zimmer taught the senior capstone course, L&I Sci 490, for the Bachelor of Science in Information Resources (BSIR) program. Zimmer was also selected among SOIS faculty to teach L&I Sci 120: Information Technology Ethics at the new UWM Living Learning Community. Univer-sity Housing and UWM Academic Affairs are currently working together to develop Living Learning Communities at the recently completed RiverView student housing facility located near UWM’s campus. Learning communi-ties will create a “cohort” of students that attend many of their classes together and live near each other in RiverView. Special events will be planned outside of the classroom to enhance student learning and allow students to develop relationships with faculty members and classmates. Zimmer will also be teaching online courses beginning in spring 2009.

This fall, SOIS welcomes five new faces: assistant profes-

sors Michael Zimmer and Joyce Latham, visiting professor

Peter Lor, visiting scholar Shana Ponelis and BSIR project

assistant Hayden Colleen Murphy.

Welcome to SOIS!SOIS announces the appointment of new faculty, visiting professors and staff.

02 | Inside SOIS

Hayden Colleen MurphyAlong with her studies as an MLIS student, Murphy joins SOIS as a half-time Project Assistant, helping to recruit students for the BSIR program. Previ-ously, she was a library information assistant at the University of Missouri. She has held positions as a geography instructor for Oklahoma State University, teaching introductory cultural and physical geography classes, as well as an adjunct faculty member for Independence Community College in Kansas.

Murphy is no stranger to academic programs: she has a BA and MA in geography, specializing in geographical education during her graduate studies. She was also a Graduate Fellow in the fi rst year of her Master’s program in the Department of Geography at the University of Delaware. She hopes to combine her MLIS degree with her background in geography. “Professionally, I plan to be a map/GIS librarian,” said Murphy. “I’d also like to pursue work in Africa as part of my career. I’m still working on those ideas.”

Ponelis, who joins SOIS as a Lecturer, will continue her research in infor-mation economics and ethics. This is not her fi rst trip to Milwaukee, how-ever; during November and December 2006 she was a visiting scholar at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee undertaking teaching and research activities. Previously, she was a Senior Lecturer with the Department of Informatics at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. Ponelis brings to SOIS her extensive industry experience, namely as a Senior Consultant with Atos KPMG Consulting and an Experienced Consultant with Andersen Business Consulting, specializing in business intelligence and data ware-housing. She also held a position with a subsidiary of Barclays Bank in South Africa as a Business Analyst responsible for business intelligence in the retail bank sector.

Ponelis completed a BSc in Mathematical Sciences (1995), a BA Honours (1998) and a Masters degree by dissertation in Information Science (2003) at the University of Pretoria. In 2000 she attended the International Wom-

en’s University as part of the project area entitled Information in Hamburg, Germany.

As an information economics and ethics scholar, Ponelis has published a number of articles in peer-reviewed journals and presented at several interna-tional conferences on information economics with specifi c reference to information ethics, intellectual property rights and educational aspects. She is a member of a number of professional bodies, name-ly, the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), Computing Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR), and the Association of Information Systems (AIS). Ponelis is currently completing a PhD in the area of information eco-nomics and ethics under the supervision of Dean Britz.

The author of approximately 150 professional and research publications, Lor’s recent research focuses on national library and information policy is-sues, international librarianship and the political economy of international information fl ows. He studied in South Africa at the universities of Stellen-bosch and Pretoria, and in France at the Université de Caen. He holds the degree of D.Phil. (1991) in library science from the University of Pretoria, as well as an honorary doctorate (D.Phil., h.c.) awarded by the same Uni-versity in 2008 in recognition of his professional leadership and academic output in library and information science. Lor has had a varied career as a practitioner, researcher, manager and teacher in libraries and library sci-ence schools. Among his many professional accomplishments:

Lor played a leading role in the birth of the Library and Information Associa-tion of South Africa, which replaced the former racially segregated library associations and was actively involved in the development of national library policies for post-apartheid South Africa.

He served for eight years as director of South Af-rica’s State Library and when the National Library of South Africa was created in 1999 he became South Africa’s fi rst National Librarian, responsible

for merging the State Library (Pretoria) and the South African Library (Cape Town). In this capacity he also served as a director on the boards of a num-ber of non-profi t companies operating in the library and information fi eld. He retired from the National Library in 2003 to return to teaching.

From February 2005 to September 2008 he was the Secretary General of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), an international non-governmental organisation based in The Hague, the Netherlands. IFLA represents some 500,000 library workers in 150 coun-tries.

His extensive international experience includes serving as a consultant on library development, conducting advocacy for libraries in the World Sum-mit on the Information Society and other international forums, as well as serving on the Jury for the World Book Capital City and in the International Committee of the Blue Shield, the cultural equivalent of the Red Cross. Since 1998 he has been an extraordinary professor in the Department of Information Science, University of Pretoria.

In spring, 2009, Lor will teach L&I Sci 540: Management of Libraries and Information Services and L&I Sci 501: Foundations of Library and Informa-tion Science, both onsite courses.

International Visiting Scholars

Peter Lor

Shana Ponelis

Winter 2008 | 03



This fall, as three SOIS students boarded their 22-hour flight to Austria and two Austrian students took their first steps on American soil, the School of

Information Studies at UW-Milwaukee and the University of Applied Sciences at Hagenberg, Austria, formally began an exciting new student exchange pro-

gram. What began in 2007 as a chance meeting between faculty from both SOIS and Austria led first to the identification of many commonalities between our

undergraduate programs, and many more opportunities for students of information studies. After a video conference between deans and several months of

planning, UWM and the University of Applied Sciences at Hagenberg welcomed the first formal exchange of students for the fall 2008 semester. How did this

partnership form? Visiting Lecturer Michael Fruehman, from the University of Applied Sciences at Hagenberg tells us all about it.

Michal KarpowiczUniversity of Applied Sciences HagenbergAnticipated graduation: 2009Hometown: Grieskirchen, Upper Austria

How did this program start? Michael: It was a visit from SOIS Associate Professor Jacques du Plessis to our university that started this program. Before that, between our two universities, we didn’t know we had topics in common. When Jacques came, we realized students from both universities could benefit from an exchange program because of the topics we have in common. Because of the obvious cultural differences, we thought that exposing students to different ways of looking at and addressing issues of information and technology could be a great opportunity for them. After Jacques’ visit, we had a video conference with Dean Britz and Jacques from SOIS, as well as myself and my supervisor, Dr. Heidrun Allert, from my uni-versity. Jacques initiated the concept of the program.

What does this opportunity provide students from your school? Michael: The main opportunity for them is to learn how to apply tech-nology in everyday use. Our program focuses on technology—how to create it, how to use it—for learning environments. I think they will be able to use this knowledge here at SOIS. They know how to cre-ate the technology, but here, they will learn how to apply it, especially with SOIS’s prominent online learning environment. And of course, the students will gain perspective from immersing themselves in a different culture and will grow from interacting with people who are different from themselves. Also, our school is small, so everyone knows each other. With the size and scope of SOIS, especially with the online program here, this school provides a unique opportunity to really test our students’ ability to apply technology in real-life situ-ations.


Gabriella Tato, SeniorDouble-major: BSIR and JournalismAnticipated graduation: 2009Hometown: Milwaukee, WI

Florian NeumannUniversity of Applied Sciences HagenbergAnticipated graduation: 2009Hometown: Bad Goisern, Austria

Erin Hvizdak, Grad StudentMajor: MLISAnticipated graduation: 2009Hometown: Chicago, IL

Anthony Scarpace, SeniorMajor: BSIRAnticipated graduation: 2009Hometown: Port Washington, WI

Austria / SOIS Student Exchange Program Kicks Off Fall 2008

04 | Inside SOIS

Tell us about your school. Michael: The University of Applied Sciences in Upper Austria has four campuses, each focusing on a different area. Our campus’s focus is computers and technology. The other three campuses focus on health care, automation, and business and finance. Our university is small, with about 1,100 students. We have eight bachelor programs and seven master programs. Every master program is based on one of the eight bachelor programs, so we provide a continuum of study.

The university is fairly new; it was started 11 or 12 years ago. We have a research department that focuses heavily on software and hardware; from this research, we have developed a number of partnerships with local industry and have attracted as many as 15 or so software compa-nies to our little town. The university is located in a city with a popula-tion of only 3,000 – 4,000 people, so our student body makes up a big part of the local population.

Our student body is very diverse: we have students from all across Europe, east and west, as well as from Austria. This is the first four-month opportunity for Austria students to study abroad. We have an internship requirement for our students, but in the past these have all been for about one month only. This exchange opportunity is the longest, and farthest, study abroad opportunity our students have had, and the first one in the US for our campus.

How will your students benefit from studying at SOIS for a semes-ter? How does SOIS compliment your university’s program and opportunities? Michael: Since Hagenberg is relatively small com-pared to UWM, when they come here, they will have to learn to work with and learn from people who aren’t sitting right next to them in class. They will learn about new media in real life applications, outside the classroom, all while learning to negotiate life in a foreign country and different environment.

What opportunities will SOIS students have at your university?Michael: They will take some classes of their choice and will participate in a research project. The project was set up by a university and is

European-wide, involving many partners, and it requires much student support. SOIS exchange students will have the opportunity to contrib-ute to this project. Students will also lead discussion groups in English classes at our university. They will definitely add a concrete, realistic, cultural authenticity to these classes. SOIS students will also have the opportunity to acculturate themselves because they will be living in our dorms, interacting with students from Austria and across Eastern and Western Europe. They will also have the opportunity to travel, both in and outside Austria.

How are the two schools different? Michael: I think the biggest dif-ferences are three-fold: 1) Campus life: our university is much smaller than SOIS and UWM, so I think that is one way we are very different.2) Class structure: because our university is so small, we have the lux-ury of having constant opportunities for face-to-face, in-person contact, networking, and collaboration. At SOIS, you have a huge online pro-gram as well as a leading onsite program. This makes class structure, especially for online only classes, much different here than in Austria.3) Austria has a more hands-on approach to instruction because of the university, its relative newness, and the fact that industry has sprung up around the city—specifically, a number of software development companies—that provide tangible, hands-on oppor-tunities for our students in the area of research and development.

Photo by: Michael Fruehman

Michael FruehmanSOIS Visiting Scholar

University of Applied Science Hagenberg, Austria



Winter 2008 | 05


What made you want to study abroad?Gabriella: I’ve always wanted to study abroad, but it was always too expensive. With this opportunity, I could continue my studies while seeing the world.Anthony: I wanted to gain experience doing similar work that I do here in another country, another culture. I wanted to broaden my understanding of IT issues and I knew this would be a great oppor-tunity and great experience for me to highlight as I enter into my career and begin looking for job opportunities after I graduate.Erin: I’m trying to beat my brother at a contest I have formed entitled “Who has spent the most time abroad.” Really, though, I could give you all of the normal answers like “to expand my worldview” or “meet new people,” which are all true, but the real truth is that my biggest regret in life is that I didn’t study abroad for a semes-ter during undergrad. I did two three-week seminars in Europe but that was more like an extended vacation, you know? So, this is my chance; plus, I’m trying to figure out the next step in my life, and I’m hoping that spending sig-nificant time outside of my comfort zone will put me more in tune with myself and the world around me. I also have a wonderful significant other who reminds me that I will completely regret it if I don’t partici-pate in opportunities like this.

What area of study are you focusing on in your degree?Gabriella: I’m really interested in information technology, specifically web design. I’m interested in how different cultures view and engage with technology, especially web technology.Anthony: Information technology.Erin: Information ethics, feminist and critical perspectives in LIS, copyright and intellectual property (I am especially interested in notions of “ownership” of creations that fall outside of the law), culi-nary information/ethics, LIS education/curricula.

Milwaukee

SOIS perspective

What do you hope to get out of your experience in Austria?Gabriella:: I am really looking forward to seeing how the rest of the world views design and technology, and how they relate to web technology. I hope I walk away with a better understanding of how culture and technology interact.Anthony: I would imagine I will come back with more skills in my area of interest, information technology. I want to better myself by becom-ing more aware of people’s differences and learning from a different culture how they approach IT issues.Erin: Networks, connections, and enough research material to write a couple of papers. I’ll be working on two projects while over there in addition to work in our role as research assistants: one is an inde-pendent study with Dean Britz about study abroad and exchanges in LIS education, and the other is a paper about the teaching of value-sensitive technology in IT curricula. I can’t wait to see what types of projects others in Austria and around the world are working on, to bounce ideas off of each other, and to just see how others outside of the US carry out research, teach information studies and information technology, and so on. Oh, and I also hope to procure

an acute knowledge of Austrian beer and wine. I don’t get credit or fellowships for that, unfortunately.

Why is travel important to you?Gabriella: I think it is important to see how other people think and make decisions so you can be well-rounded. To work with others who are different from you, I think you have to be able to not only understand them, but respect their viewpoints. I think travel helps people to achieve this understanding and fosters a respect for cul-tural differences.Anthony: I see travel as a requirement, really. In today’s increas-ingly global economy, having cultural perspective is imperative to succeeding in any business, especially technology, considering how highly networked and information intensive the world has become.Erin: In an increasingly “global information society,” how can I expect to be a good “information professional” if my international experi-ence is limited? I love meeting people with different life experiences and belief systems; it helps to me keep me in check.

06 | Inside SOIS

What made you want to complete your internship abroad?Michal: There are great opportunities for internships in Austria (espe-cially in Vienna), where you learn a lot and have many work experi-ences. The reason I chose to do my internship abroad was my wish to get to know another culture, a new way of life. I’m fascinated with the American culture, that’s why I was very glad about the possibility to do my internship in Wisconsin.Florian: I wanted to do my internship abroad because I see it as a unique experience to get in touch with a different culture while living and working outside of Austria.

What do you hope to get out of your internship experience at UW-Milwaukee School of Information Studies?Michal: Of course it’s important for me to enhance my (mainly) theo-retical knowledge in programming with practical experience during my internship at the SOIS, but I really hope to get to know the American culture and the state of Wisconsin this semester.Florian: I am looking forward to meeting the people we worked with during the study projects last term and continue the good work. The internship at UW-Milwaukee will allow me to use, prove and expand the skills I earned during my studies. As there are many similarities between the courses at the University of Applied Sciences Hagenberg and UW-Milwaukee, I also hope to get some new perspectives on my area of study.

Why is travel important to you?Michal: In my opinion we’re constantly manipulated by mass media and the only way to find out the truth is by seeing it for yourself. Through travel we get to know other realities and we broaden our personal horizons. There are a lot of prejudices about the United States in European media, that’s why I always wanted to see the country myself.Florian: First of all traveling is important for me because it is fun. You are meeting interesting people and there are always some situations and problems to be solved. In my opinion, if the world gets smaller and smaller, you should use that to see as much of it as possible.

What qualities or opportunities offered by SOIS made you choose this school for your internship this fall?Michal: The main reason why I chose UWM for my internship was the fact that the University of Applied Sciences Hagenberg has a partner-ship program with the SOIS. Through two students from Milwaukee, who were on exchange in Austria, I got to know more about the University and decided to apply for an internship here.Florian: Thinking of the opportunity doing an internship at a big U.S. University like UW-Milwaukee was very exciting. UW-Milwaukee has an excellent reputation and I liked the idea working with the experi-enced professionals at the School of Information Studies.

Austriaust a

AUSTRIA perspective

Did you know?

International Our ScopeAt the School of Information Studies, we hold to our three priorities: information our focus, inter-disciplinary our mind set, and international our scope. SOIS maintains a strong international vision in education and research partnerships, empowering SOIS students with cultural perspec-tive and an awareness of issues affecting our global information economy. At SOIS, we structure our international ties in two ways: a growing number of visiting scholars and student exchange programs.

VISITING SCHOLARS: SOIS hosts numerous visiting international faculty/scholars each year from countries spanning the globe, including Taiwan, South Africa, Austria, Holland, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and China, to name a few. This year, Dr. Sultan Al-Daihani, Assistant Professor at Kuwait University’s Department of Information Science, will be spending a year with us at SOIS as a visiting scholar. Dr. Sultan has full financial support from Kuwait University and the Kuwaiti Ministry of Education.

STUDENT EXCHANGE PROGRAMS: SOIS partners with universities such as the Upper Austria University of Applied Sciences (Austria) and the University of Pretoria (South Africa) to provide students with one-year exchange program opportunities. SOIS regularly hosts students from these partnering universities, while SOIS students enjoy opportunities to gain international perspective by studying for an academic year at a partnering university not only in Austria and South Africa, but also Korea, Taiwan, and other countries.

Our international ties with 20 universities in 15 countries fit into the broad vision for SOIS: to prepare students with the confidence, connections and skills to succeed in leading positions within our increasingly global information network.



Winter 2008 | 07

The faculty and staff at SOIS would like to take this opportunity to welcome the PhD program’s first students. This fall, five individuals from across the globe began their studies in SOIS’s new PhD program. (Pictured from left) Wyatt Ditzler, Melodie Fox, Su-Yu Lin, SooHyung Joo and Kun Lu.


The new PhD in Information Studies Program—a unique research degree—provides students with opportunities to

develop, apply, and critically evaluate the relevance of theory and the effectiveness of its application to a variety of research ideas.

Building on one of the largest and most varied MLIS programs in the country, the program will prepare leading researchers, teach-ers, and administrators in:

Information Organization

Information Policy

Information Retrieval

Ranked among the top ten information studies programs in the U.S. for its research productivity, SOIS and its energetic and cre-ative faculty are ideally positioned to support doctoral research in these three areas. Faculty members are internationally recognized for their expertise in these areas; their high publication and citation rates are complemented by their growing procurement of external grants for research in which doctoral students can share. Also, SOIS’s national and international collaboration with institutions in China, Germany, Korea, the US and elsewhere provide opportuni-ties for doctoral students to interact with scholars and students from other programs. At SOIS, doctoral students will enjoy a diverse faculty and student body, along with a diverse curriculum. SOIS is working to increase representation of underrepresented groups in the field through recruitment, funding, and mentors for students in all of its programs.

SOIS Proudly Announces the PhD Program in Information Studies

Welcome SOIS PhD students!

08 | Inside SOIS

Fast Facts...

http://mySOIS.uwm.edu

Hey Alum!... where are you? What are you doing? We’d love to know... and so would many of your fellow classmates! Stay in touch with the new SOIS Alumni Portal!

Set up a profile...Map your location on our alumni map...Network with your former classmates...Meet the new SOIS graduate students who are following in your footsteps...Keep up to date with SOIS events and the growth of the school...

SOIS Launches New Alumni Site



Things You Should Know About SOIS...

SOIS Professional Development Institute (PDI)The Professional Development Institute (PDI) at SOIS offers a broad selection of seminars and workshops on information topics and technologies that are integral to the information revolution. The topics vary according to the needs of information specialist ranging from traditional topics like grant writing and funding alternatives to very current topics like legal issues, public access to resources, and informa-tion technology. Learn more: www.uwm.edu/Dept/SOIS/CE/index.html

SOIS Ranked No. 1 Nationally for Contributions to Resarch OutputSOIS is ranked No. 1 nationally among schools of library and information science for contributions to its university’s overall research output. This prestigious honor marks the second time in two years that a national publication has ranked SOIS as a leading school of library and information science in the U.S. Learn more: www.uwm.edu/Dept/SOIS/about/news/press/2008/no1_ranking.pdf

SOIS is a WISE MemberWeb-based Information Science Education(WISE) is a collaborative distance education model that increases the quality, access, and diver-sity of online education opportunities in Library and Information Science. Because of our nationally recognized online program, SOIS was invited to be a founding member. Learn more: www.wiseeducation.org/home_p-home.aspx

MLIS Scheduled for Re-Accreditation in 2010SOIS is currently planning for the Re-Accreditation process by the American Library Association scheduled for 2010. We will be looking for your input on surveys and focus groups in the coming months. Learn more: http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/accreditation

Did You Know?

Did You Know?

Did You Know?

Did You Know?

Winter 2008 | 09


Gregory S. MacAyeal, MLIS ’98, was awarded the Graduate of the Last Decade Award from the UWM Alumni Association at the 2008 Awards Reception in May. MacAyeal is the Director of the Performing Arts Library at Roosevelt University, and is also a composer of contemporary music. Along with his MLIS degree from SOIS, MacAyeal earned his Master of Music degree from DePaul University.

Alumni News...

Katie Blank, an MLIS student, is the winner of SAA’s 2008 Donald Peterson Student Scholarship. The scholarship is given to a gradu-

ate student or recent graduate for exceptional leadership and the desire to become actively involved in the archives profession.

Blank is an archival studies project assistant for SOIS. She will graduate in December with a master’s degree in library and information science and a second master’s in history.

Blank was an intern at Marquette University’s Department of Special Collections and University Archives where she developed an arrange-ment for a complex collection of more than 75,000 photographic images. She is active in SAA’s student chapter at UWM, having previously served as vice president and president.

“Her leadership within the student chapter has been valuable to profes-sional archivists from throughout southeastern Wisconsin,” one of her nominators wrote. “She has helped organize several enriching programs and workshops, attended not only by graduate students, but working professionals and support staff.” Blank will participate in a student paper session at ARCHIVES 2008 in San Francisco. “The paper will explore issues of archival access—digital and physical—and social memory affecting Native American tribes,” explains Blank.

Donald Peterson Student Scholarship 2008 Recipient - Katie Blank

Katie Blank, 2008MLIS, MA History & Archive Concentration

Dr. Malore I. Brown (MA, MLIS, PhD) has been appointed Project Director for The Electric Company, a children’s edu-cational television series produced by the Sesame Workshop. As Project Director, Dr. Brown will oversee the re-launch of the classic series, which will be designed to strengthen the literacy skills of children ages 6-8.

Recently, Dr. Brown served as an independent consultant to libraries in children’s literature and services, assessment of children’s literacy and program development and manage-ment, public libraries and grant reviewing. Prior to her work as a consultant, Dr. Brown was the Executive Director of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association. In addition she was a Professor at Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Dr. Brown holds a BA in Spanish from Marquette University, a MA in History and a Masters of Library and Information Science (MLIS) from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Her doctorate is a Multidisciplinary Ph.D. in Urban Education and Library and Information Science from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Christian Himsel appointed Director of Library and Information ServicesChristian Himsel, MA, MLIS ‘97 was recently appointed (06-08) to the position of Director of Library & Information Services of Concordia University Wisconsin’s Rincker Memorial Library (located along Lake Michigan shoreline in Mequon, WI).

Gregory S. MacAyeal receives Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD) Award from UWM Alumni Association

Sesame Workshop Names Dr. Malore I. Brown Project Director For New Production of the Electric Company

Keep us informed!We invite all students and alumni to a send us your updates and news for future issues of the Inside SOIS newsletter. Send news to Matt Richter ([email protected]).

10 | Inside SOIS

BSIR Student’s Blog featuredMarie Truman, BSIR student, has been chosen by UWM to have her blog featured on the UWM Web site. Stemming from an extra credit project in a

communications class she successfully completed in spring, 2008, Marie’s blog chronicled her experience taking online classes at UWM. Because of the

quality of her blog postings and her insight as a student, Marie’s blog, ScheduleCrazy, was chosen to be included on UWM’s Web site under the Online

and Blended programs page (http://www4.uwm.edu/future_students/online/index.cfm).

Exerpt from Marie’s blog:

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Day 1 - Introduction

Just under two years ago I started looking for a new position but

discovered most doors were closed, not from the lack of experi-

ence, but I never finished school. At that time I worked for a small

company where I did application development and database man-

agement, among other things. Working long hours limited my ability

to attend school and my original degree program in computer sci-

ence no longer interested me. Looking at the programs offered at

UW-Milwaukee I came across a program for a Bachelor of Science

in Information Resources. The program interested me and when I

found out they offered most of their classes online, I was psyched!

This meant I could take more than one or two classes because I

didn’t have to worry about getting to campus for class.

I think having other online students share their stories is an excellent

way to introduce online courses to new students. These courses are

a lot different from traditional courses and require a lot of self-dis-

cipline and excellent time management skills. Online courses allow

non-traditional students like myself the chance to schedule class

work around my schedule, rather than the other way around…

…If I were to take all my courses on campus I would be spending

nearly 10 hours a week in class, plus another couple in travel and

finding time to park. Instead I can work on stuff on course work in

the late evenings, Saturday mornings or during lunch at work. The

courses provide me the flexibility I need and I am finally confident

that this time I will finish and will be walking across that stage one

year from now :D

Student News...

Non-Traditional Student Recognition!Marie is also the recipient of the Non-Traditional Student Award and was recognized by SOIS as well as the Office of Adult and Returning Student Services (OARS).Congratulations Marie!

Kristen Larson Receives LIS Access Midwest Program(LAMP) Scholar Fellowship AwardMLIS student Kristen Larson has been awarded the prestigious LIS Access Midwest Program (LAMP) Scholar Fellowship. The LAMP is a stipend and mentorship program. Monies for the stipend are provided through a grant funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) for the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian program to recruit a new generation of librarians. As a fellowship recipient, Larson will participate in the LAMP program including the Summer Institute and the mentoring program, and plans to complete her MLIS degree in 2010. Congratulations Kristen!



Winter 2008 | 11


CIPR begins this year on a high note, having successfully orga-nized the May 2008 “Thinking Critically: Alternative Methods and Perspectives in Information Studies” conference. Participants from around the world came together to converse and set agendas for the future of critical theories in library and information stud-ies (LIS). Keynote speakers included Hope Olson, Toni Samek, Fernando Elichirioity, and Rafael Capurro, and were joined by an array of researchers, practitioners, and LIS students. Many of the talks are available on the CIPR website (cipr.uwm.edu). CIPR

was also the primary sponsor and organizer for the School’s Annual Ted Samore Lecture, held at the beautiful and historic Charles Allis Art Museum. World-renowned informa-tion ethicist Dr. Rafael Capurro gave the audience of 100 much to think about in his discussion of the “Digital Human.” Dr. Capurro’s talk is avail-able in CIPR’s Occasional Papers and on the archived video site.

This year, as part of my sabbatical, I headed to Oxford, England, where I was on fellowship from September-November at the UK’s National Center for e-Social Science. I also represented the International Journal of Internet Research Ethics, the journal I co-founded and co-edit, at the Association of Internet Researchers conference’s workshop for young scholars which took place in Copenhagen in October. This event helped junior scholars understand the research and publication process. I presented two papers at the conference. After that, I traveled to Bangalore, India, where I was the key-note speaker for the International Association of Computing and Philosophy’s conference. I leave the CIPR in excellent hands, with Dr. Dick Kawooya as Acting Director. Dick recently completed his Doctorate at the University of Tennessee, and we congratulate Dick on this accomplishment!

We also welcome the third cohort of Information Ethics Fellows; this year’s focus is on intercultural information policy and eth-ics and includes Past ALA President and Civic Librarian, Nancy Kranich; and Dennis Ocholla, Professor, Department of Library and Information Studies, University of Zululand. Returning

Fellows Rafael Capurro, Jeremy Hunsinger, and Annette Markham will continue their research and contributions to CIPR. Fellows spend time in residence at the Center, and their schedules will be available on the Fellows page.

Nancy Kranich will also be the keynote speaker at this year’s Samore lecture. Nancy’s work as a civic librarian, fellow at the First Amendment Policy Project, past ALA President, and many other roles makes her a perfect speaker, as CIPR and SOIS celebrate the importance of our profession in a civic society. The event is scheduled for Friday, May 8, 2009, and we will announce the excit-ing location very shortly. Believe me, it will be a blast!

We also congratulate CIPR Research Assistants Anthony Hoffmann and Erin Hvizdak, who recently were awarded Fellowships by the International Society for Ethics and Information Technology (INSEIT), of which CIPR is the institutional home. Tony and Erin will be working with prominent information ethicists Keith Miller and Philip Brey, and will work towards scholarly publications. The INSEIT Fellows program is a new initiative which provides young and promising scholars the opportunity to be mentored by a senior and established researcher. For more on INSEIT, see http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/SOIS/cipr/inseit_fellows.htm

Watch the CIPR web site for updates on this year’s Samore Lecture, and for our colloquia! I wish you all a happy and prosper-ous year, and will look forward to seeing you at CIPR events!

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Elizabeth A. Buchanan, Ph.D.Director, Center for Information Policy Research

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Annual Ted Samore LectureFriday, May 9, 2009Harley Davidson MuseumKeynote speaker: Nancy Kranich

12 | Inside SOIS

One World. One Wish. One Web.

Upcoming Events...

This year’s activities began with an exciting cel-ebration of One Web Day, on September 22,

featuring our new Assistant Professor and CIPR Associate Michael Zimmer, who joins us from Yale’s Internet Society Project; Dean Johannes Britz; UWM Associate Professor of Anthropology Thomas Malaby; and CIPR Research Assistant Anthony Hoffmann. The speakers provided thoughtful and inspirational discussions about the Internet and its future by look-ing through policy and ethics perspectives. Valuable information was shared with students on privacy issues related to social networking sites. One Web Day is celebrated around the world annually. CIPR and SOIS brought the One Web Day message to the UWM campus for the very first time. Join us in 2009 for the next One Web Day Celebration. For more on One Web Day, see http://www.onewebday.org/base/index.php/Milwaukee.

save the date...

The Ethics of Information Organization Conference May 22-23, 2009 - Milwaukee, WIKeynote speakers include:Clare Beghtol, Professor, University of Toronto, CanadaJosé Augusto Chaves Guimarães, Professor, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Brazil and Janet Swan Hill, Professor, Associate Director for Technical Services, University of Colorado at Boulder Libraries, USAFor more details visit: www.cipr.uwm.edu/ioethoics.html

Internet Research 10.0 - Internet: CritialOctober 7-11, 2009 - Milwaukee, WIThe 10th annual conference of the Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR), an international association for students and scholars in any discipline in the field of Internet studies will be hosted here in Milwaukee. The School of Information Studies and Center for Information Policy Research are both sponsoring the event. Dr. Elizabeth Buchanan and Dr. Michael Zimmer are members of the local organizational committee. For complete details visit: http://ir10.aoir.org



Winter 2008 | 13


News from the Student Org:A C T I V A T E Y O U R M E M B E R S H I P - H O W ? P A R T I C I P A T E !

Goal of the SOThe SO’s goal for this year is to actively include the distance education students with the SO and into UWM.

An important part of this process of inclu-sion has been to change the organization’s Constitution, requiring that general mem-bership meetings of the SO be conducted in a manner which allows the distance educa-tion students to fully participate. To allow for future technological changes, we have not mandated a specific platform for member-ship meetings, such as a video session held within D2L. General meeting notices will be sent via email and posted in D2L to encour-age all students to participate.

Any SO webcast events will include the opportunity for students to pose questions before, during, and after the session via a thread set up in the D2L Student Lounge, allowing for asynchronous participation.The D2L Student Lounge has been revised to make it easier to use. A chat room has been opened which will be available 24/7 for students to drop in and chat with others. At the start of each semester, we will work to ensure all students are aware of the Student Lounge and have access to it.A new officer’s position—Communications Manager—has been created. This person will be in charge of the SO’s electronic communication systems and social interac-tion activities. Other positions have been added as well, which will allow students to participate in areas of interest them without a huge time commitment.

Fall ActivitiesThe SO hosted the annual Student Research Day on October 18th, which was also webcast. This program highlights SOIS student work and features the induction cer-emony of SOIS graduates into Beta Phi Mu, an honor society for students of library and information studies.

The SO sponsors Coffee with the Deans each semester. This is a webcast event at which the three deans—Dean Johannes Britz, Associate Dean Hope Olson, and Assistant Dean Chad Zahrt—sit with stu-dents to discuss their plans for SOIS. The dean’s update will be followed by a general question-and-answer session during which students can address their concerns about SOIS.

AS A REGISTERED GRADUATE STU-DENT IN THE SOIS MLIS PROGRAM, YOU AUTOMATICALLY BECOME A MEMBER OF THE SOIS STUDENT ORGANIZATION. BUT DON’T STOP THERE!

> Want to make your voice heard in matters that affect your education?

> Want to build great profes-sional connections and form new friendships?

> Do you feel that you have more to give to your fellow students?

If so, consider becoming an active member in the SOIS Student Organization. But, but, but....I’m on-line. I work full / part time. I’m on campus. I have a family. I’m broke! We all are over committed students, yet we all can spare a little time to contribute to and enjoy the benefits of the student organi-zation. Benefits you ask? Yes! Participation in the Student Organization is a way to develop your professional skills, to cultivate relationships with your fellow stu-dents and faculty, to be an agent of change within SOIS. Student Organization input and collabora-tion with the faculty and staff of SOIS has lead to student repre-sentation on the SOIS faculty com-mittees, the creation of the D2L Student Lounge, and changes in the Comprehensive Examinations.It’s your organization; use it to your advantage.

Student Org Plans for 2008-2009The Executive Council of the SOIS Student Organization (SO) has been busy this past summer, setting up an exciting program for the 2008-2009 school year. Upon examining survey results from last semester’s student survey, the SO has identified key areas of student interest which we will act on this year.

Contact the Student Organization at [email protected] to get involved!

wasOIS

14 | Inside SOIS

SOIS STUDENT ORG Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)The SOIS Student Organization (SIOS SO) is an American Library Association (ALA) Student Chapter. The SOIS SO is open to all graduate students currently enrolled in the School of Information Studies (SOIS), including PhD students. Membership in the SOIS SO is free and automat-ic; every grad student is a member of the organization. Membership in the ALA is encouraged, though not required. All members have the privilege of voting and have the ability to hold offices within the organization.The objectives of the organization are:

1. To promote and encourage student participation within SOIS;

2. To provide student representation on faculty committees, extending an understanding of the students’ expectations and needs;

3. To function as a problem-solving forum and agent of change within the SOIS community;

4. To sponsor activities and other events that enhance the formal class-room experience and promote scholarly achievement;

5. To provide a local forum for the exchange of ideas and information about trends, issues and opportunities in the profession;

6. To increase awareness of national issues in the profession;

7. To facilitate communication and interaction with the professional com-munity;

8. To help students develop skills and relationships that will enable them to have a creative impact on the profession;

9. To foster a sense of professional responsibility in members and promote a high ethical standard for all information professionals;

10. To participate in service projects providing outreach which benefit UWM and the underserved community; and

11. To promote and facilitate a spirit of community among students, faculty, and alumni.

The SOIS SO holds synchronous general membership meetings of both online students and oncampus students at least once during the fall and spring semesters. Executive Committee meetings are held on a regular basis and are open to all members.

S

Spring ActivitiesSpring activities include three “Brewed with SOIS” events, introducing faculty members to the students and webcast via D2L. Once again, faculty will talk about themselves and give pointers to students on how to navigate a successful MLIS career. Three Brown Bag lunches will feature MLIS professionals highlighting their careers and how they stay involved within the professional community.

The year will close with a Career Workshop, to be co-hosted by the SOIS Alumni Association, which will help students pre-pare themselves for their career and the search process for their first position within the profession. Speakers will present infor-mation on various MLIS careers. Break-out sessions will include resume workshops, career planning workshops, and interview practice sessions. This event will be web-cast and the resume services will be made available to the distance education students as well.

Please consider attending these events and volunteering to help ensure their success.

Student input is always welcome! Contact the SO at [email protected] with your ideas.



Winter 2008 | 15

Photos: Left - Su-Yu Lin; Top (L to R) - Dan Rude; Katie Blank; Matthew Derpinghaus; Jamie Bal and Chris Langer

TIES TO AFRICAScholars on the SOIS faculty have long-standing personal and academic ties to Africa.

Britz, a native of South Africa, originally arrived at UWM as a visiting professor. Ugandan native Kawooya joined SOIS as a visiting lecturer through the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program. Professor Mohammad Aman, former SOIS dean who was born in Egypt, continues to cultivate numerous contacts with Middle Eastern scholars, and frequently travels, consults and lectures in the Arab states of northern Africa.

Like Britz, du Plessis also came to the U.S. from South Africa. He is a member of a national consortium of scholars focused on teaching African languages. Shana Ponelis, another native South African, was recently hired by SOIS as a lecturer, and Peter Lor, the current general secretary of the International Fed-eration of Library Associations (IFLA) who is also originally from Africa, will join the ranks of SOIS starting January 1.

Much of the SOIS work focuses on researching the impact of “information poverty” facing countries that do not have wide-spread access to today’s information and communications tech-nology. At one African law school, for example, Kawooya found that 7,000 students shared three copies of a required textbook.

“These are desperate situations that call for desperate means, as we learned from the law librarian,” says Kawooya. “They are photocopying entire textbooks, probably outside the fair use provisions of the law.”

The challenges African countries face are complicated by the diverse languages and cultures as well as differing views on copyright, privacy, information sharing and other issues.

As our global information economy becomes more

and more dependent on information technology,

the growing digital divide that hinders nations from

engaging in our increasingly networked world becomes more

apparent. While the digital divide between Milwaukee and the

continent of Africa is huge, faculty and students in the University

of Wisconsin–Milwaukee’s School of Information Studies are

applying their expertise in information studies to build bridges

between our cultures and narrow the growing divide.

From a pioneering global workshop focused on information ethics to improved online instruction methodologies for African languages,

SOIS faculty and students continue to apply cutting-edge information sci-ence theory to solve real-world needs, bringing together information studies theory and practice. Through innovative partnerships with developing na-tions, SOIS’s work in Africa spans an array of novel projects, large and small.

UWM is co-organizer of a major workshop on ethics and electronic government being held in Africa in February 2009. SOIS Dean Jo-

hannes Britz, joined by a panel of leading international scholars, will give a presentation at the workshop.

Teaching academic staff member Dick Kawooya is leading a multidis-ciplinary team of researchers from eight African countries to investi-

gate the links between copyright law, education and economic development in Africa. His project is made possible by a grant totaling $1.5 million from Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and South Africa’s Shuttleworth Foundation.

Jacques du Plessis, an associate professor, has launched an online Web site to teach Afrikaans, an important language in South Africa

and neighboring countries, and is developing strategies to improve teaching methodologies of other African languages which, like Afrikaans, are nor-mally excluded from curricula for traditional foreign language instruction.

Information studies students are developing oral books, based on tra-ditional African storytelling, for children in an AIDS orphanage in South

Africa.

SOIS is partnering with the East African School of Library and Infor-mation Science at Makere University in Uganda and the School of

Information Sciences at the University of Tennessee to build an interna-tional collaboration of information studies scholars promoting diversity, in-tercultural dialog and international literacies.

UWM students are traveling to Africa as part of SOIS UWinteriM pro-grams to look at the issue of information poverty and the challenge it

presents to fi nancial and social success in developing countries.

Building Informat


16 | Inside SOIS

WORKING WITH AFRICAN SCHOLARS AND ADMINISTRATORSThis coming February, SOIS will be involved in a UNESCO-sponsored workshop in Africa on ethics and e-government that will bring together representatives from 50 African countries. Workshop participants will collaborate to develop standards and guidelines for using new technolo-gies for such routine bureaucratic processes as issuing passports.

“The civil servants in these countries face many challenges,” says Britz. The issues include privacy/identity theft, potential corruption and multiple languages within a country – Nigeria alone, for example, has more than 170 different languages. “In America, we have our problems with e-government, but this is a whole different dynamic.”

Kawooya is the lead researcher for the ACA2K (African Copyright and Ac-cess to Knowledge) team, a grant-funded effort involving eight developing sub-Saharan nations that is looking at the ongoing challenges facing African countries because of Western-based copyright regulations. “The introduc-tion of IPRs (intellectual property rights) in Africa didn’t fi t well with Africa’s existing knowledge systems and lifestyles,” says Kawooya.

“We’ve learned that the awareness of copyright is very low in most [African] countries,” Kawooya says. Where there is awareness, he adds, people of-ten cannot afford to pay for materials and resort to cheaper methods such as photocopying. With rare exceptions, such as Egypt’s Biblioteca, most li-braries and schools cannot afford access to copyrighted materials because per capita income is so low, notes Kawooya.

PROTECTING, PROMOTING INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGEWith the increased globalization of information, protecting and promot-ing indigenous knowledge in devel-oping African countries is another vital concern, according to the SOIS scholars. Kawooya’s recently com-pleted doctoral thesis focused on copyright issues related to tradition-al music in Uganda, and du Plessis

is developing new strategies to encourage African language instruction.

Among other projects, du Plessis has developed a Web site for students interested in learning Afrikaans, an offi cial language of South Africa. Apply-ing a novel approach to language acquisition, the site uses blogs, streaming video, Web cams and other new technology to engage and support learn-ers. A longer-term goal of the project, he says, is to use the site as a model or open resource to help others in preserving and protecting languages, es-pecially those not commonly taught. His Afrikaans site is attracting 15,000 hits per month.

While the online model could work for any endangered language with a declining number of speakers, du Plessis has taken a particular interest in African languages. He is part of a national group, the African Languages Teachers Association, which is developing standards for teaching African languages.

“We can replicate most of this for any language,” says du Plessis. “I am hop-ing to work with my colleagues in this group to develop similar online materi-als for Swahili, Hausa, Akan, Wolof, Yoruba and Pulaar [Fulani], based on our experiences with the online Afrikaans learners.” Other scholars, working collaboratively, are nearing completion of sites for Zulu, Xhosa and several other languages.

tion Bridges to AfricaWhile SOIS is reaching out to many areas of the world – the Middle East, Europe, Asia – as part of its international mission, numerous recent partnerships have focused on Africa.

“There is an urgent need to integrate leading African scholars and practitioners into the international ethi-cal debate on the impact of new information and communication technologies in their countries and cultures,” says Britz.

by: Kathy Quirk



Winter 2008 | 17

What made you apply to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee?I had 26 college credits through a program at my high school, mostly in the area of Information Technology (IT) and networking, so I felt like I had a good start to a college degree already. I wanted to attend a school where my credits would transfer well, and UWM’s Bachelor of Science in Information

Resources (BSIR) program seemed like a good match. The high school I graduated from offered a Youth Options program: they support students who want to attend classes at a local technical college. The school pays for our courses, our books, and all registration fees. It was a really nice option and a great opportunity for me. I had already passed all the technology-

and IT-related classes at my high school, so I was really excited at the possibility of continuing my education without having to wait until college to keep studying these areas. The Youth Options program was a perfect fit for me and I feel it prepared me well for college and gave me great direction in deciding what school to attend and what program or area of study to pursue.


Undergraduate Shares Passion for Information Studies

OMG, you’ve done what?!When 19-year-old Jim Schultz met with Assistant Dean Chad Zahrt at the School of Information Studies to discuss his past work experiences and how

they would fit into an IT Technician position with SOIS, Zahrt’s response was, “Could you repeat that?” Schultz, an incoming freshman at UWM and stu-

dent in SOIS’s Bachelor of Science in Information Resources (BSIR), made the most of his time in high school, but not just by getting good grades and

staying active in his interests.

Why information studies?I’ve always loved IT and the information side of technology. Information studies seemed to be a great fit for me; I’m good at it and I enjoy it, so I thought, why not?

What does the School of Information Studies at UWM offer that made you want to apply?SOIS is the only place to offer a BSIR degree. Plus, I love Milwaukee and the university. UWM is a big school without being so big that you get lost. SOIS is much the same way; the school serves a lot of students, but it feels like a close-knit community where everyone knows each other and their professors. There are lots of opportunities both at UWM and in the city of Milwaukee. I feel that there are a lot of different areas I can branch off into here at UWM.

Why was it important to you to work while going to college?I can gain a lot of experience and get a foot in the door at a prospective employ-er when I graduate. Hopefully, it will lend itself to not necessarily just a higher sal-ary when I graduate, but also a better position in general. Plus, I’m learning so much! In just the past few weeks of my work here, I feel like I’ve really learned a lot, more than I would have had I just gotten a normal summer job outside of my area of interest.

How did you get your current job at SOIS? What do you think helped you to get the job?I think coming in early and talking to peo-ple here at SOIS really helped me to get the job I have now. I met with Assistant Dean Zahrt, showed him my resume and told him about my experience in IT, and

Where do you see yourself after college, say in 10 years?I see myself working in the IT field. I’d like to get into the management side of IT. I would like to view IT operations from a big-picture perspective and be able to make impactful decisions on a company’s IT structure.

18 | Inside SOIS

expressed my interest in work-ing for the school in some way. I didn’t actually apply for a specif-ic job opening; I just told him that I was very interested in working for the school in any way that I could. I actually met with him during a Preview Day, where prospective students come to the School to learn about the BSIR program. Before the Preview Day, I knew I wanted to continue working in the IT field during school, but didn’t know where. I knew that, by working here [at SOIS], I’d learn a lot and would be sure to do ethical and challenging work, which is very important to me. So, with these goals in mind, I just went in early and spoke with someone I thought could help.

What advice do you have for a high school junior or senior still looking for a good “match”, a school and program they want to attend?Ask around and talk to people! Don’t be afraid to get involved in the things you are interested in. You’ve got to start somewhere and the best thing to do is to get involved in your interests and test the waters…see if a particular area or field suits you. I figured, why not work now, while I’m in high school and college, in the areas I’m interested in to find out if I like them or not. Definitely though, talk to people, and meet with people early.

An IT aficionado, Web designer, and small business owner, Schultz’s studies and work experience made selecting the right college, and the right program, an easy task.

Photos: Top - Jim Schultz (BSIR Freshman) Left to Right - Joel DesArmo (BSIR Junior), Christopher Robinson (BSIR Junior), Shelly Fridell (BSIR 07, current MLIS student)



Winter 2008 | 19


NEW BOOKS BY SOIS FACULTY

Interactive Information Retrieval in Digital EnvironmentsDr. Iris Xie

In her new book, Interactive Information Retrieval in Digital Environments, Dr. Xie shares her expertise in information retrieval and reveals the impact of digital environments on people’s information retrieval strategies. “Interactive Information Retrieval in Digital Environments includes the integration of existing frame-works on user-oriented information retrieval systems across multiple disciplines; the comprehensive review of empirical studies of interactive information retrieval systems for different types of users, tasks, and subtasks; and the discussion of how to evaluate interactive information retrieval systems. Researchers, designers, teachers, scholars, and professionals will gain the foundation for new research on this subject matter, and guidance to evaluate new information retrieval systems for the general public as well as for specific user groups.” (from IGI Publishing, http://www.igi-global.com/books/details.asp?id=7642)

Ebony Jr!: The Rise, Fall, and Return of a Black Children’s MagazineDr. Laretta Henderson

“In 1945, John H. Johnson published the first issue of Ebony magazine, a monthly periodical aimed at African American readers. In 1973, the Johnson Publishing Company expanded its read-ership to include children by producing Ebony Jr!. Targeting Black children in the five to eleven age-range, the magazine featured stories, comics, puzzles, and cartoons. Its contents combined elements of Black culture, Black history, and elementary school curriculum. The publication remained in print until 1985 and was resurrected online in 2007. In Ebony Jr! The Rise, Fall and Return of a Black Children’s Magazine, Laretta Henderson charts this unique publication’s genesis, history, and impact. She analyzes the structure and literary context of Ebony Jr!, revealing how the political climate informed the composition of the magazine. Henderson also profiles the magazine’s publisher, John H. Johnson, and examines how his corporate structure facilitated and informed Ebony Jr!’s content, success, and its initial demise. This culturally significant milestone in African American culture is given its due deference in this inter-disciplinary examination of the environment in which Ebony Jr! was produced, assessing what the magazine’s existence meant to a generation of young readers”. (from The Scarecrow Press, Inc., http://www.scarecrowpress.com/ Catalog/Flyer2.

shtml?SKU=0810861348)

Dr. Tomas Lipinski promoted to full professor

Congratulations to Tom Lipinski! At the June meeting the Board of Regents officially approved his promotion to Full Professor and was effective at the beginning of the

08/09 academic year.

“This is a significant academic achievement and recognition of his reputation both as scholar and teacher,” said Dean Britz. Congratulations Tom!

Dr. Thomas Haigh appointed fellow to Center for 21st Century Studies

Congratulations Tom Haigh for his appointment as fellow to the Center for 21st Century Studies on campus. The Center is a postdoctoral research institute founded in 1968 to foster crossdisciplinary research in the humanities. Supported by the College of Letters and Science and The Graduate School, the Center seeks to promote discussion of topics of compelling interest to us today. Each year the Center designates a theme that lends itself to multi-disciplinary study as the subject for its research. A group of some six to eight fellows from different departments and disciplines at UWM is selected to be in residence. Congratulations Tom!

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20 | Inside SOIS

Three SOIS affiliates appointed to editorial board of Journal of Library Metadata

Associate Dean Hope Olson, Lecturer Steve Miller, and SOIS alum Sheila Blair, Western University, have been appointed to the editorial board of the Journal of Library Metadata. Now in its eighth year, the Journal focuses on metadata issues in libraries, including electronic resource management, library data exchange, digi-tal object identifiers, and digital preserva-tion, as well as effective resource dis-covery and many other areas. The goal of the publication is to provide a means of sharing and documenting information about metadata in libraries.

To the editorial board, Dr. Olson brings her expertise in cataloguing and collec-tion management, as well as her exten-sive scholarship in metadata issues. Mr. Miller offers his perspective on electronic resource management and digital col-lections to the review of submitted arti-cles. The representation of three SOIS-affiliated professionals on this editorial board speaks to the school’s authority in library metadata research and practice.

Aman Appointed to the Council of the Arab Union (AUC)

Professor Mohammed Aman was appointed to the Council of the Arab Union Catalog (AUC), the equivalent of the OCLC for the Arab World and attended the first Council meeting hosted by King Abdulaziz Public Library (KAPL) in Riyadh from October 16 to 25, 2008. He was invited to address the AUC Council opening session following the remarks given by Crown Prince Abdulaziz Bin Abdullah Bin AbdulAziz Al Saud and Mr. Faisal Bin Abdul Rahman Bin Mu’amar Director of King Abdul Aziz Public Library. The Deputy Librarian is Mr. Abdul Kereem al-Zaid, MLIS graduate from the UWM SOIS. The Arab Union Catalog will reach one million records by 2009 and has more than 111 library members in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, Sudan and other Arab Gulf States. While in Riyadh Prof. Aman met with the members of the faculty and administration of the Department of Information and Computer Sciences at Imam Mohammed University and with a number of UWM-SOIS graduates in the city. He also met with another group of UWM-SOIS graduates in Jeddah who had fond memories of their student days at UWM and their beloved city of Milwaukee.

Faculty News...



Winter 2008 | 21

Information Science professor’s expertise enhances DVD of Hollywood thriller. By: Kathy Quirk

Real-life academics don’t often get involved in top box office movies. But Michael Zimmer, assistant professor, is on tap to be part of an “extra feature” for the upcoming DVD release of “Eagle Eye,” which opened in theatres Sept. 24.

The producers interviewed Zimmer because of his expertise in the ethical dimensions of new information and communication technologies, with particular focus on surveil-lance and information privacy (see his blog at http://michaelzimmer.org). Concerns the movie raises about surveillance via the Internet, security cameras or GPS (Global Positioning System)-enabled cell phones are valid, says Zimmer.

Too much information?Some cell phone providers even offer services for parents to track the location of their kids’ phones real-time on a website. And, social networking sites increasingly rely on phone GPS data for users to automatically announce where they are to their friends. This “normalization” of surveillance concerns Zimmer: “People today, espe-cially young people, are so used to sharing information about their lives with their friends via services like Facebook or Dodgeball, they often don’t realize that same information is accessible by others, including parents, potential employers, and even law enforcement.”

To combat this, Zimmer adds, young people and others must become more aware of and deal with technology’s threats to privacy and personal rights. The average person in the real world won’t face the thrill-a-minute threats that LaBeouf and Monaghan deal with, but they do need to be aware of technology’s potential dangers, says Zimmer.

At this point, with “Eagle Eye” flying high at the box office, Zimmer isn’t sure when the DVD will come out or how much of his interview will be on the final version. Still, he says, it was a fun experience and an opportu-nity to educate the public about some of the issues the movie focuses on. ”My hope is that movies like this can raise awareness of the privacy and surveillance impli-cations of new technology, and prompt a dialogue. We need to find ways to benefit from these emerging tech-nologies without threatening the liberties we enjoy.”

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Photos: SOIS International Exchange Programs with South Africa and South Korea.

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Inside SOIS - Winter 09