Posted December 14, 2015
Reprinted from InterCom
Story by Cassie Jenisek
Dr. Samantha Hastings carries more titles than you can reasonably fit on a business card. She is director of the School of Library and Information Science, associate dean in the College of Information and Communications and current president of the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE).
Her role in ALISE raises the stature and recognition of the library school and its director among North American schools of library and information science education.
As ALISE president, Dr. Hastings is responsible for organizing the annual conference program, which serves as a platform for presentation of research, ideas, grants, and the ALISE membership’s expertise. “The opportunity to talk on a national forum about the quality of our school and our students came through the ALISE presidency,” Dr. Hastings says.
We do research that changes people’s lives. - Sam Hastings
The 2016 annual conference, which will be held January 5-8 in Boston, is titled “Radical Change: Inclusion and Innovation.” ALISE members will explore inclusive practices and innovative strategies in teaching and research, with special interest in cultural diversity, digital societies, intellectual freedom, social justice, and international resources.
Alongside Dr. Hastings’ presidential initiatives, Dr. Elise Lewis, a SLIS assistant professor, is in charge of a program at ALISE called the “unCommons.” According to ALISE, “the unCommons is a gathering point where colleagues and contemporaries can share ideas, brainstorm and network, meet for an impromptu presentation, hold a one-on-one meeting, or engage in a lively debate.”
“Networking and learning doesn’t always have to happen in a formal environment,” says Dr. Lewis.
SLIS faculty contributions at the national and international level show a significant dedication to the field of library and information science education. Dr. Hastings says, “The passion for what we do is what makes me excited to walk through the doors of Davis (College) every morning.... We do research that changes people’s lives.”