Posted September 20, 2019
By Rebekah Friedman, communications manager, rebekahb@mailbox.sc.edu, 803-576-7270
Photo: Sari Feldman, Jason Broughton, Erik Boekesteijn and Lee Rainie
Four high-profile figures in library and information science have been tapped to help transform how the University of South Carolina is preparing the next generation of professionals.
Sari Feldman, Jason Broughton, Erik Boekesteijn and Lee Rainie have been named to the inaugural class of School of Library and Information Science Fellows. The program is an effort to enhance the school’s curriculum by building a direct line to leading thinkers in the field.
“Connecting our education to innovative practice for positive impact in communities is our signature here at South Carolina,” says David Lankes, director of SLIS. “These stars in the field can now help us mentor students and faculty alike.”
As Fellows, the four will assist the school in a variety of ways. Responsibilities include:
- Providing critical input on curriculum and course design.
- Offering insight on research projects.
- Advising faculty and students.
- Serving as guest speakers for classes, workshops and other special events.
And because the Fellows currently work in the field, they’ll help the school identify and respond to emerging trends and issues within the profession, ensuring that classes remain relevant.
“We could not be more happy with the caliber of individuals in the inaugural class,” Lankes says. “They are getting us ready to celebrate our 50th anniversary in 2020 – guiding us in how we will expand the amazing foundation of our first half century to succeed in the next half and beyond.”
About the Fellows:
Sari Feldman is executive director of the Cuyahoga County Public Library in Ohio. During her tenure as president of the American Library Association from 2015-2016, she launched Libraries Transform, a campaign to raise awareness of the impact libraries have in their communities. The campaign provided libraries with an array of powerful graphics, messaging and other advocacy resources.
A 2014 SLIS alumnus, Jason Broughton was appointed state librarian of Vermont in April 2019. Broughton leads the Department of Libraries within the Agency of Administration and is the first African American to hold the post.
Erik Boekesteijn is a senior advisor at National Library of the Netherlands as well as a facilitator and consultant for the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. Boekesteijn got his start in the Netherlands’ DOK Library in Delft, recognized as one of the most innovative public libraries in the world.
Lee Rainie is director of internet and technology for Pew Research Center, a non-profit, non-partisan “fact tank” that studies the social impact of the internet. There, Rainie runs a research project that explores the social impact of digital technologies, as well as the intersection of science and society. He also served as managing editor of U.S. News & World Report for 12 years.