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For Immediate Release
February 19, 2008 Contacts: Ellen Ternes, 301-405-4621 or univcomm@umd.edu Maryland's iSchool Transforming the Way Society Connects
Founded 40 years ago, Maryland's iSchool is changing from a small college with a strong foundation in library and information studies programs to a fast-growing and groundbreaking center of expertise that will help people manage the information explosion from childhood to adulthood. Situated close to Washington, DC, Maryland's iSchool offers students a unique advantage of studying and working in the information capital of the world.
Faculty and students work with experts from many disciplines, blending technological expertise with dependable knowledge about what information seekers need and how they use data. Current Maryland iSchool partners include the university's Schools of Public Policy and Public Health, and the Colleges of Education and Computer, Mathematical and Physical Sciences Pioneering Work
Maryland iSchool faculty and students do pioneering research and problem solving on a number of timely information issues, including:
"Progress in science, business, education, and culture depends on how we manage information," says iSchool dean Jennifer Preece. "Success in the 21st century will be determined by how well we harness information to leverage our collective intelligence." Outstanding Faculty Maryland's iSchool has an outstanding faculty, with researchers who have been pioneers in the field of information studies. Allison Druin has changed the ways children learn about each other's cultures by sharing books and stories. With a team of faculty, staff, and students, she created the International Children's Digital Library, comprising thousands of books, representing dozens of cultures and more than 30 languages. The Library is used by children, teachers, parents and researchers around the world.
"Uncovering innovative design ideas is the exciting aspect of working with kids," says Druin. "Every time a new technology enables a child to do something they never dreamed of, there are new possibilities for the future." Maryland's iSchool faculty also includes Douglas Oard, an expert in information search and retrieval; Jimmy Lin, who is partnering with IBM and others to research cloud computing; Ann Weeks, an expert in children's libraries;
Paul Jaeger, in the Center for Information Policy and Electronic Government; Derek Hansen, in the Center for the Advanced Study of Communities and Information; and Scott Paquette and Dave Yates, experts in knowledge management. Innovative teaching is also a hot topic in Maryland's iSchool. Assistant Professor Jen Golbeck, who researches social networking, uses Facebook in her teaching, because it offers "ways for students to contact one another in a very informal way. In a sense, it extends the casual environment of the classroom online so students can talk and organize," Golbeck says. Ken Fleischmann challenges students to think about the ethical implications of using technology, while Bo Xie, Ann Weeks, and Trudi Hahn focus on the needs of library users from children, to older adults, to academic specialists. iSchools Maryland's iSchool belongs to a national consortium of iSchools that are committed to providing information to support human endeavors by researching and teaching students about the relationship between information, technology, and people. For more information on Maryland's iSchool, visit www.clis.umd.edu For more information about ischools, see www.ischools.org.
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With the opening of its new research facility in February, Maryland's iSchool, the highly ranked 
The iSchool's new state-of-the-art research facility will be a hub for the college's students and faculty to conduct research, engage in group projects and study individually. 
