The Department of Information Sciences at The Catholic University of America invites you to The Sister Thea Bowman Lecture Series on Social Justice in Library Science
“The First and Still Best Hope for Equity: Libraries, Disabled People, and the Politics of Hatred through American History”
with Dr. Paul Jaeger
November 20, 2024, virtually at 6 p.m. EST
Please register to receive the link to the online lecture event.
About the Speaker: Paul T. Jaeger, PhD, JD, MLS, MEd, is a Professor and Distinguished Scholar-Teacher at the College of Information, Director of the Museum Scholarship and Material Culture certificate program, and Associate Director of the Maryland Initiative for Digital Accessibility at the University of Maryland. He studies the impacts of law and policy on information access and accessibility, focusing on human rights and civil rights. He is the author of more than 215 journal articles and book chapters, as well as 20 books. His recent books include Libraries and the Global Retreat of Democracy and Foundations of Information Law. He is co-editor of the journals Library Quarterly and Including Disability, and co-founder and co-chair of the Including Disability Global Summit. In 2014, he received the inaugural Library Journal/ALISE Excellence in Teaching Award.
Accommodations and Special Needs: For disability accommodations please contact the department at cua-lis@cua.edu or 202-319-5085. In all situations, a good faith effort (up until the time of the event) will be made to provide accommodations.
About the Lecture Series: Advancing social justice is a long tradition and core value of information professionals and cultural heritage institutions. The Department Information Sciences at Catholic University has always embodied the principle of social justice in its teaching, research and service. It instills a mindset that nurtures a commitment to community service, an openness to change and global perspectives, and a dedication to the philosophy, principles, and legal and ethical responsibilities of the field for the society. In order to represent its tradition in upholding core values and responsibility for social justice, in spring 2019, we inaugurated a dedicated lecture series on social justice named after Sister Thea Bowman.
Sister Thea Bowman was a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration. She attended Viterbo College in La Crosse, Wisconsin, while preparing to enter the convent. She earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in English from The Catholic University of America, and went on to teach at elementary schools and later at Catholic University and Xavier University in New Orleans, Louisiana. After sixteen years in academia, Sister Thea Bowman became a consultant for intercultural awareness for the Diocese of Mississippi. Her programs were designed to break down racial and cultural barriers. She believed that through communication and understanding of other cultures and ethnicities, racial injustice could be minimized. Many felt that Sister Thea Bowman’s efforts left a lasting mark on U.S. Catholic life in the late 20th century. An influential speaker on music, diversity, and inclusion, her work continues to have a profound impact on the world. After battling cancer, Sister Thea Bowman, died in 1990. The United States bishops endorsed her canonization to sainthood in November, 2018. Her case will continue for approval through commission. If approved, her cause will proceed to the Vatican where she will be declared venerable.
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