George Curran’s path from IU’s MLS program to pioneering early medical information systems shows how a librarian can reshape patient care, research, and community access. His lifelong commitment to connecting people with trustworthy medical knowledge left a real mark on the field. Explore his full story here.
ILS Spotlights
ILS Student Spotlight: Maesa Ogas on Film Conservation and Archives
Meet Maesa Ogas (they/them), a Railsback Fellow for Library Engagement and an Arts and Humanities Library Assistant pursuing a joint M.L.S. and Folklore M.A. degree. Read about their academic journey from studying at Purdue, joining ILS, and interning at Harvard here!
Connecting Communities: Digitization Efforts at the IUMAA Reading Room
As the Curator of Archives and Library Resources at the IU Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (IUMAA), Kelsey Grimm (MLS IU 2015) wears many hats. As the steward of the museum’s library and archival collections, Grimm oversees the preservation and organization of diverse materials such as the Great Lakes-Ohio Valley Ethnohistory Collection (also known as… Read more »
IUB’s Society of American Archivists Student Chapter Reinstated
After several years of inactivity, Indiana University Bloomington’s student chapter of the Society of American Archivists (SAA) is officially back. The revival, led by Megan Sherry, aims to strengthen the community of aspiring archivists within the Department of Information and Library Science (ILS) and beyond. Graduate assistant Ruby Mae Miller sat down with SAA president… Read more »
ALA Student Chapter Explores IU’s Auxiliary Library Facility
On October 1st, members of Indiana University Bloomington’s student chapter of the American Library Association (ALA) visited the university’s Auxiliary Library Facility (ALF) for an inside look at how IU Libraries preserves and manages its extensive collections. Read more about the visit here!
Digitizing History: Ellie Harrison’s Exhibit on Karl Martz’s Mashiko Sabbatical
By Quentin Kitchell This summer, dual M.L.S./M.A. Art History candidate Ellie Harrison curated an exhibit titled Karl Martz’s 1971–72 Mashiko Sabbatical and Japanese Studio Pottery. Working with supervisor Sarah Carter, Ellie highlighted photographs from the IU Legacy Slide Collection that document Martz’s sabbatical in Mashiko, Japan, during the early 1970s. Read more about her work… Read more »
PhD Student Athkia Subat Examines the Power of Hashtags in Revolution
By Quentin Kitchell This August, PhD student Athkia Subat presented her original research at a poster session at Harvard University and a research paper presentation at a conference on informational systems in Canada. Subat’s paper, entitled “How do hashtags impact history? The use of social media in the 2024 Bangladeshi Gen Z revolution”, covers how… Read more »
ALA 2025 Through Students Eyes
ALA 2025 Through Students Eyes At the end of June, members of the IU Bloomington ALA (American Library Association) Student Chapter headed to Philadelphia for the ALA 2025 Annual Conference & Exhibition. From June 26-30, they explored the city, connected with fellow library professionals and students, and were inspired through workshops and presentations. We caught… Read more »
Dr. Yuerong Hu Awarded SHARP Lightning Seed Grant
Dr. Yuerong Hu Awarded SHARP Lightning Seed Grant Dr. Yuerong Hu received a SHARP (The Society for the History of Authorship, Reading, and Publishing) Lightening Grant, awarded to support events or activities that advance global book history studies. Hu gave us a glimpse into her current research and how she plans to use the grant… Read more »
IU Libraries Timeline: ILS Magazine Out Soon!
Every May, the ILS department puts out a magazine with stories and achievements from the academic year. This magazine is the product of months of writing and preparing articles, most of which is undertaken by graduate assistants in the ILS office. The content will vary depending on the year’s news from the department. The cover… Read more »