NEASIS&T is pleased to announce that Heather F. Ball, Lubov McKone, and Sara Rottger have been selected as this year's Conference Support Award Recipients.

Heather is currently an Information Science doctoral student at the University at Buffalo, SUNY, and the Critical Pedagogy Librarian for Student Success at St. John’s University, as well as an Assistant Professor. She holds an MLS/dual certificate in Preservation and Archives from Queens College and an MLitt (University of Glasgow) and Bachelor’s (NYU) in Medieval Studies.

Lubov is an aspiring data librarian currently pursuing her MLIS at Pratt Institute. Her prior career as a data analyst in local government grounds her critical approach to data management and use, which challenges the power dynamic between the researcher and the researched in processes of data curation, transformation, and preservation.

Sara is the Assistant Librarian for Teen Services at the Wilmington Memorial Library, MA, and a graduate of Mount Holyoke College.  As a member of NEASIS&T, she hopes to connect with professionals in the field beyond the realm of public libraries and attend panels focusing on the intersections of youth studies and information science.

We are pleased to announce the 2021 NEASIST Conference Support Award recipients:

Katherine Leonard, School of Library Information Science, Simmons University.

Katherine is the Marketing Chair of the student chapter of ASIS&T at Simmons University. She looks forward to attending sessions related to her career path of knowledge management, data governance, and taxonomy and has already picked out specific sessions of interest. Katherine had left a career in research and brand strategy to pursue an MLIS “to create a community that is more just, equitable, and inclusive of all voices — not just those that have historically been heard.” She “believe[s] that when we empower communities and decision-makers with data and research, we can make more equitable decisions, address gaps, and practice accountability.”

Nick Bodanza, School of Library Information Science, Simmons University

Nick has already been involved with the student chapter of ASIS&T at Simmons University, where he served as a NEASIST liaison. He will serve as co-chair of Simmons ASIS&T for the 2021-2022 academic year. Nick says, “as technology becomes more pervasive in work and life, it is critical to develop, implement, and make them accessible ethically.” The conference will be valuable to him as it would serve “to bridge the gap between research and practice.” As incoming co-chair of Simmons ASIS&T, he also looks forward to the Annual Meeting to make sure the Simmons chapter is aligned with the parent organization and to incorporate new ideas into the Simmons chapter’s events.

Rukmal Ryder, Salem State University 

Rukmal is an instruction librarian and is passionate about exploring how technology shapes teaching and learning in both current and future practice: “I think in five years most of the classes would be online and we would need to have the skills to create online materials for Library Information sessions.” She feels positive and excited about using advancing technologies to provide better services: “I feel that with new and advanced technology we can reach out to a wider community and serve better.” She is interested in learning more about cutting-edge technologies like AI in libraries. She looks forward to taking what she will learn from the Annual Meeting and helping the community she serves.

We are pleased to announce this year’s 2020 NEASIST Conference Support Award recipients:

Rong Tang, Associate Professor, School of Library Information Science, Simmons University.

Rong is already embedded in ASIS&T activities and is the lead editor for the JASIS&T special issue,"Paradigm shift in the field of information". Rong had also presented at multiple NEASIST events in the past. Regarding this year’s theme, Rong writes, “this theme emphasizes the impact of information on society. In the past, when we think about information or information science, more often we only consider exclusively about the scholarship or advances within our own field. This theme prompts us to think about the value of information broadly outside our own field.”

Francesco Buccella, Student, School of Library Information Science, Simmons University

Francesco writes that attending the ASIS&T Meeting will "assist me in entering the sphere of knowledge by current practitioners, which I would like to soon consider colleagues of mine" and recognizes the opportunities professional organizations provide "to supplement their practice with scholarly discussion". We wholeheartedly agree with Francesco that "it is exciting to be able to start to be a part of that community, simultaneously while starting my graduate studies, rather than beginning after graduation." Regarding this year's theme: "Never before in world history have we had this amount of information in both physical and digital format, and this impressive confluence requires professionals in our field to properly manage it for current use and posterity."

Madison Schallhorn, Student, School of Library Information Science, Simmons University

Madison is excited "for the potential to form relationships with mentors and peers who inspire me. Because of the squelching effects of COVID-19 on my professional future and my ability to gain experience as a current student, I desire to be part of a community of people who share my passion for this field now more than ever." Regarding this year's theme: "As sustainability becomes more important, it is necessary to expand the voices involved in the discourse and research beyond those who are typically involved. I look forward to advocating for our community and showing how our work in information science can offer a different perspective and provide insight on creating a more sustainable future." 

We are excited for Rong, Franceso, and Madison to attend the 2020 ASIS&T Meeting in October and for them to share what they’ve learned with the chapter!

We are pleased to announce that Rachel Williams, of Simmons University, as the recipient of this year’s NE-ASIST Annual Travel Award.
Congratulations!

Rachel anticipates that attending the annual meeting will assist in “building my professional network, in reflecting and growing as an instructor, and in engaging the innovative approaches to answering information questions.” Her work on exploring the possible connections between social work, public librarianship, and library science education directly engages with the conference theme. Her experience and interest in forging ties between research and practice resonate with NEASIST’s work.

A special thanks goes out to the team of volunteers who read through the essays for this year’s award – Alyson Gamble, Grete Graf, Joshua Dull, Kyong Eun Oh, and Louisa Choy. Additional thanks to Rachael Juskuv for providing further guidance.

The results are in and we are pleased to announce the winners of the 2018 NE-ASIS&T Annual Travel Awards! This year’s ASIS&T Annual theme is Building an Ethical & Sustainable Information Future with Emerging Technology and it will be held in Vancouver, BC, Canada, Saturday, November 10 – Wednesday, November 14, 2018.

In the category of Student, we would like to congratulate Alyson Gamble, PhD student at Simmons College's School of Library and Information Science! Gamble's research is focused on biomedical informatics and UX testing, with the goal of improving access to medical information. At this year's ASIS&T, Gamble looks forward to learning more about ethical issues in the field, meeting others who are working on related initiatives, and continuing to serve in leadership roles within the organization.

In the category of Professional, we would like to congratulate Tina McAndrew of the Westborough Public Library! Tina is the Technology and Technical Services Librarian for the Westborough Public Library. In this position Tina hopes to identify new trends in technology that she can offer to the people she serves. At the conference, Tina’s goal is to meet and create partnerships with other information professionals to learn more about how new technologies will provide equitable access to information.

A special thanks goes out to the team of volunteers who read through the essays for this year’s award. They are:

Catherine Dixon, Wolters Kluwer (NEASIS&T Webmaster)
Kate Nyhan, Yale University (NEASIS&T Co-Chair)
Sylmarí Burgos Ramírez, Simmons College (Winner of the 2017 ASIS&T Annual Student Travel Award)
William Lundmark, Worcester State University (NEASIS&T Treasurer and winner of the 2017 ASIS&T Annual Professional Travel Award)
Julie Goldman, Harvard Medical School (NEASIS&T Secretary)

To Alyson and Tina, congratulations and enjoy the ASIS&T Annual Conference!

The results are in and we are pleased to announce the winners of the 2017 NE-ASIS&T Annual Travel Awards! This year’s ASIS&T Annual theme is Diversity of Engagement: Connecting People and Information in the Physical and Virtual Worlds and it will be held in Washington, DC, October 27-November 1, 2017.

In the category of Student, we would like to congratulate Sylmarí Burgos, PhD student at Simmons College! Sylmarí’s research aligns closely with this year’s ASIS&T theme, centering on library services and information behaviors from diverse and underserved populations. Sylmarí looks forward to meeting professionals with similar interests and discussing emerging research on the digital divide and the engagement of people who do not have access to technology.

In the category of Professional, we would like to congratulate William Lundmark of Worcester State University! William is the Electronic Resources Manager for Worcester State University; William has been making a huge impact on e-resources in the short amount of time he has been at WSU and his momentum won't be stopping any time soon.  At the conference, he hopes to learn more about best practices for improving information access.

A special thanks goes out to the team of volunteers who read through the essays for this year’s award. They are:

Lousia Choy, Wheelock College (NEASIS&T Program Committee Co-Chair)
Annie Erdmann, Nebraska Wesleyan University (NEASIS&T Membership Chair)
Kyong Eun Oh, Simmons College
Regina Raboin, UMass Medical
Anna Newman, Boston University
Olimpia Estela Caceres-Brown, MIT

To Sylmari and William, congratulations and enjoy the ASIS&T Annual Conference!

Anna Newman and Regina Raboin!

Anna Newman, who attends the Simmons College School of Library Information Science, is our student travel award winner.  She is also currently working part-time as the Research Data Manager Intern at the Harvard Medical School.  Regina Raboin is the Associate Director for Library Education and Research at at the University of Massachusetts Medical School’s Lamar Soutter Library.   Both have chosen to attend this year’s ASIS&T RDAP (Research Data Access and Preservation) Summit in Atlanta, Georgia.

We received many impressive applications this year.  Anna and Regina demonstrated a compelling case for how their work or scholarship will have a positive impact on the community and each made an exceptionally strong case for how their attendance at RDAP will inform their scholarship and practice.

As is the tradition at NEASIS&T, we will have a summer event to congratulate and to get to know our travel award winners.  We will keep you posted on the details.

Winner

Regina Pagani, Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science

For her essay addressing why she wishes to attend the 2014 ASIS&T Annual Meeting, how she believes she will be able to use the conference experience to further her career, and how NEASIST or ASIS&T might benefit if she receives the award.

Review

Regina’s essay was well-written and persuasive.  She is an Archives Management student who learned how important the role that collaboration and technology plays in the dissemination and preservation of information while creating a finding aid for Habeas Corpus files from the Southern District of New York Circuit Court from 1828 to 1918.  Her current project will take her to Cameroon, Africa, as an archival consultant for the Bamum Scripts and Archives Project at the Bamum Palace.  Therefore, she is particularly drawn to the theme of this year’s ASIS&T Annual Meeting: “Connecting Collections, Cultures, and Communities.”  As she states, her “task involves developing ways to deliver the digitized material in a manner that unites these documents and people for the benefit of contemporary society with cultural, communicative, and international information concerns at the forefront.”

Award

Regina will receive up to $750 to help defray the costs of attendance at the 2014 ASIS&T Annual Meeting, “Connecting Collections, Cultures, and Communities,” which takes place October 31-November 4, 2014, in Seattle, Washington.

Winner

Jasy Liew Suet Yan, Syracuse University School of Information Studies

For her essay addressing why she wishes to attend the 2013 ASIS&T Annual Meeting, how she believes she will be able to use the conference experience to further her career, and how NEASIST or ASIS&T might benefit if she receives the award.

Review

Jasy’s essay was well-written and persuasive.  She begins her essay by explaining that “one of my research streams looks at how information scholars study information and technology, two components that are actively being discussed by this community.  The ASIS&T Annual Meeting is the perfect place for me to present a poster highlighting my preliminary work in this research stream and to gain feedback from seasoned information scholars to advance my research.  Another stream of my research delves into the detection and visualization of affective information especially in social media.  There is a growing group of like-minded researchers in Social Informatics whose research I am interested to tap into.”

Award

Ms. Yan received up to $750 to help defray the costs of attendance at the 2013 Annual Meeting, “Beyond the Cloud: Rethinking Information Boundaries,” which took place November 1-6, 2013, in Montreal, Canada.

Winner

Brandi Loveday, SUNY Albany Department of Information Science (Information Management and Policy)

For her essay addressing why she wishes to attend the 2012 ASIS&T Annual Meeting, how she believes she will be able to use the conference experience to further her career, and how NEASIST or ASIS&T might benefit if she receives the award.

Review

Ms. Loveday’s essay was impressively well-written and persuasive.  She concludes: “This year’s meeting focuses on information, interaction and innovation and all of these are needed in the area of information policy. Currently, the information policy special interest group in ASIS&T is verily defunct. It has no governing body and little activity to speak of aside from occasional emails.  As a student, I would like to make as much of a contribution to NEASIST, ASIS&T and the IFP SIG as possible while learning the ropes from peers and professionals alike. Contributions and collaborations through the SIG IFP could, ostensibly, lead innovative thinking in the arena of information and technology policy. I would also like to spearhead the effort to revitalize such an important group once I have graduated from SUNY Albany. As difficult as it may be to convey some of the concepts of privacy necessary in policy, we as information professionals must do our utmost to see that our government officials are informed by thorough, unbiased analysis and presented with viable options for updating the country’s outdated policies. My passion runs deep for privacy policy and the unethical use of personally identifiable information currently in practice by corporations and government needs to be held in check for the safety and livelihood not only of the United States’ citizens, but people everywhere.”

Award

Ms. Loveday received up to $1000 to help defray the costs of attendance at the 2012 Annual Meeting, “Information, Interaction, Innovation: Celebrating the Past, Constructing the Present, and Creating the Future” which took place October 26-31, 2012, in Baltimore, Maryland.

Winner

Adrienne Smith, McGill University School of Information Studies (Knowledge Management stream)

For her essay (PDF) addressing why she wishes to attend the 2011 ASIS&T Annual Meeting, how she believes she will be able to use the conference experience to further her career, and how NEASIST or ASIS&T might benefit if she receives the award.

Review

Ms. Smith’s essay was impressively well-written and persuasive.  She concludes that “simply joining professional associations does not automatically impact one’s career; like knowledge, a membership becomes more valuable the more it is used.  Conferences and events like the Annual Meeting are opportunities to ‘get known’ and to begin building relationships with colleagues working in diverse environments.  I believe that this conference experience will help me to establish a presence among my peers while maintaining momentum during my transition from a student to a professional.”

Award

Ms. Smith received up to $1000 to help defray the costs of attendance at the 2011 ASIS&T Annual Meeting, “Bridging the Gulf: Communication and Information in Society, Technology, and Work” which took place October 7-12, 2011, in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Winner

Danielle M. Cossarini, Dalhousie UniversityvSchool of Information Management

For her paper “Communicating Scientific Information for Environmental Solutions: A Knowledge Management Perspective.” (PDF)

From the introduction

“This paper presents findings from a study of the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment (GOMC) which has a complex governance arrangement guiding its publication practices. The conclusions highlight the complex life-cycle of scientific grey literature produced by this organization and sets out knowledge management implications arising from this research.”

Award

Ms.Cossarini received up to $750 to help defray the costs of attendance at the 2010 ASIS&T Annual Meeting, “Navigating Streams in an Information Ecosystem” which took place October 22-27, 2010, Pittsburgh, PA

Winner

Gregory Hutton, Dalhousie University School of Information Management

For his paper “Scientific Grey Literature in a Digital Age: Measuring its Use and Influence in an Evolving Information Economy.”

Abstract

This paper outlines methodologies to improve understanding of the influence of grey literature published in print and digital formats. The study is based on analyses of citation data regarding the UN-based Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection collected from Web of Science, Google, and Google Scholar.

Award

Mr. Hutton received up to $1000 to help defray the costs of attendance at the 2009 ASIS&T Annual Meeting, “Thriving on Diversity – Information Opportunities in a Pluralistic World” which took place November 6-11, 2009, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Winner

Jodi Schneider, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign Graduate School of Library and Information Science

For her paper “FRBRizing MARC records with the FRBR Display Tool.”

Abstract

Library catalogs can be difficult to use. Locating and choosing a particular edition, or finding related items–such as adaptations and sequels–can be particularly challenging. The Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR) provides a model for collating related items (sometimes called FRBRizing). This paper identifies challenges for algorithmic approaches to FRBRization. The primary focus is the Library of Congress’ FRBR Display Tool, which, given a collection of MARC records, outputs a machine collation.

Winner

Jaime Snyder, Syracuse University School of Information Studies

For her paper “Image-Enabled Discourse: Towards an Exploratory Analytic Framework.”

Abstract

Anyone who has reached for pen and paper during a discussion in order to clarify a thought or prompt a response from a companion has exploited the potential of image-making to enhance communication. Although a range of approaches in visual studies and information visualization research has sought to expand our understanding of images, the actual process of image-making as a communicative practice as yet to be studied in depth. This paper 1) introduces the concept of image-enabled discourse, 2) presents an analytic framework for the study of image-making as a communication-driven practice, and 3) describes an exploratory methodology for empirical study of image-enabled exchanges. A pilot study is described that uses drawing as an example of image-centered discourse practice. The goal of this evolving methodology is to produce an analytic model of image-enabled conversations that could be applied to a range of multimodal information problems including system building and heuristic evaluation.

Award

These awards entitled each recipient up to $750 to help defray the costs of attendance at the 2008 ASIS&T Annual Meeting, “People Transforming Information – Information Transforming People,” which took place Oct. 24-29, 2008, in Columbus, Ohio.

Winner

David M. Dwiggins, Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science

For his paper “Putting the ‘Where’ in the Archives: Internet Mapping and Archival Records.”

Winner

Benjamin Florin, Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science

For his paper “Searching Simple Narratives Using Topic Maps.”

Award

These awards entitled each recipient up to $750 to help defray the costs of attendance at the 2007 ASIS&T Annual Meeting, “Joining Research and Practice: Social Computing and Information Science,” which took place Oct. 18-25, 2007, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Winner

Karie Kirkpatrick, Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science

For her paper “OpenCourseWare: An ‘MIT Thing’?”

Abstract

In 2001, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology shocked the education world by announcing that it would create a Web site whereby professors could make their course materials available to the electronic world for free. Five years later the OpenCourseWare (OCW) site contains materials for 1,400 courses with nearly 20 million visitors viewing MIT OCW content since October 2003. With other institutions beginning to follow MIT’s lead, has OCW started a revolution in education, or will it always be an “MIT thing”? My essay explores the history of the OCW program; discusses site content, architecture, technology, and copyright policies; overall worldwide impact; and considers future directions of OCW.

Winner

Scott Salvaggio, Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science

for his paper: “Enhancing a Digital Sheet Music Collection.”

Abstract

The Indiana University Variations2 Digital Music Library contains a tool that allows the user to simultaneously view the sheet music and listen to a performance of the corresponding piece. This combination of sound with synchronized sheet music provides the user with a notably richer, more informative experience. Although extremely versatile, the Variations2 synchronization tool requires resources that may be beyond the scope of some libraries. Using the MIT Lewis Music Library’s Inventions of Note Sheet Music Collection as the source content, this paper explores an alternative approach to synchronization using Microsoft PowerPoint and offers a workflow that may be more feasible for libraries to undertake.

Award

These awards entitled each recipient up to $750 to help defray the costs of attendance at the 2006 ASIST Annual Meeting, “Information Realities: Shaping the Digital Future for All,” which took place Nov. 3-9, 2006, in Austin, Texas.

Winner

Jim Campbell, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Information Science

For his paper “Reactions to the Enclosure of the Information Commons: 2000-2004.”

Winner

Johanna Kasubowski, Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science

For her paper “Providing Subject Access to Images.”

Award

These awards entitled each recipient up to $750 to help defray the costs of attendance at the 2005 ASIST Annual Meeting, “Sparking Synergies: Bringing Research and Practice Together” which took place Oct. 28-Nov. 2 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Asim Qayyum, Doctoral student at the Faculty of Information Studies, University of Toronto

For his paper “Readers as Authors: Analyzing Markings Made on E-documents in Private or Collaborated Reading Enviornments.”

Award

Asim was awarded up to $750 to reimburse expenses for attendance at the ASIS&T 2004 Annual Meeting in Providence, RI.

Winner

Michael J.D. Sutton, Ph.D. student at the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, McGill University

For his paper “A Topical Review of Knowledge Management Curriculum Programs in University Graduate Schools: Library and Information Science, Business, Cognitive Science, Information Systems and Computer Systems Schools.”

Award

Michael received an award of up to $1000 to reimburse expenses for attendance at the ASIST October 2003 Annual Meeting in Long Beach, California.