news@sils January 2016 Special Edition

January 2016, Volume 1
 
Rob Capra receives NSF award to develop better systems to support complex searches
The project will test novel techniques to capture, share and re-use knowledge from past searches to improve future search success. Click to read more.
 

2016 Steinfirst lecturer wins Newbery Medal
Author Matt de la Peña, who will present SILS' Steinfirst Lecture in Children's Literature on March 13, was awarded the 2016 John Newbery Medal for his most recent picture book, Last Stop on Market Street. Click to read more.

Javed Mostafa named editor-in-chief of JASIST
The ASIS&T Board announced the appointment in November, citing Mostafa's 21-year history as an author or co-author of 80 peer-reviewed research papers. Click to read more.
WiderNet’s Pocket Library lauded as one of 26 innovations that improved the world in 2015
The WiderNet Project’s newest initiative, the eGranary Pocket Library, was ranked No. 5 on Mashable’s list of 26 incredible innovations that improved the world in 2015. Click to read more.
School Library Journal highlights work by Sandra Hughes-Hassell and SILS alumni
“Libraries Reach Out to Young Black Men,” features the research of Hughes-Hassell, as well as library programs organized by SILS graduates Demetria Tucker (MSLS '78) and Faith Burns (MSLS ’15). Click to read more.
Tiffany Harris wins SILS Staff Excellence Award
SILS Undergraduate Student Coordinator Tiffany Harris received the 2015 SILS Staff Excellence Award in December. The award is presented annually to a staff member who has demonstrated excellence, commitment, teamwork, and outstanding service to the School. 
SILS honors graduates and distinguished alumna at fall commencement
In addition to the recognition of graduates, the ceremony on December 13 featured the presentation of the Distinguished Alumni Award to Dr. Mae Lipscomb Rodney (Ph.D. ‘86). Click to read more.
iPRES 2015 keynotes available online
SILS and the Odum Institute hosted iPRES 2015, the premier international conference on digital preservation, November 2-6. Keynote presentations by Lisa Nakamura and Pamela Samuelson are now available on the SILS Livestream page and Vimeo site.
Why the Post Office Makes America Great
A recent New York Times op-ed by SILS Assistant Professor Zeynep Tufekci recounts her delight at discovering the reliable postal service and accessible public libraries after moving to the U.S. Click to read more.
SILS alumna Meredith Evans appointed Director of the Carter Presidential Library
Meredith R. Evans (Ph.D. '06) was appointed Director of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, Georgia, effective November 29. Click to read more.
SILS Fall 2015 newsletter now online
You can flip through a copy of the SILS Fall 2015 newsletter on ISSUU or click here to download a pdf of the publication.
Cliff Missen discusses bridging the digital divide at Washington Post forum
The forum brought together lawmakers, city leaders, and technology experts, including U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro and Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission Ajit Pai. Click to watch Missen's panel discussion.
CHIP celebrates five-year milestone
Students, faculty, alumni, and special guests gathered to celebrate the five-year anniversary of the Carolina Health Informatics Program (CHIP) on September 25 at the UNC Health Sciences Library. Click to read more.
COYL hosts banned book reading
The Coalition of Youth Librarians (COYL) hosted a banned book reading on September 29 in front of Manning Hall. It was one of many events on campus organized by the UNC Center for Media Law and Policy to celebrate First Amendment Day, which is observed during National Banned Books Week. Click to read more.
Upcoming Events

Recent student recognition
  • SILS doctoral candidate Sumayya Ahmed won second place in the ALISE poster competition. Her poster was titled "We Call on Citizens to be Aware of the Value of What is in Their Homes: A Case Study of the Hassan II Prize for Manuscripts and Archival Documents in Morocco.” Click to read more about research Ahmed conducted in Morocco this summer.
  • SILS Ph.D. student and teaching fellow Emily Vardell won the Best Paper Award at the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Medical Library Association annual meeting for her paper titled “Evidence-Based Strategies for Affordable Care Act and Health Insurance Information Outreach.”  Vardell’s first book, The Medical Library Association Guide to Answering Questions about the Affordable Care Act, was published in October. Click to read more.
  • Congratulations to the new SILS student organization officers for 2016.
Editor's Note

This is a special “first week of class” edition of news@sils to help everyone catch up on recent happenings as well as news from late 2015 when news@sils went on temporary hiatus. Another edition will be sent out next Friday, January 22, and then we’ll return to the usual once-a-month schedule on Wednesdays (Feb. 17, March 16, April 20, May 18). If you have an event or news item you would like to have featured, be sure to submit it through the event form or in an email to kpearl@email.unc.edu.