Promoting Excellence in Library and Information Science Education

Dear ALISE Community,

This year has arrived with urgency and intensity for the library and information science field. A sweeping anti-DEI movement—fueled by the current U.S. federal administration—is shaping national discourse and influencing global geopolitics. These developments have reverberated across our profession, including threats to IMLS funding, censorship of DEI-related materials in educational settings, and challenges to ALA accreditation standards for LIS programs.

In response, the ALISE Board issued a survey to the membership to understand better how these political and institutional shifts are affecting your ability and willingness to engage with ALISE this year—particularly our upcoming annual conference, scheduled for October 6–8, 2025, in Kansas City, Missouri. The theme, Decolonising Pedagogies: Agency, Identity, Practice, has generated both strong support and some concern amid this climate.

We received 125 responses to the survey. Of these, 41% indicated plans to attend the conference. However, 61.25% of respondents cited funding—particularly reductions in university travel budgets—as the primary barrier to participation. Many noted that these cuts directly result from recent federal executive orders. Others expressed concern about the political climate, with some international colleagues fearful of traveling to or within the U.S. One respondent shared, “Travel spending on my campus is presently not permitted. I am uncertain this will change.” Another wrote, “Freeze on travel at university … I will likely have to pay out of pocket.”

Still, many respondents voiced strong support for the conference theme. One wrote, “I will only attend if the theme is not erased. Erasing the theme would indicate that ALISE doesn’t care about issues of marginalization and power inequities.” Indeed, the robust number of conference submissions aligns with this sentiment: we have received 214 submissions to date, including 57 juried papers, 56 works-in-progress posters, 19 juried panels, 15 creative works, and 13 SIG sessions. Additional submissions include award nominations and applications for internships and leadership development programs.

We also asked about expectations for the conference experience in light of financial constraints. A clear majority (68%) said they would accept reductions in conference amenities such as swag or keynote sessions. However, respondents emphasized that meals and shared social spaces are essential and should not be cut, as they provide critical opportunities for connection and community-building.

Notably, a few respondents appeared to conflate decolonisation with DEI. While both aim to address systemic inequities, they are distinct in focus and approach. Here is a brief comparative overview:

This distinction matters, especially in a time when nuanced discourse is under threat. The ALISE Board remains committed to holding space for complex, justice-oriented conversations at this year’s conference and beyond. We thank you for your candor, reflections, support, and continued engagement.

With respect and resolve,



Vanessa Irvin

2024-2025 President, ALISE

The ALISE Nominating Committee is pleased to announce the candidates of the 2025 ALISE Election:

President-Elect

·      Dr. Nicole Cooke, Augusta Baker Endowed Chair, Professor, University of South Carolina, College of Information and Communication, School of Information Science

Director of Membership

·      Dr. Beth Patin, Assistant Professor, Syracuse University, School of Information Studies

Please read more about each candidate and submit your vote below. Voting ends on Friday, June 13th.

This year’s annual conference will take place in Kansas City, MO from October 6-8, 2025.

The theme of this year’s conference is: Decolonising Pedagogies: Agency, Identity, Practices. ALISE is excited to have ALISE member Dr. Safiya Umoja Noble, author of the NY Times bestseller Algorithms of Oppression (2018), as this year’s keynote speaker.

ALISE is also proud to be celebrating its 125 year anniversary. Dr. Vanessa Irvin, ALISE 2024-2025 President, and the Conference Planning Committee, which includes Dr. Tony Dunbar (Dominican University), Dr. Amanda Folk (Ohio State University), and Ms. Vanessa “Chacha” Centeno (Sacramento Public Library), are in the process of planning an exciting conference.

Reviews are underway and acceptance emails will follow soon. Thank you all for submitting and for contributing to an exciting year for ALISE!

Sponsorship Opportunities

As a celebration of our 125 years of existence, the ALISE 2025 Annual Conference is a big year for ALISE. Use this highlighted year to help sponsor the Conference and the Association.

Sponsorship levels include:

Gold Sponsorships: $6,000–$9,999

o  2 Full Conference Passes

o  Recognition (Sponsor Logo and URL) on Conference Website, Marketing Email, and Mobile App

o  Brand Awareness and Recognition at Conference. Sponsor Log and URL Placed on Printed and Digital Signage as Well as Acknowledgements in Welcoming Announcements

o  Access to Pre and Post Attendee List

o  Promo item offered to Attendees at Friends of ALISE Table

Silver Sponsorships: $3,000–$5,999

o  1 Full Conference Pass

o  Recognition (Sponsor Logo and URL) on Conference Website, Marketing Email, and Mobile App

o  Brand Awareness and Recognition at Conference. Sponsor Logo and URL Placed on Printed and Digital Signage as Well as Acknowledgments in Welcoming Announcements

o  Access to Pre and Post Attendee List

Bronze Sponsorships: $1,000–$2,999

o  Recognition (Sponsor name) on Conference Website, Marketing Email and Mobile App

o  Brand Awareness and Recognition at Conference. Sponsor Name Placed on Printed and Digital Signage as Well as Acknowledgments in Welcoming Announcements

*NEW* ALISE Academy

We are excited to announce the new ALISE Academy! This new academy will serve as an umbrella term for all continuing education outside of the conference, which includes pre-conference activities. The roll out begins at the 2025 annual conference and is meant to reduce confusion about prior versions of these programs and former pre-conference programs.

The new ALISE Academy will facilitate the following services:

·      Emerging Scholars: designed to help PhD students and new faculty fully shine as the next generation of leaders.

·      Leadership Academy: designed for mid-career professionals and faculty to develop management and leadership skills as they take the next steps in their careers.

·      Webinars: designed to serve as a series of webinars throughout the year on a variety of core and emerging topics.

More information will soon be presented on the 2025 annual conference website.

Dr. Lauren H. Mandel, the Editor of the Journal of Education for Library and Information Science (JELIS), is seeking new volunteers for the editorial board. The members of the Editorial Board are selected and appointed based on geographical location and subject area expertise. Each member serves a three-year term, and terms are staggered. The term of office begins immediately after the annual conference of the Association, which will be the 2025 ALISE Conference, October 6-8, 2025.

To apply, please send an email of interest to jeliseditor@alise.org by June 15, 2025. The email should indicate your interest in the position, subject areas of expertise, and commitment to the responsibilities of the position. Read more about the call in the ALISE.org news section.



Please consider contributing and continuing to foster the important work published in our journal.

One of ALISE’s goals has been to re-establish and re-build our relationships with our sibling associations. We are therefore happy to announce the following two new developments.

iFederation



As a member of the iFederation, a collaboration and partnership involving ALISE, ASIS&T, and iSchools, ALISE President-Elect Dr. Sean Burns attended a leadership meeting at the iConference in Bloomington, IN on March 20th, with other members attending virtually, including President Dr. Vanessa Irvin. The purpose of the meeting was to renew talks about our overlapping interests, to discuss strategic responses to the current political environment, and to begin to brainstorm ways to hold joint conferences in the future. The meeting was fruitful and is leading to forthcoming meetings between the three groups.

A direct result of that initial meeting was a joint Statement on the Threat to the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

ALA



Collective action has rarely been as important as it is now. Thus, in addition to our initial work with the other members of the iFederation, we are also attempting to reinvigorate our relationship with ALA. We will therefore begin reconnecting with our ALA Board Liaison. Currently, this is Dr. Steven Yates, University of Alabama, At-Large Member on the ALA Executive Board. We are excited to begin working with Dr. Yates in the coming weeks.

Post Open Positions

Are you planning to hire this coming year or beyond? Post openings on www.alise.org. ALISE institutional member schools may post an unlimited number of positions free of charge. Non-member schools may post positions for $225 per posting. Jobs remain on the site for 3 months.

Post Your CV/Resume

Hiring season begins soon for many people seeking faculty positions. If you will plan to be on the job search, post your resume to www.alise.org to increase your visibility to hiring institutions. CVs and resumes remain on the site for three months.

ALISE reserves time at the annual business meeting to recognize LIS faculty colleagues who have passed away over the last year. We invite you to share the names of your colleagues who have passed away in the interval since the last business meeting (October 2024) so that we may honor them at the 2025 annual business meeting. Please complete the online form by August 5, 2025.

Michaela Sawicki, ALISE Executive Director, is working hard with her colleagues on preparing and launching the new ALISE website. The ALISE Board has reviewed a preliminary version and are excited for when the site launches soon. Stay tuned!

ALISE now offers an archive of our quarterly updates since 2019 as a members-only benefit on www.alise.org.

Don’t forget to follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Keep up to date with developments on our website: www.alise.org.

Respectfully submitted,

Dr. Sean Burns

ALISE President-Elect