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Over the next several weeks, we’ll share reflections from our 2024 NEASIS&T Conference Support Award recipients, offering a glimpse into the value and impact of the 2024 ASIS&T Annual Meeting. Through their experiences, we aim to highlight the learning, networking, and growth that make this event so impactful.

Yvonne Appiah Dadson

University at Albany, SUNY

Attending the 87th Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) in Calgary, Canada from October 25-29, 2024, was an incredibly enriching experience. The conference theme, “Putting People First: Responsibility, Reciprocity, and Care in Information Research and Practice,” resonated deeply as I engaged with inspiring keynotes, papers, posters, workshops, and most meaningfully, with colleagues and friends old and new.

The meeting kicked off with two days of workshops. Although I missed the workshop on: “I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar, The Roar That Shatters Glass: Interpersonal Dynamics Challenging Women in a Male-Dominated Field,” due to immigration delays, I was fully immersed in the “Research Proposal Writing for IMLS” workshop, which offered invaluable insights into crafting competitive grant proposals. The breakout sessions provided opportunities to workshop our ideas and get personalized feedback from successful applicants and reviewers, leaving me with a roadmap for developing compelling IMLS proposals.

The opening keynote by Lerato Chondoma, “Towards Equitable, Decolonial and Anti-Racist Futures in Research,” powerfully challenged us to interrogate how our research practices perpetuate inequities and center marginalized voices and ways of knowing. This charge echoed through the papers and panels, ranging from explorations of book banning discourse and influencers’ impact on feminism to case studies in inclusive library makerspaces and community-engaged digital collections.

However, some of my most meaningful experiences happened in the spaces between sessions, connecting with and contributing alongside colleagues who have profoundly shaped my journey. Exchanging pleasantries with Cathy Nash and Pamela Yonker brought smiles and appreciation for their commitment and hard work to ASIS&T. Lunching with fellow NEASIS&T Conference Support Awardees together with Dr. Xiaojun Yuan and Dr. Saira Soroya revealed the incredible diversity of backgrounds and research interests, forging bonds of friendship and support. Moreover, interacting with Dr. Jiangping Chen and Dr. Yuan’s academic community as well as fellow students like Kimeya and Richmond, I felt deep gratitude to learn from giants and rising stars alike.

At the SIG-USE reception, I traded insights on user experience with luminaries like Dr. Gary Marchionini and Dr. Chirag Shah. Similarly, the SIG-III reception sparked conversations with Dr. Rorissa Abebe, and Dr. Emmanuel Udoh, among other on issues of international information equity amidst fun. Furthermore, at the SIG-USE Business Meeting, I had the honor of being asked by Dr. Xiaojun Yuan to take minutes in the secretary’s absence. Capturing the group’s strategic discussions and feeling the energy of this community of user experience researchers was a unique opportunity to serve and gain fresh perspective.

Dr. Ranjit Singh’s closing keynote, “The Ordinary Ethics of Putting People First,” brought us back to the heart of the matter. By examining differing AI ethics discourses in the global north and south, Ranjit challenged us to center human dignity in sociotechnical systems. His talk crystallized the ASIS&T community’s passionate commitment to grappling with the human stakes of our work in service of a more just world.

In conclusion, I am immensely grateful to NEASIS&T for enabling me to learn from, contribute to, and be inspired by these vital conversations. The ideas, relationships, and experiences from Calgary – from thought-provoking sessions to the privilege of supporting SIG-USE behind the scenes – will undoubtedly shape my path forward. With renewed conviction in the power of our field and its brilliant, caring community, I am already looking ahead to next year’s gathering as we strive to put people first.

You can download the audio recordings of both keynotes. Links available at the end of each abstract on the Keynote Speakers page.