President’s Message, August 2026
Hello InfoFolk!
In the part of the northern hemisphere where I live, most of us are gearing up for a new academic year. We’re gathering our notebooks and pencils (at least metaphorically), freshening up the reading lists for our courses and experiencing the familiar blend of end-of-summer melancholy and back-to-school excitement.
No matter what part of the world you live in or what academic calendar structures your life, I hope you are looking forward to exciting things ahead. ASIS&T has a number of them in the offing. I know many of us are looking forward to the 2026 Annual Meeting, because it looks like we’re on track to set an attendance record. We’re excited for the opportunity to visit Bangkok and to spend time with our Asian colleagues closer to their homes than we usually get to experience, and, of course, excited about all we will learn. The program is available. You’ll want to begin studying it early, because there will be hard choices to make!
As the annual meeting concludes, a group of thought leaders from our membership will be gathering to launch our summit on information futures, which will take place over the next year in at least three international venues. The summit’s goal is to identify grand information challenges and discuss ways in which ASIS&T can help its membership address those challenges.
Before that, you’ll have the opportunity to listen to the annual ASIS&T President’s Lecture. Emily Knox, Dean of the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, will be speaking about Information Access & Freedom of Expression on September 15, 2026 at 9:00 AM ET. I’ve had the pleasure of hearing Emily speak several times, and she is always compelling. The topic is of urgent importance. The lecture is entirely remote, so you don’t have to get a plane ticket. I urge you to join us. Register here to receive the zoom link.
Looking further ahead, we have just announced the location and time for the 2027 Information Science Summit & Special Libraries Conference (ISS/SLC27). It will be held May 22-25, 2027, in Denver, Colorado, USA. This lively and informative gathering that bridges research and practice is a great opportunity to meet colleagues engaged in daily information work, to learn about their challenges and to talk about how information education and research might help with those challenges.
Another great way to connect is to participate in ASIS&T’s mentorship program. If you are interested in participating in Early Career Research mentoring or the broader Mentor Match Program as a mentor or mentee, please enroll now. Once you have completed your mentor/mentee profile you can search for a match. I hope you’ll learn more about the program and how to enroll.
Your weekly email has probably already alerted you that there are a whole lot of fabulous learning opportunities available through webinars and online talks from our SIGs and Chapters. In the spirit of being back-to-school, continue your education and professional development and take advantage of a few of those offerings!
Finally, I’ll remind that Steve Sawyer has concluded his term as editor in chief of JASIST and is catching up on his sleep. Thanks to Steve for all his hard work and creativity and for ensuring the journal’s relevance and good reputation. Lisa Given has begun as the new editor in chief. I’m confident she will build upon Steve’s good work, and we’ll see JASIST heading in some exciting new directions.
See you in Bangkok!
Maria Bonn, ASIS&T President