Michael Zimmer.org

The School of Information Studies and the Center for Information Policy Research at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee announces the addition of Wilhelm Peekhaus as a postdoctoral fellow in information policy.

As part of the strategic process of changing the name of the UW-M School of Information Studies undergraduate program from a B.S. in Information Resources to a B.S. in Information Science & Technology, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about marketing messages to best communicate what our major is, what value our graduate add, and how we can be differentiated from other programs (such as computer science or MIS).
One thing I try to instill on my students is how the role of an information professional is to …

This year, I am the interim director of the undergraduate program at the School of Information Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. While the School’s largest program is the MLIS degree, our bachelor of science degree has been growing, improving, and gaining attention at a steady rate over the past few years. The degree trains students in the theory and practical aspects of information science and information systems, and prepares graduates …

I’m pleased to announce that the School of Information Studies and the Center for Information Policy Research at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee are accepting applications for a postdoctoral fellow in information policy. We are targeting to select someone to join us in August 2010, so timing is tight. Application deadline is April 30. Details below, and feel free to email me with questions.

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Information Policy
School of Information Studies
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
The School of Information Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is accepting applications …

Given the renewed focus on full-body “backscatter” surveillance technology, I thought I’d highlight this poster a group of students created in my Spring 2009 “Information Technology Ethics” class (brief news story is here).
Airport Surveillance Poster
View more presentations from michaelzimmer.

The students note that while the technology provides a way to thoroughly search more people without needing to profile those for further pat-downs, they acknowledge that the technology represents a unique invasion into one’s personal body and space.
To mitigate some of the ethical concerns, they propose creating a robust code of ethics …

I’m pleased to announce that Dr. Rafael Capurro, an international expert in information ethics, is joining the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Information Studies as a Distinguished Researcher. Dr. Capurro’s focus on intercultural information ethics — as well as his sense of humor — will be a welcome addition to our growing team of researchers.
From the press release:
As founder and director of the International Center for Information Ethics, Dr. Capurro is world-renowned for his work in ethics and information policy. He holds a doctorate in philosophy from Düsseldorf University, a …

The School of Information Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is now accepting applications for 2010 enrollment for its PhD program in Information Studies. Details below, and feel free to contact me with any questions or advice.
The School of Information Studies (SOIS) at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) is accepting applications for fall of 2010 for its PhD program in Information Studies.
Building on one of the largest and most varied MLIS programs in the United States, the PhD program prepares researchers, educators, and administrators with specializations in three major areas …

Next week, October 19 – 23, 2009, will mark the first international Open Access Week, celebrating the international movement working to “throw open the locked doors that once hid knowledge.” Encouraging the unrestricted sharing of scholarly and scientific research, the Open Access movement is gaining ever more momentum around the world as growing numbers of research funders, faculties, and libraries are committed to making research available free of charge and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions.
Open Access Week is an opportunity to broaden awareness and understanding of Open Access …

This week marks the start of the Fall 2009 semester for students at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. I will again be teaching two classes within the undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Information Resources program in the School of Information Studies:
L&I SCI 110: Introduction to Information Science (syllabus)
This course introduces basic issues in information science and information studies, including the nature of information, information services, information professions, information policy, information ethics, and the complex relationships between information technologies and society.
Objectives:

Combine theory and everyday examples to provide a broad-based introduction to …

Building on last year’s success, I’m pleased to announce Milwaukee’s 2009 OneWebDay events:
On Monday, September 21 (7:00pm, UWM Union Theater),  UW-Milwaukee’s Center for Information Policy Research and School of Information Studies is hosting a free screening of the Girl Talk-produced documentary Good Copy/Bad Copy. The film (featuring appearances by Girl Talk, Danger Mouse, and Lawrence Lessig) examines the state of copyright in today’s tech-savvy and dynamic remix culture. The film also features music by RJD2, Santogold, Girl Talk, Danger Mouse, Gnarls Barkley, De La Soul, and more.
The event will also …

Just a quick note that registration is still open for the “The Ethics of Information Organization“ conference hosted by the Center for Information Policy Research and the School of Information Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Ethics of Information Organization
http://www.cipr.uwm.edu/ioethics.html
May 22-23, 2009
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Information organization (IO), like other major functions of the information profession, faces many ethical challenges. In the IO literature, ethical concerns have been raised with regard to, for example, the role of national and international IO standards, providing subject access to information, deprofessionalization and outsourcing of IO, education of …

In recent weeks, two citizens of West Bend, Wisconsin have petitioned the West Bend Community Memorial Library to remove gay-themed books from a section designated “Young Adults,” arguing the books should be reclassified and placed in a restricted area requiring parental approval prior to being released to a minor. They further demand that the books be labeled with a warning about their content, arguing that they are obscene and pornographic.
Some of the books in question include:

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky (MTV Books, a division of …

On Monday, September 22, we celebrated OneWebDay in Milwaukee for the first time. It was a great success.
The School of Information Studies and the Center for Information Policy Research had an information booth set up in the middle of Spaights Plaza on the UW-M campus, and were inundated with interested students.
I was amazed at how many students rushed to collect information and learn about how to tweak their privacy settings on Facebook. “Oh, I need that!” was the common reaction. I was equally surprised at how many students conveyed that …

On Monday, September 22, OneWebDay will be celebrated across the globe, including Milwaukee.
OneWebDay (OWD) is like Earth Day for the Internet: it was created so there would be a single day where everyone across the globe could join together to celebrate the Web, reflect on its role in our lives, and take steps to ensure its survival as a sphere for public discourse, the open flow of ideas, the spread of knowledge, the fostering of communities, and so on.
(I had the great pleasure to meet and work alongside OWD’s founder, …

I am thrilled to announce that I have accepted an offer to join the faculty of the School of Information Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

As of August 18, 2008, I will be an Assistant Professor at SOIS, with teaching responsibilities focusing on its undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Information Resources, and my research will be aligned with the Information Policy concentration of its new Ph.D. in Information Studies. I also will be affiliated with the Center for Information Policy Research.
On a personal note, it is hard for me to …