Latest News
Rethinking the Bissell Building
The plans were discovered deep in the bowels of the Faculty of Information. They show a Bissell Building with windows where there are now concrete slabs, a front entrance with a courtyard at the northeast corner, and fourth floor access to the Robarts building. But somewhere along the way, for reasons that no one can recall, these […]
GLAM Incubator seeks new projects
The Faculty of Information’s GLAM Incubator has put out a call for projects for 2024-2025. The GLAM Incubator is a research and support hub that connects galleries, libraries, archives and museums with the University of Toronto and its industry partners to lend resources and expertise to projects benefitting the broader GLAM sector, such as cutting-edge programming, […]
In Memoriam: Robin Breon (1943-2023)
In his two decades with the Museum Studies Program, Robin Breon committed himself to student success. As an administrator and internship coordinator, he developed and maintained relationships with diverse members of the museum community and secured funding to support work experience opportunities for students. One of his proudest achievements was securing a major donation from […]
Online hub celebrates Indigenous history, culture and language
The Great Lakes Research Alliance for the Study of Aboriginal Arts and Culture (GRASAC) recently launched a public platform that seeks to benefit Indigenous communities, cultural institutions and scholars alike. The GRASAC Knowledge Sharing Platform houses digital records of 5,000 Great Lakes heritage items and two online dictionaries with 17,000 Anishinaabemowin and Cayuga words. The site catalogues […]
Slow down, Professor Andrew Clement tells AI lawmakers
Professor Emeritus Andrew Clement recently told a parliamentary committee that he doesn’t think the proposed Artificial Intelligence Data Act (AIDA) will adequately protect Canadians. In his testimony late last month, Clement cautioned against hasty legislation, reminding stakeholders that effective governance of AI demands ongoing learning and collaboration, rather than a race to implementation. Clement, who has […]
Collaboratory for Black Poiēsis releases debut newsletter
The Collaboratory for Black Poiēsis (CBP), under the direction of Assistant Professor SA Smythe, released its first newsletter this week. Since its launch at the Faculty of Information last October, the CBP has been a hive of activity. The newsletter offers a glimpse into what the Collaboratory has been up to, featuring introductions to three […]
Professor Rhonda McEwan among 100 Black community builders honoured
The City of Brampton launched its Black History Month festivities with a tribute to the achievements and contributions of Black residents throughout its rich 50-year history. These community leaders and advocates are celebrated for their remarkable contributions across various fields, their dedication and their lasting impact on the community. Among the honorees is Faculty of Information […]
Artificial Intelligence for Justice Lab celebrates 4th anniversary
The Artificial Intelligence for Justice Lab (AIJ) marked a significant milestone on January 27, 2024, as it celebrated its 4th anniversary. Founded in January 2020 by Assistant Professor Jia Xue, the lab has made remarkable strides in research and training since its inception. In the realm of research, the AIJ Lab has produced 43 research papers, […]
Faculty of Information volunteers honoured at 2023 Arbor Awards
The University of Toronto held a ceremony to honour the 2023 Arbor Award recipients, recognized for their exceptional and longstanding volunteer service. The Faculty of Information is particularly grateful to the following individuals for giving generously of their time, energy and expertise to benefit Information students. Haley Sharpe Design (Kate Aitchison, Carolina Garcia, Orysia Goddard and […]
Professor Kelly Lyons advocates for women in AI
In a recent Forbes article titled “A Call For A Systemic Dismantling: These Women Refuse To Be Hidden Figures In The Development Of AI,” Professor Kelly Lyons and eight other influential women weighed in on representation within the tech and AI community. The author, Hessie Jones, was prompted by recent events to examine the ongoing […]
Professor Jia Xue recognized as outstanding young scholar
Assistant Professor Jia Xue has been awarded the 2023 Ivan Sun Outstanding Young Scholar Research Award by the Association of Chinese Criminology and Criminal Justice (ACCCJ). The Award recognizes a young scholar’s outstanding scholarly contributions to the literature of criminology and criminal justice in Greater China or Chinese residents and immigrants and/or their communities overseas. […]
Success Story: Human-Centred Data Science grad takes on AI governance role
When Lorena Almaraz was working in the non-profit sector, she kept hearing about the need to be data driven, but, at the same time, she saw a major contradiction – almost no one had the staff or resources to actually be data driven. The more Almaraz explored the problem of using data properly and making sense of […]
In Memoriam: Dean and Professor Emerita Ann Schabas (1926 – 2023)
When colleagues, friends and family of the late Ann Schabas reflect on her career and scholarship, the picture that emerges is one of a woman who was quietly ahead of her time. Before she took up library science, Ann Schabas earned two degrees in physics, an unusual choice for a woman at the time. But […]
iCare: Designing Healing Futures Workshop-Presented By Tania Anaissie
This workshop series aims to introduce students to the use of design justice as tool for fostering community care, imagining just futures for all, and building networks of designers, artists, cultural workers and technologists working at the intersection of racial, social and cultural equity. Workshop Title: Co-Designed Futures: How to build solutions WITH communities that are […]
Professor Sara Grimes named Bell University Labs Chair
As the newly appointed Bell University Laboratories Chair in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Professor Sara Grimes is set to spotlight children and their unique experiences with technology. Her research delves into children’s digital play and creativity, children’s rights in the digital environment, and the regulatory and ethical implications of “child-machine interaction,” the emerging study of children’s […]
Death of Professor Emerita Nancy Williamson
Known as a generous and open-spirited colleague as well as an outstanding scholar, Professor Emerita Nancy Williamson passed away in Toronto on December 3rd. While Professor Williamson retired from what was then the Faculty of Library and Information Science almost 30 years ago in 1994, she would regularly visit her office on the sixth floor […]
Sustaining lifelong passions with a legacy gift
An alumna’s generous donation supports research and innovation in cultural heritage Joyce Sowby spent her long life actively engaged with books, art and history so it’s fitting that the unrestricted gift she left to the Faculty of Information will go to support its GLAM Incubator, whose mission is to work with community partners to address […]
Professors Snag Connaught New Researchers Awards
The University has recognized four Faculty of Information assistant professors with Connaught New Researcher Awards. Congratulations to Profs Claire Battershill, Priyank Chandra, Rafael Grohmann and Anastasia Kuzminykh. Forty-nine faculty members were recognized across the University’s three campuses. The annual award supports early-stage researchers across a diverse range of disciplines and aims to enhance their competitiveness […]