Renee F. Hill, Assistant Professor of Practice at the School of Information Studies (iSchool) will deliver the keynote address at the Biennial Children’s Literature Graduate Research Conference held at the University of British Columbia this weekend.
Hill’s keynote address will follow the theme of this year’s conference, “Many Worlds to Walk In: Exploring Diversity in Children’s Literature, Librarianship, and Education.” Her talk will address why adults who work in capacities relating to children’s literature must not be content to simply be tolerant of diversity but must be committed to developing cultural competence skills in order to provide children with access to literature that represents diverse perspectives.
Hill is passionate about and committed to researching and teaching about issues that involve examining methods for increasing understanding of diversity issues in library and iInformation studies. At the iSchool, her work focuses on examining information needs and information access as they relate to diverse populations, such as members of various racial and ethnic groups, and individuals with disabilities.
“I’m honored to have been selected as one of two keynote speakers for this important and unique conference,” said Hill. “And I’m especially pleased that this opportunity came about because of connections made with students at University of British Columbia as a result of the WISE Consortium.”
The peer-reviewed conference is a one-day event that brings together professional researchers, graduate students, librarians, and educators specializing in children’s literature.