I don’t like to admit how long it’s been since I was an undergraduate student, but it’s amazing to think about how different today’s iSchool is from the school I joined over a decade ago. For one thing, most people called this place “IST” back then, and most people were confused about what those letters actually stood for.
Perhaps the biggest difference between “IST” and the “iSchool” is the physical space we share in Hinds Hall. Having our own building on campus has been an incredible boost to a school that was always alive with energy. You can feel that energy in the hallways as you walk past students and faculty discussing ideas and projects. You can see it in the faces of students working on projects in the labs – sometimes they look optimistic, and other times tired but persistent. Hinds Hall is a space where very different people come together around a common interest.
But the energy of the iSchool extends far beyond the walls of Hinds Hall. It exists just the same in our distance students who work with us across borders and boundaries. It drives our alumni who continue to be change agents in business, entrepreneurship and community. These parts of the iSchool Community are very real, even if they’re not always seen as easily as a face in the hall. While it may not be possible to contain something so big in one physical space, it can be accomplished here, online. That’s why we launched Information Space.
Our vision for Information Space is much bigger than another source for iSchool news. It’s not designed to be a recruiting tool or a marketing device. Information Space is designed to digitally foster those connections that have become so apparent in Hinds Hall. With this launch, we hope to literally create a space to foster more conversations, make more connections, and have a greater impact.
But to make this work, we need your help. We need you to comment on stories, start a discussion or suggest features you’d like to see. Interact with our bloggers, the topics, and their implications. Check back, often. Pass these things along to your own network – blog about them, tweet them, and talk about them.
Information is now a part of everyone’s daily lives. Our goal with this project is to get people talking about what they feel matters, and we hope you’ll become an active part of this important conversation.
