No. 526 - November 6, 2024

  • Coming Events:

    - FIMSWrites Fall Edition
    - Decolonial Practices in International Cultural Relations
    - Breaking Barriers: Womxn Imams in Conversation
    - Online Information Session for PhD Programs in LIS and Media Studies
    - At a Loss for Words: Conversation in the Age of Rage with Carol Off
    - International students' challenges and the role of social media as a coping mechanism
    - Comparing Overton Bibliometric Data with Scopus and Google Scholar for Measuring Individual Researcher Impact in the Environmental Science Field

  • Important Dates:

    - Friday, November 8, 2024 - Senate (1:30 PM, SH)
    - Monday, November 11 - Thursday, November 14, 2024 - Flu/Covid Vaccination Clinic (students, faculty, staff)
    - Monday, November 18 - Friday, November 22, 2024 - International Week 2024

  • News & Announcements:

    - Surviving Memory in Postwar El Salvador project launches new website
    - Nominations open for the Spirit of Librarianship and Fantastic FIMS awards
    - ELIP now accepting submissions for Volume 7

  • Awards & Accomplishments:

    - Adaku Ohuruogu
    - Jinman Zhang

  • Publications & Presentations:

    - Melissa Adler
    - Billie Anderson
    - Pinar Barlas
    - Juan Bello
    - Roger Chabot
    - Heather Hill
    - Santasil Mallik
    - Charlotte Nau
    - Anabel Quan-Haase
    - Sarah Smith
    - Gigi Wong
    - Jinman Zhang

  • In the Media:

    - Adrienne Arsenault (MA'91, Journalism)
    - Alissa Centivany
    - Anna Jane (AJ) Edmonds (BA'13, MPI)
    - Jean de Dieu Mugabarigira
    - Meghan Voll

  • Additional Activities of Note:

    - Lucia Cedeira Serantes
    - Sarah Smith

  • News from the FIMS Grad Library:

    - Upcoming Events at the Library

  • News from Western Libraries:

    - Research Skills Workshops

  • Next Issue:


Coming Events


FIMSWrites Fall Edition
Every Wednesday
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
FNB 4130, or Zoom
Do you expect to have assignment, story, article, report, thesis, and/or book writing deadlines coming up this term? Does having other people writing around you help keep you on-task? Then join us for FIMSWrites, an informal initiative to provide some solidarity in the sometimes-solitary writing process. What it is: a group of people sitting silently together working on their individual writing projects for a morning, with a mid-morning coffee, snack, and socializing break (fika). What it's not: a writing tutorial or workshop. Join us in person or on Zoom (check your Western email for a message from Pam McKenzie to find the Meeting ID).

Decolonial Practices in International Cultural Relations - Conference
November 4 - 7, 2024
All events online (via Zoom)
Associate Professor Sarah Smith is a convenor for this conference hosted by the International Cultural Relations Research Alliance. Professor Smith has organized and will chair a panel discussion titled "Unsettling International Cultural Relations" featuring artists and scholars. For full details see the conference website.

Breaking Barriers: Womxn Imams in Conversation
Thursday, November 7, 2024
4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Attend in-person: Register
Attend online: Register
Moderated by Sheima Benembarek and featuring Farheen Khan, Sherin Khankan, and Asma Bhol.
Join us for a groundbreaking public event bringing together three pioneering womxn imams from Canada, Denmark, and England. The imams will provide a global perspective on issues such as gender equality in religious spaces, the role of womxn in Islamic leadership, and the future of feminism and faith in a rapidly changing world. This distinctive occasion offers attendees the chance to engage with leaders who are reshaping the conversation in Islam (more information).

Online Information Session on PhD Programs in LIS and Media Studies
Tuesday, November 12, 2024
3:00 p.m.
Online via Zoom
An online information session for students interested in FIMS' doctoral programs in Library & Information Science and Media Studies, hosted by Graduate Program Chair Melissa Adler.

At a Loss for Words: Conversation in the Age of Rage with Carol Off
Thursday, November 14, 2024
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
McKellar Room, UCC
Carol Off, author and award-winning former co-host of CBC Radios As It Happens, will talk with award-winning journalist and filmmaker Michelle Shephard about her most recent publications titled At a Loss for Words: Conversation in the Age of Rage (more information).

International students' challenges and the role of social media as a coping mechanism
Thursday, November 21, 2024
4:30 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.
Attend in-person: FNB 4130
Attend online: Zoom link TBA
Presented by Sara Falahatpisheh, PhD in Media Studies candidate.
Abstract: Canada’s international student population is growing significantly faster than its competitors; namely, the United States, the UK, and Australia. By the end of 2023, the number of international students in Canada increased to more than 1 million, indicating a 30% growth compared to the previous year. It is expected that almost half a million new study permits to be issued for incoming international students in 2024 (continue reading).

Comparing Overton Bibliometric Data with Scopus and Google Scholar for Measuring Individual Researcher Impact in the Environmental Science Field
Thursday, November 21, 2024
5:15 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Attend in-person: FNB 4130
Attend online: Zoom link TBA
Presented by Lindsay Adoranti and Melissa Cameron, MLIS students.
Abstract: Bibliometrics is an important aspect of determining the research impact of a scientific article. Although the research impact of an article can be measured in several ways, citation counts are a popular and straightforward method to determine the number of times a research article is cited in another article or book (continue reading).


Important Dates


- Friday, November 8, 2024 - Senate (1:30 PM, SH)
- Monday, November 11 - Thursday, November 14, 2024 - Flu/Covid Vaccination Clinic (students, faculty, staff)
- Monday, November 18 - Friday, November 22, 2024 - International Week 2024


News & Announcements


Surviving Memory in Postwar El Salvador project launches new website
The Surviving Memory in Postwar El Salvador collaborative initiative, founded in 2017, has launched a new website. The site is available in English, will soon be available in Spanish and French, and provides in-depth information and multimedia documenting the group's activities. Visit the website at: https://elsalvadormemory.org 

Nominations open for the Spirit of Librarianship and Fantastic FIMS awards
Nominations are now open for the Spirit of Librarianship and Fantastic FIMS awards. The deadline to submit nominations is midnight on November 15. Submit your nomination by replying to the Western email you received recently from the MLISSC. For lists of past winners, visit the FIMS Awards webpage. 

ELIP now accepting submissions for Volume 7
Emerging Library & Information Perspectives (ELIP) - Western's student-run LIS academic journal - is now accepting submissions for Volume 7. Publishing your work is an amazing opportunity for professional recognition, building connections with potential colleagues and collaborators, and familiarizing yourself with the peer-review process early in your career.

For more information on submission criteria, please visit ELIP's website: https://ojs.lib.uwo.ca/index.php/elip/submissions/StartHere 

The editorial team looks forward to reviewing submissions!


Awards & Accomplishments


Adaku Ohuruogu, HIS PhD candidate, successfully defended her thesis Usability of EHR Systems: User Experiences of EHR Design and Functionality in Terms of Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Satisfaction Post-Implementation on Tuesday, November 5.

Jinman Zhang, Media Studies PhD candidate, successfully defended her thesis titled Exploring the Experiences of Digital Activists in Anti-Sexual Violence Movements on Social Media in the Context of China: A cross-platform comparison of Affect, Censorship, and Coping Strategies on Weibo and Zhihu on Friday, November 1.


Publications & Presentations


Associate Professor Melissa Adler will present a talk titled "London Public Library and the Possibilities for Democracy" on November 8 as part of a professional development program for LPL staff.

Media Studies PhD candidate Billie Anderson published an article titled "'A Different Man' examines tensions between personal identity and societal expectations," in The Conversation on October 30.

LIS PhD candidate Pinar Barlas presented a poster on "Data Cleaning, Discard Studies, and Discretionary Power" at the 2024 AAAI/ACM Conference on AI, Ethics, and Society (AIES) in San Jose, California. Pinar presented the same research at the 2024 Data Power Conference in Graz, Austria, September 4-6.

Assistant Professor Juan Bello was the archival researcher on Exclusion: Unraveling a Century of Silence, which premieres at the Reel Asian International Film Festival in a couple of weeks. The film, directed by Keira Loughran (林寶珠) reveals the human impact of the 1923 Exclusion Act, an immigration policy that disrupted the lives of Chinese Canadian families for various generations.

Assistant Professor Roger Chabot and Associate Professor Heather Hill, along with University of Missouri colleagues Jenny Bossaller and Amanda Shelton, presented "Assessing Fat Phobia in Public Library Programming: Is Wellness Size-Inclusive?" at the recent ALISE Annual Conference in Portland, OR, October 14-17.

Media Studies PhD candidate Santasil Mallik presented a paper titled “Photographing Conflict: Documentary Aesthetics and Countervisual Frameworks in South Asia" at the Universities Art Association of Canada (UAAC) conference held at Western University from October 24-26.

Media Studies PhD candidate Charlotte Nau, along with Professor Anabel Quan-Haase and Media Studies PhD candidate Jinman Zhang, presented the following at ASIS&T in October:

2024    Nau, C., Quan-Haase, A., Patel, M., Zhang, J. Putting people first: Unpacking the relationship between social media influencers and feminism. Poster. 87th Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science and Technology, Calgary, Canada, Oct 25-29.

Charlotte also made a solo presentation at the conference:

2024    Nau, C. The mechanics-conditions framework as a tool for critical social media affordance analysis. Poster. 87th Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science and Technology, Calgary, Canada, Oct 25-29.

Associate Professor Sarah Smith chaired a panel titled Unsettling Settler Diplomacy at the ICRRA conference on November 4. The conference runs Nov 4-7 and more information can be found on the conference website.

Media Studies PhD student Gigi Wong organized and chaired a panel titled, "Queer Photography: Affective and Contemporary Perspectives: at the Universities Art Association of Canada Conference held in the John Labatt Visual Arts Centre, Western University on October 25.


In the Media


Adrienne Arsenault (MA'91, Journalism) was featured in an article titled "Adrienne Arsenault: Thirty Years of Seeking the Truth," published in Inspired Magazine on November 1.

Assistant Professor Alissa Centivany was quoted in an article titled, "Appliances and laptops don't last like they used to - here's how better laws can help," published in the National Observer on October 24.

Anna Jane (AJ) Edmonds (BA'13, MPI) was quoted in an article written about her recent documentary screening at the Forest City Film Festival, titled "Documentary screening in London exposes sex trafficking along Highway 401 corridor," published on CBC Lite on October 25.

AJ was subsequently featured in a CTV News article titled, "'Stop buying our kids': London police looking to increase capacity of Human Trafficking Unit," published on October 29.

Jean de Dieu Mugabarigira, recent MA Media Studies graduate, was featured in an article titled, "Rwandan genocide survivor inspires next generation," published by Western News on October 25. The article was timed to celebrate Western's most recent graduates during the Fall Convocation period.

Meghan Voll, Media Studies PhD candidate, was featured on a nationally aired CBC Columnist segment titled "What the troubles at 23andMe mean for Canadian consumers" on October 25. In it she discusses her personal experiences and related research involving the 2023 23andMe data breach.


Additional Activities of Note

Lucia Cedeira Serantes, Assistant professor (LDI), will interview renowned cartoonist Adrian Tomine during LibraryCon Live! 2024, a free, online event on Nov 14, organized by Library Journal and School Library Journal. This is a day-long online educational event that offers panels and keynotes to public or school librarians and educators, with a spotlight on genre fiction for adults and teens and comics and graphic novels.

Associate Professor Sarah Smith is participating in an exhibition called Educating Our Desires, equity-deserving action within artist-led spaces running at Optica Centre D'Art Contemporain in Montreal between November 2 and December 14. 


News from the FIMS Grad Library


Upcoming Events at the Library

The FGL hosts workshops, lectures, and community events each term to support graduate teaching, learning, and research. Events are posted to our website (https://lib.fims.uwo.ca/events/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fimsgradlib/)

Diwali at the Library

Celebrate the Festival of Lights in a creative and vibrant way this November at the Library! This festive event invites you to express your artistic flair while learning about the beautiful traditions of Diwali.

Guided by our very own Puneet Dhaliwal, you'll design and paint your own diya pots, which are a central part of Diwali celebrations. Puneet will also be on hand to demonstrate henna techniques and teach us about the way Diwali is celebrated across different regions and religions.

This event is perfect for all skill levels, so come and enjoy an afternoon of creativity, connection, and cultural celebration.

Thursday, November 7, 2024
12:30pm – 2:30pm
FIMS Graduate Library

AI Tools Session

FIMS grad student and student library assistant Nicole Hunt will introduce you to AI tools you can use to make literature searches faster and easier! The goal is to find peer-reviewed information sources to support your class assignments, projects, and research. Focus will be on Semantic Scholar, Research Rabbit, and LitSuggest. You will learn tips and tricks for using AI tools to conduct literature searches, and gain an understanding of the pros and cons of using AI in this context. We'll also take a look at the ethical implications of these AI tools and how their use fits into Western’s AI policy.

Friday, November 15, 2024
12:00pm – 1:00pm
FIMS Graduate Library Room 3020 D/E

WikiClub: Lunch & Learn

Have you ever thought about becoming a Wikipedia editor? The FIMS Graduate Library is hosting a monthly Wikipedia meetup focused on the overlapping connection between information professionals – librarians, journalist, media providers – and Wikipedia editorship. Wikipedia is one of the top visited websites in Canada, and it is the only non-profit website in that group. It is the largest, most widely used open encyclopedia. Through this club, you will learn how to contribute to Wikipedia so that you can improve the information in its articles. A light lunch will be provided.

Monday, November 18, 2024
12:00pm – 1:20pm
FIMS Graduate Library Room 3020 D/E


News from Western Libraries


Upcoming Research Workshops

November 12 - Creating and Publishing E-books with Pressbooks
10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. - In-person



Next Issue


The FIMS Bulletin is your source for news, announcements, and events pertaining to FIMS graduate programs. Submissions from the FIMS community are always welcome and may be sent via e-mail to fims-communications@uwo.ca.

The next issue of the FIMS Bulletin will be published on Wednesday, November 20, 2024. Submit any items you have by noon on Tuesday, November 19.