The Department of Information Science is proud to announce that faculty members, Barbara Schultz-Jones and Daniella Smith have been promoted to the rank of Full Professor. Barbara Schultz-Jones joined the Department of Information Science in 2007, after completing both her Master’s in Library Science and her Ph.D. in Information Science at UNT. She was recently appointed as associate chair for the department and director of the Master of Science in Library Science or Information Science program. She has also served as the director of the school librarianship and youth librarianship programs for several years. She has published papers in several major journals as well as presented papers on relevant topics related to school librarianship at major national and international conferences.
“Becoming a full professor is a major milestone in my life and career that I humbly and gratefully accept,” said Schultz-Jones. “I appreciate the help and mentorship I’ve received over the years and recognize that this promotion is not the end of a long road but the beginning of a new direction where I can contribute to being a positive force in the lives of students, staff and faculty.”
Schultz-Jones has served as the Chair of the IFLA School Libraries Section and is the co-editor of the IFLA School Library Standards and Guidelines. She is also the co-author of the 2015 book Global Action on School Library Guidelines and the 2018 book Global Action on School Library Education and Training, both IFLA/IASL joint publications. She is currently the conference chair for the 2021 International Association of School Librarianship (IASL) Annual Conference to be held in July.
Her areas of expertise and research interests include school librarianship education and training (cataloging and information organization, integration of technology, correlation between school libraries and student achievement, online learning, data literacy), social network analysis, learning environments, and big data in K-12 education.
Daniella Smith has made significant contributions to the Department and the Library and Information Science (LIS) field since joining the faculty in 2010. Smith is the associate director of the Information Science Ph.D. program. She is a versatile researcher and educator in library and information science and serves in leadership positions in librarianship. She is a frequent presenter at conferences and has published several peer-reviewed articles and book chapters in publications such as the Digital Information Review Series, JELIS, School Libraries Worldwide, and the Online Learning Journal (OLJ).
“I am blessed to have the opportunity to transition to a new phase in my career,” said Smith. “I am thankful for everyone that has helped or inspired me along the way. There are countless people who have contributed to my success. It is an honor to be promoted and I look forward to many more years of serving the UNT, DFW, education, and LIS communities,” she added.
Smith's research interests include LIS education, social media behaviors, and the leadership development of school librarians. Her recent projects include aspects that explore youth information-seeking behaviors and STEM implementation in K-12 schools.
Smith was also recently selected as the Hazel Harvey Peace Endowed Professor in Children's Library Services. This professorship honors Hazel Harvey Peace, an educator, activist, and community leader in Fort Worth.