According to the American Library Association, Freedom of Information Day (March 16), “promotes the public’s right to know and access to information.” This date coincides with the birthday of Founding Father and Fourth US President James Madison (1751–1836), who advocated for openness and transparency in government. To honor Freedom of Information Day 2025, Simmons News has compiled stories of faculty and student research, University initiatives, and alumnae/i accomplishments published over the last calendar year that advance access, reliability, and inclusivity regarding public information.
The 2024 recipient of the Allen Smith Visiting Scholars Fellowship, Dr. Heidi Julien (SUNY Buffalo), delivered the hybrid presentation, “Misinformation and Information Behavior: Challenges for the Information Professions,” to the Simmons community on February 26, 2024. As Julien remarked, “[Misinformation] is a crisis for democracy, freedom of expression, good governance, health and wellbeing, and success in academia and the workplace.”
Read the article about Dr. Julien’s presentation
Anna Kelly ’23MS grew up on the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation in northern New York, and is an enrolled member of the tribe. Like many Indigenous tribes and communities, oral history and storytelling is an important part of Mohawk culture. Discussing banned books at a recent Alumnae/i, Family and Friends Weekend, Kelly noted the importance of representation in books and literature. “If these books are banned, not only does it hurt those who see themselves and their experiences in these books, [but] it inhibits those who are not in those groups from learning about them and their experiences. It takes away the chance of cultivating empathy and understanding through reading.”
Read the article about Anna Kelly’s work
At the 2024 annual Ifill Forum, former MSNBC host Joy Reid discussed the connection between reliable information and a thriving democracy. Reid shared her saying, “Scaring is Caring.” As she elaborated, “Democracy is not promised … This is a very young country. There are countries much older than we are that have lost their democracy … So, we need to guard democracy with everything we’ve got.”
Read the article about the 2024 Ifill Forum
In their Class of 2024 senior profile, communications major Rachel Andriacchi ’24 discussed the significance of conveying and disseminating breaking news stories. As Andriacchi recounted: “I went to the Society of Professional Journalists convention in Las Vegas to work as a reporter in their student newsroom. This introduced me to a style of fast-paced, breaking journalism, and allowed me to be at the center of some huge stories … The experience added another layer to my strong desire to chase a career in journalism, despite the discouraging way the industry seems to be moving right now. It gave me hope for a successful future.”
Read the interview with Rachel Andriachi ’24
In spring 2024, the Library Journal selected Simmons School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) alumnae/i Megan Phifer-Davis ’18MS and Derek Mosley ’11MS as the 2024 Movers & Shakers. This recognition highlights library and information science professionals who have made outstanding contributions to libraries, education, public service, and beyond. Phifer-Davis brings resources to incarcerated individuals, while Mosley is dedicated to archiving Black history.
Learn more about Megan Phifer-Davis and Derek Mosley
Dr. Laura Saunders, Professor and Associate Dean of the School of Library and Information Science and the 2024 recipient of an Association for Library and Information Science Education Award, spoke with the popular press about how public libraries in the US help build community during politically polarizing times. Specifically, she noted that libraries facilitate conversations on divisive topics, offering a chance for people to hear different perspectives.
Read the article about Dr. Saunders
In March 2024, SLIS doctoral candidate Cyndee Landrum ’25PhD was named Acting Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. As Landrum says, “A library is a convener, a facilitator of dialogue and discourse that can solve community problems, in addition to being a resource where people can access information.”
Read the article about Cyndee Landrum
In September 2024, Simmons’ School of Library and Information Science announced the relocation of its SLIS West program — a part-time master of science in Library and Information Science degree program in Western Massachusetts — from Mount Holyoke College to the campus of Greenfield Community College (GCC). This partnership provides graduate education to students in rural communities while addressing barriers related to transportation, food and housing insecurity, and college tuition. According to SLIS Dean Dr. Sanda Erdelez, “At SLIS West, we will also increase experiential learning for future librarians, archivists, and information professionals on the GCC campus, locally, and regionally.”
Learn more about the relocation of SLIS West
During an October 2024 celebration commemorating the life and legacy of Gwen Ifill ’77, ’93HD, Dr. Ammina Kothari, Dean of The Gwen Ifill School of Media, Humanities, and Social Sciences, emphasized the importance of having access to reliable information and the value of good journalism. As she reflected, “We are inundated with information … It is hard to process all of that, but if I tell you a story, you will remember it … And when journalism is done well … [it harnesses] the power of listening and storytelling.”
Read more about the celebration Gwen Ifill's life and legacy
In December 2024, The Boston Globe featured commentary from Sanda Erdelez, Dean of the School of Library and Information Science, on the remarkable resilience of public libraries. She remarked that, despite waves of book bans and other obstacles, “Libraries are constantly reinventing themselves …Whoever was projecting libraries would be dead because of the transition to digital resources overestimated. Because it’s not only about books. It hasn’t been only about books for a long time.”
Read more about the commentary by Dean Erdelez
For National Library Lover’s Month (February) 2025, we profiled University Archivist Kelsey Kolbet ’21MS/MA. As Kolbet explains, librarianship revolves around community and access. “We welcome all researchers, both Simmons affiliates and anyone else who wishes to access our collections … we champion accessibility and we are excited for patrons to use our materials,” she says.
Learn more about Kelsey Kolbet and the Simmons archives
In early 2025, Simmons received a $250,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation to establish the Center for Information Literacy (CIL). A collaboration between SLIS, the Ifill School, and Simmons University Library, the CIL will focus on cultivating competencies related to locating, accessing, evaluating, and using information. According to Professor and Associate Dean of SLIS Dr. Laura Saunders, who will serve as the inaugural director, “The vision for the Center is a world where information literacy transcends boundaries of privilege and circumstance, where critical thinking flourishes and where every person has the tools to transform information into knowledge, opportunity, and positive change.”