Department of Information Studies Research Impact
Advancing Knowledge, Technology, and Justice in the Information Age
The Department of Information Studies stands at the intersection of people, technology, and society—where research shapes how information is created, accessed, and used to build a more equitable world. Our faculty and students explore the ethical, social, and cultural dimensions of information in fields ranging from data science and archival studies to digital preservation and information policy. Through innovative research and community engagement, we advance understanding of how information systems can empower individuals, preserve collective memory, and transform institutions in the digital era.
Research Highlights
California Rare Book School Goes Global
UCLA’s signature program for rare book professionals turns 20, providing cross-cultural exchange and comparative learning.
Bibliotactics: Libraries and the Colonial Public in Vietnam
New book advances a relational theory of power that centers public reading culture contextualized within the library infrastructure of the colonial information order.
Community Archives Lab: Marginalized Populations and Research Work Together to Preserve Little-Known Histories
Working with identity-based memory organizations document, shape, and provide access to the histories of minoritized communities.
Materializing AI and its Political Implications
Ramesh Srinivasan, Professor of Information Studies and author of “Beyond the Valley” comments on DeepSeek’s toppling of AI giants; the dangers of misinformation with close ties between tech and Trump.
Data Borders: How Silicon Valley Is Building an Industry Around Immigrants
Q&A with Professor of Information Studies, Melissa Villa-Nicolas on her new book that investigates entrenched and emerging borderland technology.
Understanding of the Experience of Hate Speech in Social Media On Young People
An interdisciplinary partnership between the UCLA Departments of Education and Information Studies in collaboration with the Organization for Social Media Safety as part of UCLA’s Initiative to Study Hate.
A Valuable Lesson
A new textbook exploring the rich — and largely untold — history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders gets ready for its close-up.
Engaging K-12 Audiences in Archival Studies and Memory Work
Thuy Vo Dang, assistant professor of Information Studies, discusses how an understanding of memory work and archives will enhance K-12 learning, with ways to preserve and empower marginalized communities.
The Moral Economy of Platform Work
Assistant Professor of Information Studies, Noopur Raval’s paper aims to re-centre the vitality and dynamism of everyday media practice, social relationships, and cultural values in shaping gig economy platforms.
“The Women Who Made Early Disneyland”
UCLA alumnae and information professionals expand the conversation on women’s contributions to the park’s design, entertainment, and visitor experience.
“Resurrecting the Black Body” and its Afterlife Legacies
Professor of Information Studies, Tonia Sutherland employs a lens of critical archival, digital, and cultural studies in her examination of the technology and societal mores around the ways that Black Americans are portrayed posthumously online, acknowledging historic bigotry, current forms of racialized aggression, and the unique ways that Black cultures continue to fight against the erasure or distortion of their histories.
Protecting Human Rights Through Record Keeping
Anne Gilliland, Professor of Information Studies and Archivist of inter-ethnic conflicts working with ICA and IMLS on building policies to support vulnerable populations in records, including refugee children.
