The San José School of Library and Information Science is pleased to welcome Dr. Michael Stephens as a new full-time faculty member. Stephens is a recognized scholar and teacher in the areas of emerging technologies and library services, Learning 2.0 programs, social software, social media, digital library services, virtual communities, user-centered planning for libraries, Internet users’ information needs and behaviors online, and future roles of librarians and libraries.

Stephens has been a faculty member with Dominican University’s Graduate School of Library and Information Science since 2005. Prior to joining Dominican, he spent more than 15 years working in public libraries in Indiana, where he developed a passion for the practical application of technology in libraries.

He is well known for his professional writing, which has appeared in Public Libraries, Library Journal, American Libraries, Computers in Libraries, Library Media Connection, OCLC’s NextSpace, Serials Review, Internet Reference Services Quarterly, and ALA’s TechSource blog. He serves on the editorial board of both Reference and Users Services Quarterly and Internet Reference Services Quarterly.

He published The Library Internet Trainer’s Toolkit in 2001. In 2003 he launched his weblog, Tame the Web, where he explores libraries, technology and people — and the fascinating intersection between all three.

For more than two years, he wrote a monthly Library Journal column with Michael Casey: The Transparent Library, examining how technologies can enhance libraries and make them participatory and open to change. He currently authors a monthly Library Journal column, Office Hours, a discussion of LIS education.

In addition to his articles about emerging trends and technology, which have been published in various professional and scholarly journals, Stephens has made presentations about technology, innovation, and libraries to audiences in more than 30 states and 7 countries. His most recent research involves studying the effect of Learning 2.0 programs in Australian academic libraries. It was first presented at the 2010 VALA conference and will be published in various journal articles.

Stephens received his undergraduate and Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) degrees from Indiana University and his doctoral degree from the University of North Texas. His appointment with the School will begin in August 2011.

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