New series editor: Dr. Nicole A. Cooke
We are pleased to announce that our new editor for the Series on Critical Race Studies and Multiculturalism in LIS is Nicole A. Cooke.
Dr. Nicole A. Cooke is the Augusta Baker Endowed Chair and Professor at the School of Library and Information Science at the University of South Carolina. She brings a critical and humanistic lens to library and information science, with research interests that include human information behavior, critical cultural information studies, critical pedagogy, and equity and social justice in the field. Her scholarship is widely recognized for advancing understanding of cultural competence and humility, and misinformation, disinformation, and racialized malinformation, as well as the ways in which libraries can resist these forces through critical cultural literacy.
Dr. Cooke is the author of Information Services to Diverse Populations (Libraries Unlimited, 2016; ALA Editions, 2026), and Fake News and Alternative Facts: Information Literacy in a Post-Truth Era (ALA Editions, 2018). She has also edited multiple collections which have become essential readings in critical LIS discourse.
A highly sought-after speaker and consultant, Dr. Cooke has delivered keynote addresses and workshops nationally and internationally, working with libraries, schools, and professional organizations to advance equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. Her work has been recognized with numerous honors, including the ALA’s Equality and Achievement in Library Diversity Research Awards from ALA’s Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services; ALA’s Lippincott Award; the ALISE Excellence in Teaching Award; the Downs Intellectual Freedom Award; and recognition as a Library Journal “Mover & Shaker” for her leadership in EDISJ initiatives.
Through her publications, mentorship, and public scholarship, Dr. Cooke challenges LIS professionals and educators to cultivate critical awareness, disrupt inequities, and build more inclusive institutions. Her work continues to shape the profession, advancing both scholarship and practice toward a more just and liberatory future.