Twenty-five years ago, there were no smartphones or social media. Most of us had dial-up internet. We went to Blockbuster when we wanted to rent movies and read newspapers when we wanted to stay informed. Artificial intelligence was the stuff of science-fiction movies. But the internet was evolving rapidly and changing鈥痟ow people interacted with information. Librarianship skills 鈥 categorizing, collecting, accessing and drawing value from information 鈥 were becoming increasingly powerful.
The University of Washington and the leaders of its Graduate School of Library and Information Science saw the school's potential to meet the moment. They brought in Michael Eisenberg to lead the transformation, and in the 2000-01 academic year, the Information School became the 16th independent school or college at the university.
Fast forward to 2025 and our information environment is far more complex than it was at our school鈥檚 inception. Much of the world has high-speed internet, and smartphones put a wealth of knowledge at our fingertips. People try to stay informed through their social media feeds, but many curate their news so they only see things that fit their worldview. Information might be more accessible than ever, but fast-moving technology has pushed mass media gatekeepers aside, allowing misinformation to run rampant. Meanwhile, AI is in its infancy, and large language models have been let loose before they are ready to reliably provide quality information.
We are in a time of transition, and transitions tend to be rocky. People need the tools and knowledge to navigate a volatile information landscape. They need to be able to recognize a deepfake and to be able to apply for a job without the risk that AI will discriminate against them. They need to get reliable search results and find trustworthy sources when their health and well-being are at stake.
That鈥檚 why the Information School is more essential than ever. We promote information literacy, inform wiser policy, solve business problems, and create tools that help people thrive. Our expertise remains rooted in our heritage as a library school, researching and teaching about who has access to information and how to make it more accessible and useful for people. Now and in the future, we are educating professionals who promote ethical uses of AI and create technology systems and processes that make people healthier and more informed.
Throughout the 2025-26 school year, we will be celebrating our anniversary, and we can鈥檛 do it without you 鈥 students, staff, faculty, supporters and our entire alumni community. That includes not only graduates of the past 25 years, but the librarianship alumni who preceded the formation of the school and the Museology alumni who joined us just a couple years ago. I hope you鈥檒l join us for an alumni meet-up, such as our anniversary before the Oct. 25 UW football game, and keep your eye out for a community celebration next year. Read alumni reflections on the school and their favorite professors and share your own. Get caught up on the latest research from our faculty and look for opportunities to engage with it in the work you do in the information fields.
I hope you鈥檒l see this anniversary year as an opportunity to get involved. Along with faculty, staff and supporters, our thousands of alumni are the heart of the Information School community. Our next 25 years will be even better, and we want you to be a part of it.
Anind K. Dey
Dean and Professor
Autumn 2025