ASIS&T 2021 Recap From Conference Support Award Recipient, Nick Bodanza
Attending the 83rd Annual Meeting of ASIS&T in Salt Lake City, Utah provided the opportunity to engage with a diverse range of perspectives. As a master’s student at Simmons University in the School of Library and Information Science, the experience was valuable towards my academic and professional development. I was able to learn, contribute, and connect with the community of members in an environment of knowledge exchange. This allowed me to grow and evolve my understanding of the discipline and make advancements towards my professional goals.
The paper sessions, panels, and poster session I attended provided insight into the current areas of research being conducted. They allowed me to draw connections to my coursework to develop my knowledge. The ability to explore the various areas helped me to gain a better understanding of my personal interests within information science and technology.
Each session addressed the conference theme of Information: Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Justice, and Relevance. The presented research and intellectual discoveries communicated how the theme applies to various areas of the discipline and field. It also demonstrated the future work and explorations needed to realize the objectives around the theme. From this, it was possible to gain actionable insights applicable to my work in the field as an early-career professional.
The conference will certainly be a memorable experience from my time in my master’s program. Attending was a way to get out of my comfort zone and open myself to new ideas, different perspectives, and growth. It was reassuring to find a community of individuals with similar interests. I am most grateful to NEASIS&T for providing the opportunity and look forward to my continued involvement with the Association.