Hui-Yun Sung

What attracted you to information science as a profession and field of study?
Information science as a field of study places people at the center when discussing their information needs, use, and behavior. The field embraces diversity and inclusion. It emphasizes the importance of connecting people with information. Researching people’s information behavior is fascinating.

In what area of information science do you practice, teach or do research? What about that area of practice/study made you choose it?
I do research on children’s library services (including storytelling, reading practices, and their classification behavior) with a particular emphasis on preschool children. Using participatory methods to elicit preschool children’s perspectives is full of fun and joy. People’s information behavior starts from birth, but current LIS literature on children’s information behavior tends to focus on children above 7.

Why did you join ASIS&T?
I joined ASIS&T to become part of a leading association in the field and to keep abreast of leading and updated research through reading its news and publications and participating in conversations.

What advice would you give to young people contemplating information science as a potential profession or field of study?
Information science is a field where you learn new things all the time. It’s exciting and interesting to study how people of different ages and from all walks of life use information.

What do you think will be the biggest challenge for those working in information science in the next decade?
The transformation from information/service providers to information/service facilitators will be a big challenge for information professionals. Research directions will change in accordance.

As a new member of ASIS&T; what do you forward to participating in the most?
I very much look forward to participating and presenting in ASIS&T annual meetings and publishing in the Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology (JASIST).