Research Centers & Facilities
The School of Information at Kent State University is home to specialized research centers, as well as several state-of-the-art facilities used by scholars, students and community partners.
Opened in 2010, the state-of-the-art Digital Laboratory was created to give students hands-on experience with digital library and digital preservation technologies. To learn more about this facility, contact iSchool Associate Professor Karen F. Gracy, Ph.D., at email@example.com or 330-672-0049 for more information.
REINBERGER CHILDREN'S LIBRARY CENTER & Marantz Picturebook Collection
The Reinberger Children’s Library Center, a state-of-the-art research and teaching resource that opened in 2003, holds more than 7,000 books, including many picture books, teen books, award winners, popups and movables, board books and multimedia. It also houses the renowned Marantz Picturebook Collection for the Study of Picturebook Art, featuring more than more than 25,000 picture books from the past 40 years, as well as posters, original artwork, and character toys. Read more about research opportunities in children's librarianship and literature at Kent State's School of Information.
Four research labs on the University library's third floor provide dedicated spaces for on-going faculty and student research projects. Faculty who receive grants or have special projects involving master's and/or doctoral students in the School of Information can apply to use these spaces on an on-going basis. For more information, contact the iSchool at firstname.lastname@example.org or 330-672-2782.
The Usability Lab in the School of Information uses state-of-the-art technologies — including eye tracking, multiple camera views and detailed analysis software — to assess user behavior and interaction with a website or search engine, for example, to guide or improve its structure and architecture. The lab is used mainly by faculty and students in the Master of Science user experience (UX) concentration. It also is used by other faculty whose research can be assisted by this technology. For more information, contact the iSchool at email@example.com or 330-672-2782.