Wayne State University School of Information Sciences

What do vinyl records, Detroit Techno a mural at Murals in the Market, and air quality advocacy have in common? They're all part of one SIS student's journey to his MLIS. Tyler Dancer started volunteering in libraries at age six. Life took him across the ocean and back to Wayne State, where he's now putting his life experience to work in the stacks and in his community. Read his full student spotlight https://loom.ly/cLEKSWE

SIS alum. Drummer. Co-founder of a Detroit indie band 16 years running. Maria Nuccilli and Deadbeat Beat just dropped their fourth album, From Here to Ohio, and Detroit Metro Times just gave them a full feature to mark the occasion. Read about what it takes to keep a creative project alive for two decades. Read the full story https://loom.ly/e4eDWqM

What started as a family story became a window into Black Detroit history. SIS professor Kafi Kumasi traced five generations of college graduates through Detroit's archives and uncovered remarkable stories of resilience, community and the people who shaped this city.

https://loom.ly/Wu1JZD0

On Monday, June 15 at 6 p.m., join SIS Academic Services Officer Mike Dutkewych for Beyond Motown: Documenting the Unsung Detroit Music of the 1960s at the Redford Township District Library. For the past decade, Mike has been conducting oral history interviews with lesser-known local musicians from Detroit's midcentury music scene, artists and labels producing soul, R&B, rock 'n' roll and country that was great but never got the same spotlight as Motown. The program will include interview excerpts, music samples, photographs and other ephemera. The event is free and open to the public at the Redford Public Library at 25320 Six Mile Rd., Redford Township.

Learn more: https://loom.ly/XFFcdHg

Wayne State is marking Juneteenth with an evening honoring the legacy of emancipation and the enduring impact of Black history and culture. The program includes a performative history of Juneteenth, the release of a genealogy project documentary and a panel discussion exploring how lineage shapes identity and community. The evening also features the presentation of the Dr. Marquita Chamblee Community Impact Award.

SIS faculty member Dr. Kafi Kumasi is one of the panelists.

Centering Stories of Resilience: A Centennial Celebration of Black History
Wednesday, June 17, 4:30-7 p.m.
Industry Innovation Center, 461 Burroughs St, Detroit

Want to walk over together? FLID is meeting beforehand at JP Makes and Bakes (6529 Woodward Ave Suite B) and heading to the event at 4 p.m. RSVP here: https://loom.ly/8gEVBqg

Meet Joshua Cousineau, a first-year MLIS student concentrating in archives at Wayne State's School of Information Sciences. Joshua came to the program with a background in psychology, film, freelance video production and a deep love of retro media. He's driven to make sure audiovisual materials don't get lost to time.

Read his full student spotlight: https://loom.ly/32zRu-M

Erica Krink started her library career shelving books as an undergraduate. She graduated from Wayne State this spring with dual master's degrees in history and library and information science and she also delivered remarks as our student virtual commencement speaker. Learn more about her in her full student spotlight: https://loom.ly/SehpAj4

Wayne State SIS alumna Michelle Stackpoole isn't your typical school librarian. At Monteith Elementary in Grosse Pointe, she's choreographed dances to The Temptations for Black History Month, turned Aesop's Fables into a full performance, and shown up dressed as Elton John — all to get kids excited about reading and learning! A professional actress and singer with credits ranging from commercial work to directing this summer's Addams Family production, Stackpoole brings the same creativity to her library that she brings to the stage. Read her story here: https://loom.ly/Hbw1Wwc

Sierra Onickel is a forensic photographer at the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office and an MLIS student at Wayne State SIS-- and the connection between those two things is more direct than it might seem! In her role, she helps maintain and digitize the office's archive of black and white 35mm film negatives going back to the 1970s. That work sparked her interest in archival studies, which eventually led her to SIS and a graduate certificate in Archival Administration. She's completing her practicum later this year and plans to pursue museum or special collections work after graduating in 2027. Read her full story here: https://loom.ly/1D7-lgc

He played alongside legends and was called a "superb master of any and every stringed instrument made," yet Ted Lucas remained one of Detroit's best-kept secrets-- until now. SIS alum and Academic Services Officer Mike Dutkewych curated Third Man Records' new boxed set bringing Lucas' music to the audience it always deserved. Read the full story in the Detroit Free Press or USA Today. https://ftw.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/brian-mccollum/2026/05/15/ted-lucas-third-man-records-album-tribute-show/90078690007/