<i>@ the intersection of information, innovation, compassion, and decolonization!</i>

This series of four uniquely designed presentations, consisting of two scholarly papers, a panel, and an interactive teaching engagement, provide synergy to both the 2025 ALISE Conference theme and the Innovative Pedagogy Special Interest Groups’s focus. Presenters offer dynamic vantage points to topics such as: Critical Discourse Analysis of Latine Identity Representation; Compassion Fatigue related to Pedagogy of Care; Community Archival Partnerships as Cultural Heritage Social Justice; and a Critical Race Storytelling Approach to Decolonize Library History Courses. Collectively the session meets at the intersection of information, innovation, compassion, and decolonization. Presentation 1 (Panel): Using Big Data to Redefine Identity: Challenging Deficit-Based Language Models in LIS Research Presenters: Michelle Rosquillo, North Carolina Central University; Odelys Morales Sierra, University of North Carolina at Greensboro; Ryan Smiley, University of North Carolina at Greensboro; Dr. LaTesha Velez, University of North Carolina at Greensboro This panel presents how Latine identities are represented in LIS research using big data analytics, critical discourse analysis, and ontological mapping. By identifying deficit vs. asset-based narratives, this study highlights biases in LIS literature and proposes culturally sustaining approaches to integrating Latine perspectives into LIS education. Through an examination of how colonial knowledge structures have shaped LIS discourse, the project interrogates entrenched narratives and offers strategies to center Latine knowledge systems. This presentation will showcase bibliometric trends and discourse patterns with the goal of providing actionable strategies for LIS educators, researchers, and practitioners seeking to foster representative information environments. Presentation 2 (Paper): The Paradox of Pedagogy of Care for Group Work in Asynchronous Courses Presenters: J.M. Shalani Dilinika, University of Pittsburgh; Africa S. Hands, University at Buffalo; Marcia Rapchak, University of Pittsburgh This paper presentation will explore how a pedagogy of care framework can be a decolonizing approach to group work in asynchronous, online courses. Using recent experiences of instructing students through a semester-long group project, this presentation considers the squishiness of practicing pedagogies of care, for both students and faculty. Pedagogies of care intend to generate student-centered learning experiences that deconstruct some hierarchies in education and emphasize empathetic instruction. However, as will be shared during this presentation, the reality of this well-intentioned practice is not without concerns (such as compassion fatigue and redirected emotional labor) that must be examined. Presentation 3 (Interactive Engagement): FOCAS-ing on Community Archival Partnership Pedagogy Presenters: Kaitlyn Griffith, Dominican University; Vanessa Irvin, East Carolina University; Berlin Loa, University of Arizona; Edith Mendez, Dominican University; Vanessa Reyes, East Carolina University Faculty Organizing for Community Archives Support (FOCAS) is a three-year, nine-university Mellon (Public Knowledge) funded collaborative project focused on supporting and co-creating archives with community partners. The grant also supports curricular and pedagogical development rooted in fieldwork, with funded student interns directly liaising with community archives. This interactive session, led by three university grantees, highlights (Year-1) innovative pedagogical strategies that respond to shifting community needs and the urgency of memory work in politically volatile times. FOCAS reimagines archival education by emphasizing social justice, decoloniality, and adaptability—challenging traditional archival norms and centering community-led evolving approaches to preserve stories that may be forgotten, obscured, or overlooked." Presentation 4 (Paper): Counter-storytelling in Library History Course Development Presenter: Eric Ely, University of Central Missouri This proposal explores the use of counter storytelling as a pedagogical tool in Library and Information Science (LIS) education to decolonize traditional library history courses. Rooted in Critical Race Theory (CRT), counter storytelling amplifies marginalized voices and challenges dominant narratives. The replacement of traditional research papers with a creative assignment in which students conduct historical research and craft fictional stories reflecting historical social conditions is explained. Emphasizing cultural humility, the assignment aims to avoid harm and promote social justice. The proposal addresses decolonial contexts by decolonizing curriculum, research methods, information practices, and professional practice, fostering inclusive and equitable learning environments. Additional Acknowledgement: Dr. Paria Aria made significant contributions to the planning and organizing of the Innovative Pedagogy Special Interest Group’s 2025 presentations.