Research Centers & Facilities

The School of Information at Kent State University is home to three specialized research centers, as well as several state-of-the-art facilities used by scholars, students and community partners.

Research Facilities

DIGITAL LABORATORY

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 kgracy@kent.edu 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.

MuseLab

Made possible by a generous grant from the Reinberger Foundation, the MuseLab is a creative and collaborative space for thinking, doing and learning about museal things. It exists to generate and inspire research on museality; to provide an atmosphere of innovation, creation and collaboration among faculty, students and community; and to have a place for museum studies students to put into practice skills and concepts they have learned in courses (on their own, in workshops or for research projects). The MuseLab consists of two exhibit spaces (a 20' x 20' Gallery space, and a 30' x 8' wall gallery display case), a well-equipped work area, and two storage facilities.

To learn more, see the MuseLab page.

RESEARCH LABS

As part of the third floor remodeling project completed in 2013, four research labs were created to make 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 ischool@kent.edu or 330-672-2782.

USABILITY LAB

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 ischool@kent.edu or 330-672-2782.