Krystyna Matusiak
Professor; Dept. Chair - RMIS
303-871-6163 (Office)
Katherine A. Ruffatto Hall, 1999 East Evans Avenue Denver, CO 80208-1700
What I do
Professor and Department Chair, Research Methods & Information Science. I’m a faculty member in the Library and Information Science program where I teach Digital Libraries, Digitization, and Scholarly Communication.Professional Biography
Krystyna K. Matusiak is a Professor in the Library and Information Science Program (LIS) at the Morgridge College of Education. Dr. Matusiak’s research and teaching interests focus on the digitization of cultural heritage materials, digital libraries, information behavior, user studies, visual information, and data curation. She is the author of over 50 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and conference papers. She also co-authored two books, Discover Digital Libraries: Theory and Practice, with Dr. Iris Xie, and Bridging Research and Library Practice: Global Perspectives on Education and Training, co-edited with Drs. Kawanna Bright and Debbie Schachter. She is a frequent presenter at national and international conferences, including the Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) and the Congress of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA).
Before joining the faculty at the University of Denver, Dr. Matusiak worked as an academic librarian and digitization specialist. She started her academic library career in reference and instruction and then worked as a Digital Collections Librarian for ten years. She was the Head of the Digitization Unit at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where she designed over 20 distinct digital collections. She also served as a digitization consultant for projects funded by the Endangered Archive Programme at the British Library. Dr. Matusiak continues to be involved in digitization working on community-based projects in collaboration with LIS students, alumni, and community partners, including Park County Local History Archive and the Evergreen Mountain Area Historical Society.
Dr. Matusiak has been actively engaged in professional organizations on the national and international levels. She has held several leadership positions in the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIST), most recently as Chair of the ASIST Membership Committee. For her service and scholarly contributions toward the advancement of the information science field, she was recognized as ASIST Distinguished Member in 2022. She has also been an active member of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), where she was elected to serve as Secretary and Chair of the Library Theory and Research (LTR) Section.
Before joining the faculty at the University of Denver, Dr. Matusiak worked as an academic librarian and digitization specialist. She started her academic library career in reference and instruction and then worked as a Digital Collections Librarian for ten years. She was the Head of the Digitization Unit at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where she designed over 20 distinct digital collections. She also served as a digitization consultant for projects funded by the Endangered Archive Programme at the British Library. Dr. Matusiak continues to be involved in digitization working on community-based projects in collaboration with LIS students, alumni, and community partners, including Park County Local History Archive and the Evergreen Mountain Area Historical Society.
Dr. Matusiak has been actively engaged in professional organizations on the national and international levels. She has held several leadership positions in the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIST), most recently as Chair of the ASIST Membership Committee. For her service and scholarly contributions toward the advancement of the information science field, she was recognized as ASIST Distinguished Member in 2022. She has also been an active member of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), where she was elected to serve as Secretary and Chair of the Library Theory and Research (LTR) Section.
Degree(s)
- Ph.D., Interdisciplinary Program in Digital Information Design and Organization, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2010
- MLIS, Library and Information Science , University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 1999
- MA, Polish Studies and Theater History, Jagiellonian University, 1986
Professional Affiliations
- American Library Association
- Association for Information Science and Technology
- Association for Library and Information Science Education
- International Federation of Library Associations
Research
Dr. Matusiak's goals as a scholar are to advance information science research in the areas of visual information and digital libraries and contribute to practice by preserving cultural heritage and supporting access to such materials. The core areas of her research include digital library development and evaluation and visual information. in recent years, she expanded her research agenda and developed new lines of inquiry into digital community archives, research methods, LIS education in research methods, and international research. She has worked on community-based cultural heritage projects in Colorado, but also explored the challenges and approaches to conducting international research.
Dr. Matusiak's recent projects demonstrate an effort to integrate research and service. As a member of the IFLA Library Theory and Research (LTR) section, she has been engaged in two international research projects. She coordinated a project on the roles and responsibilities of data curators with Dr. Anna Maria Tammaro. Teaching Research Methods in Library and Information Science is the most recent international project sponsored by the IFLA LTR section, in which she served as a PI. The study investigates LIS education in research methodology. Following a pilot study in the United States, the team conducted a large international survey and interviews with LIS educators in 19 countries. In recent years, Mr. Matusiak also developed an interest in community archives, especially in the issues of sustainability and representation of marginalized communities.
Dr. Matusiak's recent projects demonstrate an effort to integrate research and service. As a member of the IFLA Library Theory and Research (LTR) section, she has been engaged in two international research projects. She coordinated a project on the roles and responsibilities of data curators with Dr. Anna Maria Tammaro. Teaching Research Methods in Library and Information Science is the most recent international project sponsored by the IFLA LTR section, in which she served as a PI. The study investigates LIS education in research methodology. Following a pilot study in the United States, the team conducted a large international survey and interviews with LIS educators in 19 countries. In recent years, Mr. Matusiak also developed an interest in community archives, especially in the issues of sustainability and representation of marginalized communities.
Featured Publications
. (2017). User navigation in large-scale distributed digital libraries: The Case of the Digital Public Library of America. Journal of Web Librarianship, 12(3), 157-171.
. (2016). Discover digital libraries: Theory and practice. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier.
Presentations
. (2021). Beyond helicopter research: Unpacking International studies on LIS Education and research methods. . World Library and Information Congress. International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA).
. (2021). Building a sustainable digital community archive in rural Colorado. Texas Conference on Digital Libraries (TCDL). Texas Digital Library.
. (2021). Building a community digital archive in the post-custodial world. Annual Conference of the Visual Resources Association . Chicago: Visual Resources Association (VRA) .