The holidays are approaching quickly! UIRA members with children on their gift lists may be wondering what books those children might enjoy. Angela Pilkington of the Iowa City Public Library and Molly Roberts of Prairie Lights Books will discuss what’s new, what’s popular, and what’s exciting now in children’s literature. Angela Pilkington has served as the Children’s Services coordinator at the Iowa City Public Library since June 2015 and is responsible for the Children’s Room, including...

The internet mews, barks, growls, and hisses with alleged evidence of cross-species attachment. These stories — from Genesis to Victorian animal painter Edwin Landseer’s narrative paintings to the latest videos and memes — entice audiences with the promise that we can bridge and bond across species difference. But they also document what it costs animals for humans to be near them. 

Earlier this year, the Stanley Museum of Art became the first museum in North America to return objects in its permanent collection looted by the British from the Benin Kingdom in 1897, directly to the Oba of Benin. The formal restitution took place on July 15, 2024, at the Oba’s Palace in Benin City, Nigeria. Museum Director Lauren Lessing and Curator of African Art Cory Gundlach will discuss the ethical, cultural, and practical considerations involved in this project, and what implications...

Dr. Barbara J. Wilson is the 22nd president of the University of Iowa. She earned a BA in journalism and MA and PhD degrees in communication arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She came to Iowa having served as the executive vice president/vice president for academic affairs of the University of Illinois System. Prior to that, she served in several administrative positions, including interim chancellor, at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she was a member of the...