Dr. Nancy Everhart, FSU School of Information (iSchool) Professor, is a visiting Fulbright lecturer at Beijing Normal University’s Department of Library Science. Recently she traveled to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, as a guest of Vietnam National University (VNU). Over the course of her two-day visit there, she delivered lectures related to research, practice, and academic exchange.

Everhart’s lecture, “Metaethnography – The Potential for Theory Building in Library and Information Science,” demonstrated to students and faculty how existing research can be analyzed in a unique way to create new knowledge. It was of interest to VNU faculty as a method to synthesize research in preparation for an upcoming project.  In “Educated Transitions: Experiences with iSchools and School Libraries in the United States,” Everhart relayed her experiences both at FSU’s iSchool and as a former President of the American Association of School Librarians. Many Vietnamese students attended the two lectures on subsequent days showed an interest in “Applying to U.S. Colleges and Universities.”

“It is an exciting and interesting time for library and information science in today’s information world,” Everhart says. “Countries in Asia are grappling with many of the same issues as the U.S. and discussing both our similarities and differences is productive to both sides. The Fulbright Regional Travel Program has allowed me to experience unique approaches to my discipline. Interacting with faculty and students from other countries will enable me to enrich my own university and profession when I return.”