Jenna Hartel

Jenna Hartel is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Information, University of Toronto, where she has been a faculty member since 2008. Her work bridges Library and Information Science (LIS) with interdisciplinary social science, focusing on information in the context of leisure, creativity, and well-being. She is affiliated with the Faculty of Information and teaches in the Master of Information program, particularly within the Library and Information Science concentration.

• PhD in Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles
• BA in American Studies, Colby College

Her research centers on the nature of information in pleasurable and profound life experiences, especially serious leisure activities like hobbies. She employs innovative visual and arts-informed methodologies and leads the iSQUARE Research Program. Her teaching includes courses such as The Information Experience and Information Ethnography, and she advises both master’s and doctoral students on information behavior in everyday life.

Her recent publications reflect a trajectory toward positive information science, contemplative practices, multispecies perspectives, and storytelling in research. Themes across her work include happiness, care, creativity, and holistic visions of information science. She uses multimedia platforms, notably her YouTube channel INFIDEOS, to disseminate knowledge and innovate in LIS education.

Scientific Awards

• ASIS&T Distinguished Member, 2023
• ASIS&T Outstanding Information Science Teacher Award, 2023
• ASIS&T/SI-USE Outstanding Information Behaviour Research Award, 2022
• ALISE Pratt-Severn Faculty Innovation Award, 2022
• Community of Champions (Teaching Award) Nominee, University of Toronto, 2016
• Excellence in Teaching Award, Library Journal/ALISE, 2016
• Innovation Award, ASIS&T/SIG-USE, 2013
• Highly Cited Paper Award, Journal of Documentation, 2010
• Dialog/ALISE Methodology Paper Award, 2006

Hartel has secured multiple research grants, including projects on Information and Contemplation and A Theory of Information in the Hobby of Gourmet Cooking. She mentors graduate students and promotes compassionate, inclusive academic supervision. She is actively involved in leadership roles, such as serving on the Masters of Information Recruiting and Admissions Committee and the Life and Times Committee. Her work with the INFIDEOS YouTube channel exemplifies her commitment to public engagement and creative pedagogy.

She is also associated with research teams and initiatives like the iSQUARE Research Program and has collaborated widely across the LIS field. Her future work continues to explore contemplative, positive, and multispecies dimensions of information science.