Jieun Yeon

Jieun Yeon is an Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland’s College of Information Studies, specializing in Library and Information Science. Her research focuses on public library governance, the dynamics of power among stakeholders, and systemic issues such as epistemicide and social justice in libraries. She actively advises PhD students and explores topics including book banning, material challenges, and equity in LIS education.

Her work examines controversies in public libraries, particularly how political strategies like 'astroturfing' influence policies. She advocates for epistemic justice, addressing marginalized knowledge systems and anti-Blackness in cultural institutions. Her studies also analyze workplace dynamics in academic libraries and information needs of vulnerable groups, such as North Korean refugees.

Yeon’s articles highlight trends in confronting epistemicide through frameworks for equity, critiquing curricular injustices in LIS programs, and exploring agency theory in library governance. While her research has not yet been recognized with formal awards, her contributions bridge theory and practice in library advocacy and social equity.

She is currently accepting PhD students interested in these areas and collaborates on projects addressing public policy, information ethics, and global librarianship.