PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
June 12, 2002
Shneiderman Papers Now Available to
Researchers at UM, College Park
The Papers of Dr. Ben Shneiderman, a professor of Computer Science at the University of Maryland, College Park, and a member of the Institute for Advanced Computer Studies and the Institute for Systems Research, are now available to researchers at the UM Libraries’ Archives and Manuscripts Department located in Hornbake Library.
Founder of the Software Psychology Society (1976), and founding Director (1983-2000) of the Human-Computer Interaction Lab (HCIL) at the University of Maryland, Dr. Shneiderman developed the notion of "direct manipulation," which clarified the design principles and benefits of the emerging graphical user interfaces. This idea led directly to the invention of the "embedded menu" or "hot link" that became a key contribution to usability of the web.
The materials in Dr. Shneiderman’s collection, which include working papers, correspondence, manuscripts, and other related items, span his entire career, beginning in 1968 with his graduate studies at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and continuing until the present. They illustrate his work and the emergence of the discipline of human-computer interaction.
The majority of the collection consists of technical materials and correspondence between Dr. Shneiderman and other professionals in his field. The struggle to embrace user interface design as a technical topic and address the human side of technology is reflected in these papers. Also included are conference materials; consulting and grant records; personal correspondence; course materials; photographs; software and other electronic records; drafts and final versions of articles; and clippings from newspapers and magazines.
Dr. Shneiderman has written over 200 articles and published several books, including Elements of FORTRAN Style: Techniques for Effective Programming (with Charles Kreitzberg, 1972); Software Psychology: Human Factors in Computer and Information Systems (1980); Designing the User Interface: Strategies for Effective Human-Computer Interaction (1987); and Hypertext Hands-On! An Introduction to a New Way of Organizing and Accessing Information (with Greg Kearsley, 1989). He has also edited numerous articles and several books, including Directions in Human/Computer Interaction (1982) and Sparks of Innovation in Human-Computer Interaction (1993).
In recent years, Dr. Shneiderman has received recognition for his work, including an honorary doctorate from the University of Guelph, Canada, a profile in Scientific American, Fellowships in two scientific societies, and the ACM SIGCHI Lifetime Achievement Award. In June 2000, Dr. Shneiderman relinquished the directorship of the HCIL, enabling him to pursue other projects.
Dr. Shneiderman has consulted and lectured for many organizations including Apple, AT&T, Citicorp, GE, Honeywell, IBM, Intel, Library of Congress, Microsoft, NASA, NCR, and university research groups.
This year-long project to process and make available his papers was funded in part by a donation from Dr. Shneiderman. A paper finding aid is available in the Maryland Room in Hornbake Library, on the University of Maryland, College Park campus, and the complete inventory is available online at http://www.lib.umd.edu/ARCV/histmss/findingaids/shneiderman/index.html.
The UM Libraries will be celebrating the opening of the Papers of Ben Shneiderman on October 3, 2002 from 5 to 7 p.m., with a lecture by Shneiderman related to his new book, Leonardo’s Laptop: Human Needs and the New Computing Technologies. A reception will follow and replies should be forwarded to Jennie Levine at jl303@umail.umd.edu or (301) 314-2712 All events will take place in Hornbake Library.
Researchers interested in using the Papers of Ben Shneiderman
may contact Jennie Levine, Assistant Curator for Historical Manuscripts,
in the Archives and Manuscripts Department at 301-314-2712 or at jl303@umail.umd.edu.
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