Education

Ph.D., Library and Information Studies, Florida State University
M.S., Library and Information Studies, Florida State University
B.A., English, Brigham Young University

Background

US Fulbright Scholar, Honduras; academic roles at the University of St. Catherine, Minnesota; the University of Missouri-Columbia; and Charles Sturt University, Australia; currently an adjunct professor (research) for Charles Sturt University, Australia; advisory board for Honduras University Pedagogical Nacional Francisco Morazan MLIS program; honorary research fellow for The University of West Indies, Faculty of Humanities and Education.

Research

Professor Kim Thompson's research contributes to the field of Library and Information Science with a global focus on the relationship between information access and social inclusion. Her research uses critical inquiry and qualitative methods to examine conceptualizations of information and belonging in a range of social contexts.

Grants and Research

IMLS National Leadership Grant 2022-2025: The Practice Model for an Equitable Workplace Transition Program: Disability and Neurodiversity (collaboration with Catholic University of America; $73,104/$149,880)

Critical analysis of library job ads in the US and Australia 2017-ongoing (with Clayton A. Copeland and others)

Book in process: Dali, K. & Thompson, K. M. (Eds.). Disabled and neurodiverse staff: Toward inclusion in the library and information science workforce. Rowman & Littlefield.

Courses Recently Taught

• Leadership in Information Organizations
• Research Methods & Design
• Information Literacy & Technology
• Ethics, Values, and Foundational Principles of Library and Information Science Professions
• Problems in Library & Information Organization Administration
• Research Issues in Library and Information Science
• Information & Society

Recent Publications

Dali, K. & Thompson, K. M. (Eds.). (2026). Disabled and neurodiverse staff: Toward inclusion in the library and information science workforce. Bloomsbury.

Dali, K. & Thompson, K. M. (2026). Introduction: Disability, neurodiversity, and employment: Where we are now. In K. Dali & K. M. Thompson (Eds.). Disabled and neurodiverse staff: Toward inclusion in the library and information science workforce. Bloomsbury.

Thompson, K. M. & Dali, K. (2026). Epilogue: Disability, neurodiversity, and employment: Where are we going. In K. Dali & K. M. Thompson (Eds.). Disabled and neurodiverse staff: Toward inclusion in the library and information science workforce. Bloomsbury.

Dali, K. & Thompson, K. M. & Wan, Y. (2026). Working side by side with disabled and neurodiverse colleagues: Models, frameworks, approaches. In K. Dali & K. M. Thompson (Eds.). Disabled and neurodiverse staff: Toward inclusion in the library and information science workforce. Bloomsbury.

Dali, K. & Thompson, K. M. (2026). Employment experiences of disabled and  neurodiverse MLIS graduates: In their own voices. In K. Dali & K. M. Thompson (Eds.). Disabled and neurodiverse staff: Toward inclusion in the library and information science workforce. Bloomsbury.

Gillespie, C., Dali, K. & Thompson, K. M. (2026). Managing the diverse workforce: The state of research. In K. Dali & K. M. Thompson (Eds.). Disabled and neurodiverse staff: Toward inclusion in the library and information science workforce. Bloomsbury.

Dali, K. & Thompson, K. M. (2026). Supervising for inclusion: Academic library managers’ perspectives on supervising disabled and neurodiverse employees. In K. Dali & K. M. Thompson (Eds.). Disabled and neurodiverse staff: Toward inclusion in the library and information science workforce. Bloomsbury.

Thompson, K. M., Dali, K., & Wan, Y. (2026). Perceptions of disabilities and neurodiversity: The voices of peers and colleagues. In K. Dali & K. M. Thompson (Eds.). Disabled and neurodiverse staff: Toward inclusion in the library and information science workforce. Bloomsbury.

Dali, K. & Thompson, K. M. (2026). The framework for the policy evaluation of organizational documents in the context of accessibility, disability, and neurodiversity. In K. Dali & K. M. Thompson (Eds.). Disabled and neurodiverse staff: Toward inclusion in the library and information science workforce. Bloomsbury.

Dali, K. & Thompson, K. M. (2026). Transitioning from school to work: The models and antecedents from different fields. In K. Dali & K. M. Thompson (Eds.). Disabled and neurodiverse staff: Toward inclusion in the library and information science workforce. Bloomsbury.

Dali, K. & Thompson, K. M. (2026). The equitable workplace transition program for disabled and neurodiverse LIS graduates: An applied framework. In K. Dali & K. M. Thompson (Eds.). Disabled and neurodiverse staff: Toward inclusion in the library and information science workforce. Bloomsbury.

Recent Presentations and Workshops

Wan, Y., Thompson, K. M. & Velez, L., (2026, November 16). It depends on who’s asking: Positionality, power, and care in qualitative research with equity-deserving communities. Panel presentation for the Association for Library and Information Science Education 2026 Annual Conference: The Good Questions, 16-18 November 2026, Buffalo, New York.

Anderson, A., Copeland, C. A., Dali, K., Dreeszen Bowman, R., Dudak, L. T. Holliday, T., Kawooya, D., Phillips, A. L. Smith, A, J. M., Thompson, K. M., & Tobin, C.  (2026, November 17). Who gets to ask the questions: Disability research and advocacy as a collaborative endeavor. Co-convener for SIG panel presentation for the Association for Library and Information Science Education 2026 Annual Conference: The Good Questions, 16-18 November 2026, Buffalo, New York.

Thompson, K. M. (2026, May 21). Just start! (It will evolve over time). Leader’s Edge Forum: Building Connection Through Appreciation and Engagement​, Columbia, South Carolina.

Copeland, C. A., & Thompson, K. M. (2026, May 13). Creating accessible library programming and instruction: Low-cost/no-cost solutions. LibraryLink, South Carolina Library Association 13 May 2026, Columbia, South Carolina.

Copeland, C. A., & Thompson, K. M. (2026, May 13). Fostering accessibility and resiliency in the library workforce. LibraryLink, South Carolina Library Association 13 May 2026, Columbia, South Carolina.

Thompson, K. M., & KutyaMukama, A. G. (2026, April 15). Strategic Challenges in Modern Librarianship: A 2026 Perspective [Invited virtual lecture]. Makerere University, Uganda/iSchool, University of South Carolina, USA MLIS Curriculum Partnership. https://youtu.be/UoDQFbWakow

Thompson, K. M., & Tabassum, M. (2026, March 6). Reducing information poverty through public trust in honest librarians. Research presentation for the 2026 18th Bridging the Spectrum Symposium, Catholic University of America, 6 March, Washington D.C.

Thompson, K. M., & KutyaMukama, A. G. (2026, March 2). Comparative Librarianship: Evaluation of Programs, Services, and Organizations [Invited virtual lecture]. Makerere University, Uganda/iSchool, University of South Carolina, USA MLIS Curriculum Partnership. https://youtu.be/Dk50sBD-2Qk  

Service

• Alliance of Schools and Colleges of Communication and Journalism (ASCCJ) Community and Climate Committee representative for the CIC
• Co-convener SIG Disabilities in Library and Information Science, Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) (since 2019)