ANN ARBOR—The power of the digital age will be displayed for the public at the first University of Michigan School of Information expoSItion. School of Information (SI) graduate students will show their term projects related to e-commerce, cultural heritage, information architecture, and more during the free exhibit 12:30-4:30 p.m. Friday (

The event is aimed both at employers scouting for well-trained staff members and at prospective students who want to learn how to prepare for one of the fastest-growing segments of the economy.

“Without question, today’s job market is red hot for students with the kinds of information-related skills that SI graduates have,” says Judy Lawson, director of career services at SI. “Business of all kinds are rushing to create complex Web sites to serve their customers and vendors, and they’re finding that it takes much more than just the ability to design a Web page. They’re scrambling to find employees who understand the underlying principles of the information professions.”

One project in particular that showcases the full range of abilities of SI students is the Umarch project, which stands for University of Michigan Architecture. The project shows how background information about architects, descriptions of campus landmarks, and even narratives relating the social history of the times when the buildings themselves were constructed, can come together as both an educational tool and an archive.

Most of the projects that will be displayed resulted from collaborative efforts among students in one or more courses. The skills they incorporated often crossed the entire spectrum of specializations within the School of Information master’s program.

For information, see www.si.umich.edu/exposition or call (734) 763-2285.

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School of Information expoSItionJudy Lawsonwww.si.umich.edu/exposition