About

Joseph Winberry, Ph.D. is an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Information and Library Science. A critical iGerontologist, his research currently emphasizes aging-related information marginalization experienced by LGBT+ older adults, and public librarian education and practice in an aging society. His methodological interests revolve around qualitative methods and community-centered approaches. Winberry’s research has been published in The International Journal of Information, Diversity, and Inclusion, The Journal of Documentation, and The Library Quarterly among other venues.

Dr. Winberry has received funding and recognition from the American Library Association (ALA), the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIST), the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). He is also the founding co-chair of the Aging Rainbow Coalition, which seeks to improve aging-related information and service access for LGBT+ older adults in Esast Tennessee, and founding co-chair of the Elder Justice Task Force within the Social Responsibilities Round Table of the ALA, which seeks to improve library services to all older adults.

Prior to joining the professoriate, Winberry earned his Master of Information Sciences and Ph.D. in Communication & Information at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville where he was awarded the School of Information Sciences’ 2019 Gary Purcell Award for Leadership, and the 2023 UTK Chancellor’s LGBTQ Student Leadership Award. Dr. Winberry also earned a certificate in gerontology from the UTK College of Social Work while pursuing his doctorate. He previously spent 5 years working for non-profit organizations including the American Red Cross of East Tennessee, and the Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee’s Office on Aging where he originated the organization’s elder abuse response programs. Winberry credits his time serving in non-profits, archives, and libraries with inspiring a belief in using library and information research to help people make a difference in their lives.