Program Mission, Goals, and Objectives

The mission of the School of Library & Information Science is to prepare individuals for positions of responsibility in the field of library and information service and to contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the field. Inherently implied is the maintenance of an environment in which excellence is allowed to flourish. The desire is not simply to ensure that each graduate gains adequate employment, but to prepare graduates to assume responsible positions in libraries and information centers. Faculty are expected, through their instructional, research, and service activities, to conntribute tangibly to the development of the knowledge base that makes library and information science a discipline as well as a profession.

1. To offer an MLIS degree program that will furnish the foundation from which students develop competence in providing library and information services.
2. To enhance the quality and stature of the library and information; science profession by effectively recruiting outstanding individuals and under-represented groups, and by preparing graduates for positions of authority and responsibility.
3. To engender high-quality teaching with the aim of enhancing students educational experiences and advancing the discipline and profession.
4. To engage in research that will advance library and information service.
5. To provide leadership in service-related activities.
6. To provide opportunities for the continuing education of library and information science professionals.

The objectives of the school, as related to Goal I, are as follows.

1. Instill in all students a thorough understanding of the philosophical and ethical principles of the discipline and profession of library and information science.



• Provide a grounding in the history of libraries, information, and recorded knowledge. 
• Offer a sound foundation in the development of library services and of librarianship as a profession.
• Enable students to assess the impact of technological change on libraries and information agencies.
• Provide a thorough introduction to the importance of social change to libraries and information agencies, especially emphasizing the nature of a diverse and multicultural society.

 

2. Educate students to excel in the contemporary world of libraries and information agencies.



• Introduce students to services essential to the needs of contemporary society.
• Explore the range of services offered by libraries and information agencies (including educational, recreational, and cultural), and the importance of the ability to assess the needs of the community of information users and potential users.
• Provide students with knowledge related to the management of information, information services, and the agencies involved with information and its use.
• Employ the most current methods to educate students regarding the   creation of information, the media through which it is communicated, the selection, acquisition, bibliographic control, storage and retrieval, preservation, interpretation, and dissemination of these media.
• Make students aware of the various opportunities and challenges of accomplishing the above in different library and information agency environments.
• Educate students to provide services to communities comprised of varying cultures, backgrounds, and educational and physical challenges and to analyze the special needs of communities.
• Inform students of the statements of and principles espoused by professional organizations and how they are relevant to the provision of services in library and information agencies.



3. Encourage the awareness and use of relevant contributions from other disciplines and communication of research and scholarship to other disciplines.



• Urge a conversance with inquiry in cognate areas.
• Recognize the value of formal communication through the media of disciplines other than library and information science.

1. Ensure that the student population is not only highly qualified for graduate study, but also reflective of the diversity of backgrounds and interests of the population generally.

• Recruit actively in a broad and encompassing manner to attract diverse groups of students.
• Recruit widely in order to attract students with high potential for success in graduate study and provide students with opportunity to succeed within the program.
• Work within the University context to enhance placement of members of historically under-represented groups within the program.
• Maintain an active placement service to assist students in locating professional opportunities and to place graduates in positions where there is a need for quality service.

1. Concentrate on a sound curricular design and pedagogical program aimed at providing quality instruction for all students.

• Review the curriculum and its purpose regularly to ensure its flexibility, inclusiveness, and currency.
• Offer the means for encouragement and improvement of effective  teaching.

The objectives of the school, as related to Goal IV, are as follows.

1. Advance knowledge in library and information science through dynamic research activities.



• Encourage the external funding of research endeavors from a broad base of sources.
• Contribute the results of research activities to the literature of the discipline and profession.
• Assume a leadership role in the production and critical analysis of scholarship in the field.



2. Communicate the means and methods of research, as well as critical consumption of research, to all students.



• Incorporate the research base of library and information science into a wide range of course offerings to communicate to students the purpose and importance of inquiry.
• Provide students with the opportunity to conduct and disseminate meaningful research and scholarship.



3. Foster an interdisciplinary perspective on research problems and inquiry critical to the development of knowledge in library and information science.

1. Encourage service at several levels (local, state, regional, national, and international) to promote the sharing of faculty knowledge and expertise.

• Provide the opportunity for faculty participation in relevant organizational activities.
• Encourage faculty leadership in organizations.
  

1. Provide opportunities for various constituencies to update knowledge, to become aware of new developments, and to branch into other areas within the discipline and profession.

• Disseminate information to a broad base of individuals regarding developments in operations and thought related to library and information science.
• Operate a formal program leading to a Certificate of Advanced Study in Library and Information Science.
• Provide the opportunity for faculty to consult with constituents and to act as resources, primarily within the state.