2004-06 IUPUI Campus Bulletin

School of Library and Information Science
The World of Information

For decades, scholars and futurists have predicted an information revolution. Those predictions have come to life dramatically in recent years. We live in an information age, an age in which the ability to generate and access new knowledge has become a key driver of social and economic growth. This conviction is powerfully reflected in the development of the information superhighway and in the feverish spate of takeovers and joint ventures in the telecommunications, cable, and computer industries, as the major players position themselves to be in the vanguard of the digital revolution. Such developments are transforming both scholarly and lay perceptions of the value of information.

In many developed nations, the information sector is among the fastest growing segments of the economy. The growth of a dynamic global information industry has created a wealth of opportunities for information professionals, but it has also thrown into relief a raft of complex public policy issues, such as privacy and cyber-surveillance, privatization of government-held information resources, the management of intellectual property rights, and the emergence of a digital divide, all of which call for rigorous and informed policy analysis.

The signs of a new age are everywhere: the World Wide Web and electronic commerce, personal computers in the classroom, interactive media in the home, virtual universities, electronic publishing, digital libraries. The statistics are irresistible; the amount of information produced in the last decade alone is greater than all the information created in past millennia. The rhetoric of the information age has finally become reality. And that reality translates into unprecedented career opportunities for information professionals who know how to organize, manage, and exploit knowledge assets; who combine analytic and technical skills with a sense of the strategic value of information to organizations of all kinds.

The economic and social well-being of nations depend increasingly on their ability to generate and access new knowledge. The ''informatization'' of society is creating demand for specialists who will function as information resource managers and act as guides, interpreters, mediators, brokers, and quality controllers for the ultimate user, who might be a corporate executive, a scientist, or a schoolchild. Today's information professionals do not merely store and locate information; they also analyze and synthesize raw data to produce customized, value-added services and products for a diverse clientele. The field offers a kaleidoscope of career tracks from which to choose: Web design, information systems analysis, database design and marketing, information brokering, medical informatics, systems librarianship, competitor intelligence analysis, usability testing. In a sense, the opportunities are limited only by the imagination.

On one issue there is widespread agreement: the effective management of information systems and resources is critical to successful organizational performance. That is as true of a Fortune 500 corporation as of a hospital or a small liberal arts college. Information resources include, but are by no means synonymous with, the materials held in libraries, archives, and documentation centers. In the digital age, organizations of all kinds are waking up to the fact that intellectual capital is one of their most important resources-the basis of comparative advantage and superior service delivery. It is this awareness, as much as the highly visible information technologies that are responsible for transforming the ways in which business, commerce, professional affairs, and contemporary scholarship are being conducted.

Libraries, too, are changing. Librarians are active agents of social change and early adopters of new information and communication technologies. The range of materials and media they handle has diversified enormously in the last decade. Access to full-text databases, networked resources, and multimedia information systems has become the norm in a matter of years, fueled in no small measure by the prodigious growth of the Internet and the World Wide Web. The next few years promise even greater advances-global digital libraries, intelligent interfaces, interactive books, collaboratories, intelligent agents, virtual reality. Indiana University's School of Library and Information Science is responding to the challenge with a flexible and forward-looking curriculum, which stresses those social, behavioral, and cultural aspects of information design and use.

The School: American Library Association-Accredited Master of Library Science

The School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) at Indiana University ranks consistently in the top five or ten programs in North America, and its master's and doctoral enrollments are among the largest in the nation. In a recent six-year survey of scholarly productivity and impact, the school was ranked number one (in Library Quarterly, April 2000). The M.L.S. (Master of Library Science) degree has been accredited by the American Library Association continuously since 1953. The pioneering M.I.S. (Master of Information Science) degree, available at the Bloomington campus, adds another avenue of entry to the information professions. In addition to these two accredited programs, the school offers a Ph.D. in Information Science, a Specialist in Library and Information Science, specializations in African Studies Librarianship, Chemical Information, Music Librarianship, Special Collections, and a dual master's/Doctor of Jurisprudence program with the School of Law. There are also dual master's degree programs with the Schools of Fine Arts, Journalism, Music, and Public and Environmental Affairs, and the Departments of Comparative Literature, History, History and Philosophy of Science, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, and Russian and East European Studies. Course work leading to certification in public libraries and in school media is also available.

At SLIS we bring fresh insights to bear on information design, access, and policy issues by looking at information and information technologies in diverse human contexts. We seek to understand the behaviors, cognitive factors, social practices, media, and tools that foster and hinder effective information use. We place a strong emphasis on the social and behavioral dimensions of information technology.

SLIS has a full-time faculty of 18, supplemented by a distinguished emeritus, visiting, and adjunct faculty.

The School of Library and Information Science is located on the Bloomington campus, and offers a full M.L.S. program at Indianapolis. All students have access to the extraordinary physical and human resources of Indiana University, including one of the largest university computing networks in the world and a university library system that ranks thirteenth in the nation in terms of its holdings. Included in this system is the prestigious Lilly Library, which is internationally known for its rare books, manuscripts, and special collections.

The IU School of Library and Information Science is a member of the Association for Library and Information Science Education, the American Library Association, the American Society for Information Science, and the Special Libraries Association. It maintains affiliation with a number of other national and international bodies in library and information science.

The History of SLIS at Indiana University

The School of Education offered the first organized library science curriculum at Indiana University, a program for the preparation of school librarians, in the summer of 1930. In 1938 this curriculum was expanded and made available in the regular school year as well as during the summer session. In 1947 the Division of Library Science was established within the School of Education. A basic undergraduate curriculum in library science concerned with the fundamental processes common to all types of libraries was offered as a minor within the four-year program leading to the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in the College of Arts and Sciences or to the Bachelor of Science degree in the School of Education.

Fifty Years of Graduate Education in Library and Information Science: 1949-99 A five-year program leading to the Master of Arts with a major in library science, granted by the graduate school, was created in 1949, and a Ph.D. program in library and information science was established in 1964.

In 1966 the Trustees of Indiana University established the Graduate Library School and the professional degree Master of Library Science (M.L.S.), replacing the Master of Arts degree granted by the graduate school. The Specialist degree program was added to the curriculum in 1978. In 1980 the name of the school was officially changed to School of Library and Information Science (SLIS). In 1985 an extensive menu of graduate courses leading to the M.L.S. degree was added to the Indianapolis campus.

The Mission of SLIS

The school provides students with an understanding of the conceptual foundations of librarianship and information science and of the multifaceted nature of the wider information environment. It prepares students with a rich mix of knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to function as critical thinkers and effective communicators. Graduates should have a strong grounding in theory and the ability to translate theory into effective practice. To provide a proper setting for the implementation of this mission, the school promotes the advancement of knowledge, both theoretical and applied, through active programs of research and scholarly publication. The school also provides service within the university and to the local, national, and international communities through contributions to, and leadership in, associations and organizations, and by assuming consulting, advising, publishing, and other professional roles. This leadership by example is considered essential in providing a framework in which the goals of the program can be pursued effectively.

The school also provides opportunities for students to seek educational experiences involving the development of the specialized skills currently emphasized in information-providing agencies. The development of these skills often highlights current trends in information systems and information management that serve to assist the student in career planning. Such educational experiences are gained through selection of elective courses from the School of Library and Information Science, through cooperation with other graduate programs of the university, and through seminars, workshops, conferences, group projects, internships, and practicum experiences.

Goals and Objectives of the M.L.S. Program

The M.L.S. 2001 degree option is innovatively designed to meet the new challenges of our profession. Students are introduced to the roles and functions of libraries in contemporary society. They become familiar with key policy issues and technological trends, and with how these issues and trends affect libraries and information centers of all kinds. Students learn to manage and evaluate collections, respond to the information needs of patrons, and to use technology to improve access to information. Students who complete the program are prepared for careers in library administration, public services, technical services, reference services, and collection development at public, school, academic, and special libraries. Students may complete the M.L.S. requirements on the Bloomington or Indianapolis campuses.

Upon completion of the M.L.S. program, graduates will be prepared to:

Assist and Educate Users of Libraries and Information Centers (L524) Analyze and identify information needs of a variety of age, academic, economic, and social groups, and apply appropriate search strategies for effective information retrieval in each situation. Educate users and potential users of information systems to locate and evaluate information resources.

Analyze and evaluate the provision of information systems and services in a variety of library and information settings.

Develop and Manage Library Collections (L528) Prepare and apply policies and procedures that support the selection and acquisition of information resources, which will meet the information needs of an organization, institution, or community.

Manage, evaluate, and preserve collections of information resources.

Organize and Represent Information Resources(L505/L525 or L520) Understand and effectively apply principles of representation and systems of organization to provide access to resources in a variety of library and information environments.

Apply Management and Leadership Skills (L527, L550, L553, or L587) Understand a wide range of organizational structures and management and leadership styles; demonstrate positive attitudes and constructive actions, which characterize innovative leadership.

Recognize the value of collaborative planning and project management.

Apply the interpersonal and organizational skills necessary to manage and evaluate projects and personnel successfully.

Work effectively within and across a variety of organizational structures.

Communicate an organization's values and contributions, and identify sources that will support the organization's activities.

Conduct and Analyze Research (L509, L643, or L651) Understand and apply research and evaluation methods to investigate questions related to the acquisition, representation, organization, use, and/or dissemination of information.

Analyze and interpret findings of such research and evaluation.

Demonstrate Basic Technical Expertise (L401 or equivalent) Understand the basic applications of modern technology in today's libraries and other information environments.

Approach Professional Issues with Understanding (completion of M.L.S. degree electives) Comprehend the social, political, and legal aspects of information creation, access, and ownership. Engage in continuing learning in professional organizations in library and information science.

All courses leading to completion of the MLS may be taken through IUPUI.