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Vision Statement
School of Library and Information Sciences

Exponential increases in the volume and complexity of information products and technologies are creating societal change on a global scale.  The School of Library and Information Sciences sees itself playing a leadership role in preparing information professionals to ensure the maximum positive impact of this change.

Our graduates will continue to play key roles as intermediaries between information and information seekers, as well as expanded roles in a wide variety of settings with increasingly sophisticated technological tools.  As represented by the model on the following page, the vision of the School is to provide our students with the knowledge to add value to information products through understanding users and applying the latest tools for information organization and access.

We strive to create and maintain a community of scholars that enables all members of a diverse faculty to contribute their unique strengths.  We have as our vision to conduct collectively the teaching, research, and service that will enable the School to thrive.

Good teaching by each faculty member is fundamental and required.  We recognize that developments in information and telecommunications technologies are changing higher education in a fundamental way.  We discover and employ the best uses of these technologies in the teaching and learning process to bring quality education to our students regardless of time and space.  We are also committed to providing a high quality residential experience for those students who seek and will benefit from such an experience.

We also recognize that the full potential of the knowledge age will not be reached without a sustained research and publication effort.  We are committed to playing a significant role in the continued investigation of the fundamental questions of this era through scholarly inquiry, at the same time our research agenda focuses on digital knowledge with an eye toward future applications.

We also recognize that our professional community seeks direction in coping with constant transition.   We provide leadership and life-long learning opportunities for information professionals.  We will be a crucial partner in meeting the expanding needs of the global information society.

Adopted October 25, 2002

Mission

The School of Library and Information Sciences prepares graduates for dynamic roles in the information age.  The School’s mission is to provide resources, research, and service for education and leadership to the library and information community and to prepare information professionals of the highest quality to serve the state, the region and the global community. 

Goals of the School

The goals of the School are to:  

1.         Prepare information professionals who demonstrate excellence in leadership, service, research, and education in a technology-driven environment.  

2.         Advance and contribute to leading-edge research and scholarship.  

3.         Contribute to professional, academic, and public interests through
            consulting, continuing education, and leadership. 

4.         To provide high-quality distributed learning opportunities while 
             maintaining a high-quality residential experience.

Program Goal and Objectives for Master's Program

The Master’s Program goal is to prepare students to:  

Understand the principles, analyze the problems, and design and implement practices related to recordable information, including its creation, communication, identification, selection, acquisition, organization, description, storage, retrieval, preservation, analysis, interpretation, evaluation, synthesis, dissemination and management.  

The objectives are for students to:  

1.         Understand the critical impact of electronic technology and networks on information practices.  

2.         Remain flexible and able to manage change in a technology-driven and knowledge-based environment.  

3.         Plan, manage, and implement information systems in the networked environment for the creation, organization and dissemination of information. 

4.         Develop and implement conceptual and technological systems and structures for the organization of information in any format for effective access. 

5.         Understand human information behavior in order to design and
            implement information systems and services that meet user needs.  

6.         Evaluate, synthesize and present information for client use.  

7.         Demonstrate communication skills necessary for personal and professional growth, leadership, interaction, and collaboration in appropriate professional contexts.  

8.         Manifest a commitment to the philosophy, principles and legal and ethical responsibilities of the field.  

9.         Recognize the impacts of information policies, practices, and information itself on diverse populations in a technological and global society. 

10.       Demonstrate additional knowledge and competencies appropriate to their individual interests, specializations and career goals.  

11.       Understand the importance of professional development, continuing education and participation in professional organizations.  

12.       Relate the methodologies and content of other disciplines to the information field and understand the contribution of the information field to other disciplines.  

 Adopted 10-2002