The Next 100 Years: Implementing the ALISE Strategic Plan

Connie Van Fleet is well known to RUSO readers. She edited the journal (in conjunction with Danny P Wallace) for twelve years. Upon completing her final term as editor, she assumed leadership for the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE). ALISE is the premier organization for faculty teaching in graduate programs in library and information science in North America. Connie graciously took time out of her busy schedule to respond to my questions about library education and LIS students. All of a sudden librarianship is becoming portrayed as a hot occupation. Last spring, U.S. News & World Report (see Best Careers for 2007, in the issue dated March 19, 2007) ranked librarianship as one of the top twenty-five careers for 2007. This summer, the New York Times (see A Hipper Crowd of Shushers, in the July 8, 2007 issue) ran a story on how librarianship is becoming a career choice for Generation Xers. Have library schools noticed a marked increase in applications over the last year or two? I loved those articles and really got quite a kick out of sharing the NYT piece with my students. It's great to see librarianship getting attention and respect. I think those articles, however, reflect recognition of a trend, rather than drive enrollment figures. Enrollment in ALA-accredited programs has been increasing steadily since an inexplicable dip in 1999. In fact, according to the ALISE statistics, enrollment in accredited masters' programs grew by about 8% per year between 1999 and 2006, resulting in an increase of over 65%. The 2007 statistics have just been collected from the schools and have not yet been analyzed, but it is my sense that this upward trend is continuing. Who is attending graduate programs in library and information science these days? Is there a demographic profile of the typical student enrolled in a master's degree program? Is librarianship a second career for many individuals? There is a very diverse group of individuals who attend graduate programs in library and information science for a variety of reasons. The profession may still be overwhelmingly female and white, but we are seeing more men and ethnic groups represented in the program. I think the data gathered in Fall 2006 probably gives a pretty accurate picture of this year's class. It shows that enrollment in MLIS programs was 71% female and 29% male. Of those students for whom ethnicity data is reported (such reporting is illegal in Canada), 74% of the students were identified as white, with about 4.4% black, 4.34% Hispanic, and 3.37% Asian. Nearly 5% were international students. Perhaps the most dramatic change is in the age of those attending graduate programs in library and information science: 40% were under the age of 30; 69% were under 40; and 87% under 50 years old. The majority (73.7%) of students reside in the state or province in which they attend school. Librarianship still remains a second career for many individuals. We don't have statistics on students who come into our programs with advanced degrees or from other careers, but my experience at three different universities and my impression from speaking with other faculty indicate that a number of students come to us from a variety of professions, including law, music, education, business, and retail sales. We also see a number of library workers who enroll in school for advancement or professional development. It appears that there has been an explosion in online course offerings in library and information science. Are there data on how many students are enrolled in distance versus residential programs? Are there some master's degree programs that are a hybrid? Has ALISE or any other body sponsored research evaluating the quality of online programs? We don't have figures that indicate the balance of enrollment in distance and residential programs that have been aggregated on the national level, nor do we have directly comparable data on those enrollments. …

The knowledge life cycle is applied to two core capabilities of library and information science (LIS) education – teaching, and research and development. The knowledge claim validation, invalidation and integration steps of the knowledge life cycle are translated to learning, unlearning and relearning processes. Mixed methods are used to determine the extent and nature of learning, unlearning and relearning among academic faculty in graduate level library and information science programs. Mixed methods include (1) targeted interviews, (2) manual review of curriculum scope and coverage at seven universities, (3) semantic analysis of the content of 1,711 course syllabi, and (4) machine based analysis of learning, unlearning and relearning semantic markers in 432 journal articles drawn from twelve peer-reviewed journals. The research results provide a foundation for an open and national survey of LIS faculty in 2015. Research results suggest that there is evidence of learning, relearning and unlearning in teaching methods, but only evidence of learning in curriculum and course development, and research. Unlearning practices appear to be scarce in the field. This has implications for the disciplines ability to generate new knowledge and remain competitive in the knowledge economy.

This examination of the membership trends of the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE), from 1986-87 to 1996-97 as shown in its annual directory suggests that: 1) membership has been in decline since 1993, its peak year; 2) assistant professors are in more severe decline than other faculty ranks; 3) part-time faculty and retired faculty are among the fastest growing groups in the field of library and information science (LIS) education; and 4) the market share that ALISE enjoyed at its height was comparable to other professional associations.

The paper examines how academic social media utilisation can enhance research activities of Library and Information Science educators in Nigerian universities. The study highlighted the various research activities of Library and Information Science educators such as information gathering, collaboration, and dissemination of research findings and measurement of impacts. In addition, the authors elaborated on the benefits of academic social media such as Research gate, Academia.edu, Google Scholar, LinkedIn, Open Researcher Contributor Identity and Mendeley to include profile creation, information gathering, search for potential collaborators, instant research result dissemination, measurement of impact and management of research. The study stated that factors such as social influence, technical factors and personal factors can influence use of academic social media platforms.
 Keywords: Social media, Academics, Research Library and Information Science, Educators

In a society that is increasingly diverse in culture, language, and technology, the field of information science education has continued to evolve and respond to the changing information environment. The iSchool movement has attracted a good number of library and information science programs, as well as programs in computer science, while many library and information science programs have revised their mission and curricula to meet the information needs of a pluralistic world without changing the name of their programs (they are often referred to as the LIS Schools). Although iSchools and LIS Schools may seem dichotomous, many of these schools share the history of library and information science education and may have more in common than their names imply. The proposed panel is designed to shed light on the diversity and commonality of information science education in the 21st century by examining the similarities and differences of these two types of schools (including their relationship to the tradition of library and information science education) and the extent to which these schools are meeting the needs of a pluralistic world.The panel will have two parts. Part One is a report on the curricula offered at ALA‐accredited LIS schools and iSchools. In Part Two panelists will respond to the curriculum analysis report and address these topics: Their school's relationship to the tradition of library and information science education. Their experience in changing from an LIS School to an iSchool. Their rationale for remaining an LIS School and how they have changed their programs to meet the need of a pluralistic society. Their perspectives on how they are meeting market needs. Their experience in recruiting new students and placing graduates in libraries and non‐library information environments.

This paper presents the current scenario of library and information science (LIS) education in India, with special reference to open and distance mode. In the centenary year of LIS education in India, it is important to evaluate the existing system. SWOT analysis is a tool to evaluate the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats of Indigenous LIS education in distance mode. The analysis is carried out in the light of national-level practices and perspective. Analysis of SWOT results in few strategies, which can be useful for contemporary open and distance education centres in India.

Library and information science education in Nigeria: Curricula contents versus cultural realities

Library and information science education in Nigeria: Curricula contents versus cultural realities

A comparative study of library and information science education: China and the United States

This paper describes a course on database construction which is given at the Department of Library and Information Studies, Faculty of Information and Communication, General Polytechnic of Amsterdam. The course is based on the results of an experimen

During the past 40 years China's library science has undergone important development. The paper deals with areas of service and functions developed : construction and distribution of documentation sources; bibliographic control; construction of an information retrieval language; standards in documentation; modernization of library technology and methods; service to reader and user research; education for library and information science; research in library science and international academic exchange programmes

Eswatini has been impacting and sourcing Library and information science education in training from foreign institutions due to a shortage of institutions offering Library and Information Science (LIS) training. The relevance of sending people for training in other countries has been a great concern for the government of Eswatini. The expense and complexity of sending employees out of the country for training have caused problem many organizations due to their absence from the office. This study, therefore, investigates the development of an open distance e-learning (ODeL) curriculum for the LIS program in Eswatini and proposes strategies in this regard.

Reviewing the recently published texts in the field of library and information science education indicates some fundamental problems in this pedagogic process. According to different factors dealing with the process, confronting the challenges is considered as complex issues. Therefore, in this research Soft Systems Methodology, an action research method, was chosen to propose a comprehensive model to solve the mentioned problems. Based on the Checkland seven proposed stages, the problem situation was identified, and then it was expressed in the form of a rich picture. Driving root definitions and the CATWOE model were cleared to accomplish the conceptual model. Comparison of the conceptual model to the real world, also proposing feasible and desired changes are the fifth and sixth stages of the research. Finally, taking action to improve the current situation in the field of LIS education finished the procedure. Utilizing the steps of Soft Systems Methodology, this research draws the rich picture illustrating the process of LIS education and its issues dealing with the related ecosystem. Accordingly, the final model consisting of three ontologies was attained. To validate the semantic model, Cohen’s kappa coefficient was calculated. The model, approved by high level of expert agreement, not only can be an appropriate solution for the problems involved in library and information science education in Iran, but also can be considered as a pattern for future researches in designation and implementation of a semantic model of education in other disciplines.

In academic libraries, there are two main types of education activities: information literacy, serving all university students and staff, and graduate education, focusing on LIS students. Academic libraries bear the responsibility of teaching information literacy to university students and staff, so the libraries develop a variety of training programs to help them with literature retrieval and resource utilization in order to improve their academic abilities. The first library to offer graduate education in library and information science independently was Shanghai Jiaotong University, which received authorization to offer an information science master's degree in 1996. In 2003, academic libraries began to offer graduate education and library and information science training more widely. After ten years, academic libraries had developed their own graduate education and training experience as distinct from LIS schools. This chapter investigates and analyzes academic library web portals in terms of education patterns, fields of study, entrance examination subjects, and curriculum.

Traces early attempts at providing local library education and training in Malta against the background of growing demand for library and information services, stunted by the unavailability of professionals. Records the roles of the Ghaqda Bibljotekarji and the University of Malta in the evolving provision of part-time library and information science education. Includes an outline of the current diploma structure and a profile of the student population. Addresses the need to upgrade standards and describes the links being established with library and information science programmes abroad.