ALISE Strategic Plan

Mission:

ALISE is an association of individuals and institutions devoted to the advancement of knowledge, learning, and service in the interdisciplinary field of Information Studies(1).

(1) Library and information studies focuses on, "recordable information and knowledge, and the services and technologies to facilitate their management and use, encompassing information and knowledge creation, communication, identification, selection, acquisition, organization and description, storage and retrieval, preservation, analysis, interpretation, evaluation, synthesis, dissemination, and management" (ALA Standards for Accreditation of Master's Programs in Library & Information Studies, 1992).

Key Assumptions:

  1. Information Studies as a field is changing, growing and maturing. Some schools are developing niches in the market. Schools have created and are creating new partnerships.

  2. Information Studies is grounded in higher education which is also displaying growing complexity and stress from competing political and social demands and straitened economic support.

  3. Long-term societal trends -- such as demographic changes, globalization of communication and commerce, technology developments and distribution of technology access -- will continue to shape evolution and change in both higher education and Information Studies.

  4. ALISE must be economically viable and must be perceived as vital to the health and welfare of the member individuals and institutions.

  5. At this time, the major building blocks for achieving the goals of ALISE are an annual conference, a scholarly journal and electronic communication.

  6. The activities of ALISE should address critical societal issues related to its mission and evolve from the strategic planning process.

Goal Statements:

  1. ALISE advances research that contributes to and enlarges the knowledge base of information studies and the education in the field.

  2. ALISE provides vehicles for the exchange, dissemination, and receipt of information about events, trends, and issues in such areas as curriculum, research, funding, consulting, continuing education, government, and society as these influence and inform information studies.

  3. ALISE supports the professional and intellectual growth of individual members.

  4. ALISE promotes the local, national, and international development of information education.

  5. The changing character of Information Studies is reflected in all aspects of ALISE activities.

Goals adopted by the Board of Directors, October 1996

1996 Priorities:

  1. To provide opportunities to focus on and exchange information about innovations, trends, and issues of importance to the education of information professionals.

  2. To increase the effectiveness of the organizational structure of ALISE.

  3. To effectively use information technologies to disseminate information about ALISE.

  4. To continue to reconsider, revise, and expand ALISE relationships with other information organizations.

  5. To continue to enhance the mechanisms supported by the Association for sharing management and operational information among the member schools.

  6. To continue to promote diversity in information education.

To find out more about the strategies associated with this strategic plan, email sroger7@ibm.net.