Library and Information Services (LIS) Specialization
Librarians have long been respected both for their ability to organize information and their commitment to providing access to the world's knowledge.
In their efforts to make information more readily accessible, librarians have always been eager to embrace new technologies. Never has this been more apparent than in the age of electronic information. As U.S. News & World Report put it, library and information science is "a field transformed by the cyber-revolution."
Librarians not only manage collections, they also evaluate, analyze, organize, package, and present information and train people in its use. Librarians have the expertise needed to retrieve information in an incredible array of formats and locations; they have a broad understanding of the role of information in society; and they use a variety of tools and approaches to increase access to knowledge.
Twenty-first century librarians are described variously as "knowledge navigators," "major facilitators of individual knowledge-gathering," and even "the ultimate search engines."
The School of Information is an excellent place to gain the knowledge and experience needed to become part of a profession whose raison d'etre is to increase people's access to knowledge. The Master of Science in Information program is accredited by the American Library Association and it consistently ranks among the top national programs.
As you specialize in librarianship, you will become familiar with LIS in general and other research, theories, and approaches, and will learn the values and practices of library and information science. You will develop knowledge of information representation and organization, information architecture, content and collections, and information needs and uses. Moreover, you will gain a thorough grounding in information technology skills.
Our graduates have the knowledge they need to increase access to information in a variety of library and information environments and beyond. With the knowledge and skills gained at SI, LIS graduates become a part of the new librarianship that leads the field as it continues to anticipate and respond to future challenges.
Perhaps nothing makes this point so well as the comments of SI alumni. At a focus group held with graduates of the LIS specialization, one person defined the value of her SI experience in this way: "It's the set of skills we come out of SI with. The fact that we do have a strong library background, but also have the forward thinking ability to analyze and deal with changing situations. That pretty much defines librarianship."
An LIS degree from SI provides graduates with an incredibly wide array of career options within public, academic, school, corporate, nonprofit, and government libraries as well as the option of becoming consultants and information specialists in a variety of information-centered environments. Some job titles of recent graduates include the following:
Reference librarian
Cybrarian
Database manager
Computer systems librarian
Library director
Outreach coordinator
Instruction librarian
Information specialist
Consultant
Webmaster
School media specialist
Graduates enjoy careers in a diverse range of libraries, nonprofit organizations, governmental organizations, and businesses, including the:
New York Public Library
CNN
Library of Congress
Los Angles Public Library
Denver Public Library
University of Michigan
University of Oregon
Yale University
CIA
Pfizer
Dow
Ford Motor Company
OCLC (Online Computer Library Center)
National Library of Medicine
Public K-12 schools and libraries across the country
For application materials and upcoming admissions deadlines, read SI's application information. The faculty coordinator for the LIS specialization is Professor Karen Markey, who can be reached at ylime@umich.edu.
LIS is one of nine specializations within the Master of Science in Information program at the School of Information. For information about the other MSI specializations, visit their respective links:
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