Requirements+for+graduation

//The following are Curriculum Required Courses for a Master's Degree in Library and Information Science at LIU, Palmer School.//
 //Master’s level required course for any concentration are:// LIS 510 Introduction to Library & Information Science LIS 511 Information Sources and Services LIS 512 Introduction to Knowledge Organization LIS 514 Introduction to Research in Library & Information Science LIS 690 Internship. Internships must be 120 hours during a semester at an approved site, working under the supervision of a professional in the field. LIS 695, Masters Project, is available as an alternative to the internship with permission for students with extensive library experience.

//Concentrations//

//The Archives and Records Management Certificate program is an 18 credit program. The required courses for this certificate are:// LIS 520 Records Management l LIS 714 Archives and Manuscripts //choice of three of these courses//: LIS 657 Introduction to Preservation LIS 713 Rare Books & Special Collections Librarianship, Appraisal of Archives and Manuscripts LIS 722 Records Management ll: Electronic Records LIS 755 Information Technologies and Society LIS 763 Metadata: Description and Analysis LIS 765 Knowledge Representation LIS 770 Information Storage and Retrieval

//The Public Library Administration program consists of five courses specifically designed for a Public Library Administrator’s Certificate. These courses are:// LIS 700 Principles of Public Library Organization & Management LIS 701 Seminar in Legal Issues and the Regulatory/Governance Environment of the Public Library LIS 702 Human Resources Administration in the Public Library LIS 703 Financial Management of Public Libraries LIS 704 Public Library Facilities, Automation Systems & Telecommunications

//The School Library Media Specialist Program requires candidates to have a BA from an accredited institution with a concentration in liberal arts. In addition to the CORE courses, students must take:// LIS 620 Instructional Design and Leadership (equivalent to EDU 980) LIS 622 Management of the School Media Center (equivalent to EDU 981) LIS 626 Teaching Methodologies for the School Media Center LIS 628 School Media & Materials in the Curriculum LIS 629 Integrating Technology into School Media Curriculum //and choose one course from//: LIS 729 Young Adult Sources & Services LIS 731 Materials & Services for Early Childhood LIS 733 Children’s Sources & Services Students without NY State Teacher Certification must take EDS 610 Literacy, Teaching, and Learning Birth-Grade 6 (or equivalent) as well as complete a two hour child abuse seminar,, violence prevention workshop, qualifying scores on LAST, ATS-W and CST exams, NY State Finger Printing. A candidate may apply to the state for professional certification only after 3 years of successful employment and one year of mentorship in a school library media center.

//Rare Books and Special Collections Concentration requires students to complete four courses in Rare Book and Special Collections Librarianship, one course in the history of the book and two of the following:// LIS 603 Humanities Sources & Service LIS 657 Introduction to Preservation LIS 662 Library Public Relations LIS 710 Rare Book School Course LIS 714 Archives & Manuscripts LIS 763 Metadata: Description and Access LIS 773 Comparative Bibliography LIS 901 Special Topics Courses in web design and digital libraries are recommended. //- According to US News & World Report, (at usnews.com) the top five schools for a Masters in Library and Information Science are:// 1. University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign (http://www.lis.illinois.edu/) 2. University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill (http://sils.unc.edu/programs/) 3. Syracuse University (http://ischool.syr.edu/academics/graduate/mls/) 4. University of Washington (http://ischool.uw.edu/mlis/default.aspx) 5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor (http://www.si.umich.edu/msi/specs.htm) -actually called School of Information where you can specialize in Archives and Records Mgmt, Community Informatics, Human-Computer Interaction, Incentive-Centered Design, Info Analysis and Retrieval, Information Policy, Library and Info Services (alone or with a School Library Media specialization), Preservation of Information and Social Computing.

//When looking up these school's curricula, most have the basic core classes similar to that of LIU, with the exception that all require more technology courses. UNC offers additional certifications including, most notably, International Development. A 2004 study emphasized the need for the internationalization of all LIS schools, especially between the USA, Canada and Europe. Structured and certification of LIS programs were discussed as far back as 1877 and the concept has yet to be organized. The International Federation of Library Association and Institutions has been fostering co-operation of LIS schools throughout the world since 1927. The European Association for Library and Information Research was created in an attempt to organize guidelines that would integrate all European LIS student requirements.

In an article from the Journal of Information Systems Education, the authors provide a study based on fifty schools, showing the need to update the LIS curriculum to draw new students. The Research Imperative calls for “both MLIS education and professional continuing education to strengthen knowledge and skills to be an effective research consumer and contributor.” It essentially states that it is impossible to learn all that is needed in the short time it takes to get an MLIS, or to excel in certain careers, particularly in the medical field. “Almost all MLIS students have the opportunity to take a one-semester research methods course. About half of the ALA-accredited programs require such a course, but because of the brevity of such programs and the variety of careers on which such graduates embark, it is not reasonable to expect them all at graduation to be highly skilled in both using published research and conducting original research.”

However, according to ALA, the schools they accredit are evaluated for each program’s mission, goals, and objectives. They also look at: their curriculum, faculty and students, their administration and financial support, and their physical resources and facilities. They feel that ALA accredited programs do indeed prepare students for their specialized careers in offering many different areas of certification. Michelynn McKnight agrees, writing of her study that methods courses, although offered, are not required in all schools as many believe they should, concludes, “All ALA-accredited programs require courses that provide general preparation to practice in the profession; however, some programs also offer specialized tracks or courses that permit or encourage concentration in a specific area of library and information studies. The opportunity to specialize depends on the availability of relevant courses, on focused class project/paper opportunities, and the availability of practica or student employment options.”

Resources:

LIU Palmer School of Library and Information Science Graduate Bulletin, 2009-2010

Academic Journal A Comparison of Information Systems Programs at AACSB and ACBSP Schools in Relation to IS 2002 Model Curricula.Full Text Available By: Lifer, J. David; Parsons, Kristine; Miller, Robert E.. Journal of Information Systems Education, Winter 2009, Vol. 20 Issue 4, pg. 469-476

Academic Journal A study of international issues in library and information science education: survey of LIS schools in Europe, the USA and Canada.Citation Only Available By: Abdullahi, Ismail; Kajberg, Leif. New Library World, 2004, Vol. 105 Issue 9/10, p345-356

Academic Journal RESEARCH IN PROGRESS: Relating the Recommendation of The Research Imperative to Current Course Offerings in ALA Accredited MLIS Programs.Full Text Available By: McKnight, Michelynn; Hagy, Carol Rain. Hypothesis: Journal of the Research Section of MLA, 2008, Vol. 20 Issue 3, p 9-10

Academic Journal The Research Imperative: Medical Library Association policy and the curricula of schools of library and information science. Full Text Available By: McKnight, Michelynn; Hagy, Carol Rain. Journal of the Medical Library Association, Apr2009, Vol. 97 Issue 2, p134-136

http://www.ala.org/ala/educationcareers/education/accreditedprograms/guidelinesforchoosing/index.cfm//