Library And Information Science Schools Research Articles

Ranking the research productivity of library and information science faculty and schools: An evaluation of data sources and research methods

AbstractThis study evaluates the data sources and research methods used in earlier studies to rank the research productivity of Library and Information Science (LIS) faculty and schools. In doing so, the study identifies both tools and methods that generate more accurate publication count rankings as well as databases that should be taken into consideration when conducting comprehensive searches in the literature for research and curricular needs. With a list of 2,625 items published between 1982 and 2002 by 68 faculty members of 18 American Library Association– (ALA‐) accredited LIS schools, hundreds of databases were searched. Results show that there are only 10 databases that provide significant coverage of the LIS indexed literature. Results also show that restricting the data sources to one, two, or even three databases leads to inaccurate rankings and erroneous conclusions. Because no database provides comprehensive coverage of the LIS literature, researchers must rely on a wide range of disciplinary and multidisciplinary databases for ranking and other research purposes. The study answers such questions as the following: Is the Association of Library and Information Science Education's (ALISE's) directory of members a reliable tool to identify a complete list of faculty members at LIS schools? How many and which databases are needed in a multifile search to arrive at accurate publication count rankings? What coverage will be achieved using a certain number of databases? Which research areas are well covered by which databases? What alternative methods and tools are available to supplement gaps among databases? Did coverage performance of databases change over time? What counting method should be used when determining what and how many items each LIS faculty and school has published? The authors recommend advanced analysis of research productivity to provide a more detailed assessment of research productivity of authors and programs.

LIS Education and Multidisciplinarity: An Exploratory Study

Library and Information Science (LIS) education has a long tradition of multidisciplinarity. Faculty from a wide variety of subject disciplines staffed professional library education programs prior to the establishment of the LIS doctorate at the University of Chicago in 1928. In the mid-twentieth century faculty in LIS schools commonly possessed the LIS doctorate as well as the master's degree in library and information science. But by the late twentieth century, more subject specialists with doctorates from outside the field of LIS were hired as LIS school faculty, contributing to the multidisciplinarity of the field. This study reviews Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) statistics and analyzes selected faculty and doctoral student characteristics relevant to multidisciplinarity. The question is raised as to whether the trend toward multidisciplinarity among faculty and doctoral students in LIS professional education programs will result in the enhancement or the disintegration of the discipline of library and information science. Suggested criteria for measuring the outcome of the trend are discussed.

Whither library education?

This paper advances the idea that there is a crisis in library education, varying in severity from country to country and calls for a new (or resuscitated) model of library education that will meet the demands of libraries and librarianship in the years to come. Among the problems seen are that library schools have become hosts to information science and information studies faculty and curricula. These disciplines are, at best, peripheral to professional library work and, at worst, inimical to it. There is a growing gender divide in Library and Information Science (LIS) schools between “information science”‐oriented male teachers and library course‐oriented female teachers. Many of the topics regarded as central to a library education by would‐be employers are no longer central to, or even required by, today's LIS curricula. Modern communications technology has led many library educators to concentrate on that technology and dismiss anything about libraries that is not amenable to a technological solution. The gap between what is taught in many LIS schools and what is being practiced in libraries is wide and widening. This paper calls for a national core curriculum that would apply to all schools in a country.

A study of international issues in library and information science education: survey of LIS schools in Europe, the USA and Canada

Internationalization of Library and Information Science (LIS) education is not only desirable but also critically necessary. The education of future library and information professionals who are able to understand the global information access, and to promote systems of communication among people throughout the world are vital for the success of the profession. This paper examines and analyzes the inclusion of international issues in LIS education in Europe, the USA, and Canada. The data gathered via a questionnaire survey of 60 LIS programs in Europe, the USA and Canada are presented. The provision of a program that addresses global views in LIS education is recommended.

Service Learning in Library and Information Science (LIS) Education: Connecting Research and Practice to Community

This paper documents existing trends in service learning activities practiced in Library and Information Science (LIS) schools across the United States through the findings from two studies. The first study shares highlights from a question-based survey that elicited responses from faculty at a major LIS school in the United States about service learning activities incorporated in the courses they taught during the year 2002. The second study presents key aspects from content analysis of websites of the top 10 ranked LIS schools in the United States. This analysis identifies potential areas where service learning activities can be incorporated or strengthened in LIS education. Based on findings from the two studies, this paper calls for conscious efforts by LIS schools to train future students to engage in participatory action research (PAR) related activities in service learning and to establish a community informatics (CI) track in their master’s programs. Efforts to tie the three constructs in LIS education will help support social equity and empowerment of marginalized populations.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Activities Organized by Library and Information Study Programs in Southeast Asia

Due to brisk developments in information technology (IT), the shelf life of the library and information study degree is becoming shorter and shorter. New competencies are required by information professionals to maintain their competitive edge and work effectively in a rapidly changing environment. Library and information science (LIS) schools, due to their highly trained academic staff, resources, and facilities, are considered an important source for offering continuing professional development (CPD) programs. This paper explores the status of CPD activities undertaken by LIS schools in five Southeast Asian countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. It was found that 13 schools had organized 185 CPD activities during the years 1998-2000, nearly one-half by two schools from Singapore. On average, the schools organized only three CPD activities per year. This article argues that instead of considering CPD activities as an additional or ad hoc responsibility, the LIS schools in the region should make it a part of their core responsibilities. The author also recommends a close coordination between library schools, professional associations, national libraries, funding agencies, and library and information employers for developing a comprehensive CPD plan for the Southeast Asian countries.

A Survey of Internationalisation Activities in European Library and Information Science Schools

Reports an empirical analysis of internationalisation and international collaboration activities of European higher education institutions within the discipline of Library and Information Science (LIS). To gain more comprehensive and accurate information about the policies, vehicles and activities relied on by LIS schools in Europe in internationalising their educational programmes a questionnaire was administered to 30 academic institutions in the field. The 30 surveyed institutions cover schools of varying type and size and with locations in different parts of Europe. A 75% response rate was achieved. The study examined the nature and level of activities in such main areas as internationalisation strategies, internationalisation of LIS curricula, international students, mobility, international course units, international profile of staff, research projects and Internationalisation at Home (IaH). Findings reveal a somewhat uneven picture of the pace of internationalisation within the European LIS school ...

Building a skills portfolio for the information professional

This paper reports on research in progress that reviews the skills used by library and information science (LIS) professionals and how to record them in a manner that encourages continuing professional and personal development. A portfolio was developed by the learning and teaching support network for information and computer sciences (LTSN‐ICS) in conjunction with the Chartered Institute for Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) and academic departments in the United Kingdom (UK). The portfolio was evaluated at pilot sites in UK LIS schools by surveying the progress of those students who took part. Evaluation of the participants indicates that the portfolio is a useful tool in the personal and professional development of LIS students. The general consensus among students themselves is that the portfolio provides a tool to help them plan their future professional development. Further evaluation is planned in 2003/2004 with LIS professionals to enable both the professional body and the LTSN‐ICS to determine the appropriateness of the portfolio as a tool for continuing personal and professional development.

Cross‐country partnerships in international library and information science education

Major collaborative schemes and initiatives in library and information science (LIS) education are outlined. It is observed that networking and mobility efforts in European LIS education have not yet produced spectacular or convincing results. On the whole, progress measured in synergy, co‐ordinated curricular structures, “joint ventures”, joint degrees, equivalence of qualifications, etc., is meagre. Some progress can be noted, but visible effects of intensified links between LIS schools in Europe are not conspicuous. Overall, transparency in the European LIS education seems to suffer. The Bologna Declaration (June, 1999) speaks of the “establishment of a European area of higher education” and outlines a number of objectives relevant to the pursuit of that purpose. In addressing the challenges of the Bologna Agreement for LIS education, discussions at an international meeting on globalisation and LIS at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, April 2002, are considered. The paper concludes by pointing to a number of steps that should be taken in working towards the objectives of the Bologna Agreement.

The Role of Technical and Professional Communication in the LIS Curriculum

Educators and employers agree that it is important for information professionals to have strong communication skills, but few library and information science (LIS) schools teach courses specifically in technical and professional communication. A content analysis of recent job advertisements for information professionals, titles and descriptions of courses offered at American Library Association (ALA)-accredited LIS schools, and recent job announcements for LIS faculty reveals that, while effective communication skills are widely sought by employers, few LIS schools are addressing that need. This paper argues that instruction in technical and professional communication is vital to the success of information professionals in the workplace and that LIS schools should recruit faculty and develop courses to support such instruction.

Organizational Realignment of LIS Programs in Academia: From Independent Standalone Units to Incorporated Programs

This research includes both a descriptive and an exploratory study of seventeen library and information science (LIS) education academic units or programs that have been involved in mergers or administrative realignments that have positioned them in new organizational homes between the years 1982-2001. These LIS schools have been subject to a process that has moved them, willingly or not, from a status of relative independence and autonomy (and in many cases, cultural isolation), to that of partners in new alliances, or protected adoptees in new administrative and organizational homes. The authors wished to discover what took place, and learn of the conditions surrounding the merger or repositioning of the schools. We also wished to explore why these changes were implemented and to learn as much as possible about the outcomes of these developments. For the descriptive part of the study we relied on available documentation, often online, and telephone interviews with key participants in the mergers. Deans, directors, and senior faculty members were selected as a purposive sample for the exploratory, qualitative part of this study. A questionnaire consisting of twenty-three, mostly open-ended, questions was administered in telephone interviews. A follow-up brief questionnaire on specific outcomes was administered by email to the participants in the study. What we learned about the rationales, responses to, and outcomes of these mergers and realignments is reported here. While such mergers and relocations have been successful so far as survival strategies, many of the anticipated benefits have yet to be realized.

Library and Information Science Schools in Canada and USA: A Webometric Perspective

The in-links to 53 American Library Association (ALA)-accredited library and information science (LIS) schools' websites were analyzed, echoing the suggestion Thomas and Willett made that hosting a wide range of topics would help increase the visibility of, or attract more, sitations to a website. More importantly, these topics should be outreaching and of current value to people outside of the host site. The sites that generated the majority of in-links for the LIS schools are in the ORG, EDU, or NET domain. Such sitations are also content-based as opposed to the directory-type references from sites in the COM domain. Links to the outside world from the 53 schools, to a certain extent, reveal their connectivity with other sites on the Web. Based on co-link data, the structure underlying the 53 LIS schools was delineated. Webometrics offers a different type of institutional evaluation measurement to what is available in bibliometrics. Nevertheless, webometric research must be conducted with caution because both the data source (i.e., web-based data) and data collection instrument (e.g., web search engines) have obvious deficiencies.

Characterizing the Core: What Catalog Descriptions of Mandatory Courses Reveal about LIS Schools and Librarianship

In 1994, Guy A. Marco lamented the Demise of the American Core Curriculum in library and information science (LIS). His examination of 49 American Library Association (ALA)-accredited schools in the United States (U.S.) suggested that six decades of relative consensus on mandatory library science coursework had been demolished, largely as a result of the introduction of computer-related studies into the curriculum. The present study of course descriptions of 45 ALA-accredited programs in the U.S., however, found that only three of the dozen core subjects identified by Marco have lost ground in the LIS curriculum and that most recorded significant gains. Moreover, the size of LIS cores has remained fairly healthy, covering an average 37% of the credits required for the master's degree. A further analysis of the descriptions of 217 required courses in U.S. LIS schools revealed that library educators are not emphasizing computer-related subjects, but rather tend to underscore traditional concepts in librarianship such as service to users, and organization and sources of information.

A view to the future of the library and information science profession: A Delphi study

AbstractA Delphi study conducted in Israel during 1998–2000 examined the views of library and information science (LIS) experts on the future of the profession in light of the changes in information technology. The study focused on three areas: (a) the transition from the traditional to the virtual library; (b) the transition from the technical to user‐centered approach, and( c) the skills and the roles of the LIS professionals. The study found that most experts believe that the traditional library will continue to operate along with the virtual library. Most of the experts agree that in the future, libraries will place larger emphasis on customer services. LIS professionals will be specialists in locating, filtering, and evaluating information, and will be primary instructors in the use of new information technologies. This study's conclusions closely match those of the Kaliper project (1998–2000), which examined the change in the curricula of LIS schools.

Archival Education in North American Library and Information Science Schools

American archival education at the graduate level developed gradually throughout the twentieth century. In the past decade, however, its development has accelerated, and firmer foundations were built in graduate library and information science (LIS) programs throughout North America. Our findings indicate strength and individualization in graduate level archival education programs, a dramatic increase in full-time, tenure-track faculty, a growing number of course offerings often eclipsing the LIS offerings in an archival student's course of study, and the nascent development of degrees acknowledging the archives and records field. Despite the substantial growth of archival education within the LIS schools, there is confusion or lack of understanding about the archival field by these schools as well as a lack of commitment by archival professional associations to advocate for specific changes in archival education.

Trends and Transformations: The Changing Face of Library and Information Studies in Australia

Since the late 1980s, library and information science (LIS) education in Australia has undergone substantial change. This study compiles and analyzes data from LIS schools and departments' annual statistical returns to the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) for the first time. Tracking returns from eight schools between 1991 and 1999, the research provides quantitative support for what LIS educators have often noted from personal observation: that institutional restructuring and financial cutbacks have had an impact on the number of schools offering professional LIS education, students completing courses, and academic staff (or faculty). The researchers also comment on changes in schools' institutional location and name. Finally, they conclude that structural change has not banished issues of critical mass - the notion that the small size of LIS schools and departments puts them at a disadvantage when competing for resources in their parent institutions - and suggest that LIS educators revisit the debate about size and number of schools.

Portfolio Assessment in the MLIS Program

Library and Information Science (LIS) master's programs exist in a milieu of educational change that over the last decade has increasingly emphasized the student's role in and responsibility for learning. A student-centered philosophy of education affects all elements of the teaching and learning process, including the assessment of learning outcomes. One student-centered assessment technique is that of portfolio development, and LIS schools have begun to incorporate portfolio assessment into master's programs. The following paper addresses the inclusion of portfolio development within the school library media certification program at the University of Oklahoma and the ways that portfolio development could be applied to all specializations within LIS programs. Valid approaches to portfolio development shift assessment directly into students' learning experiences, emphasize educational goals and standards, and ensure the LIS school's accountability to the university as well as to state and national accreditation agencies.

A Vision of Archival Education at the Millennium

Column editor's note: This is the third in a series of articles appearing from time to time in this column that address the teaching of particular areas of interest within library and information science (LIS). Archives, as an area of LIS, do not receive enough attention in many LIS programs. This lack of attention in LIS education is partially due to the lack of qualified archival instructors on the regular faculty of many LIS schools, and partially due to the lack of understanding of the nature of archival education itself. Helen Tibbo's active involvement in archives and archival education since her doctoral years makes her unusually qualified to speak about archival education and its future. If you have a particular area of interest in teaching or curriculum development you could share with our readers, I would like to hear from you

Publication patterns of LIS faculty from 1982–1992: Effects of doctoral programs

Previous studies have examined the publication patterns of library and information science (LIS) school faculty with respect to the effects of the presence of a Ph.D. program in the school on overall publication productivity. These studies have come to different conclusions and are not strictly comparable due to differences in methodology and data sets. Online indexes were searched to compile a database of 7,937 publications from the 607 faculty members teaching in accredited North American LIS schools. Analysis of these data shows that publication productivity is generally higher in LIS schools with a Ph.D. program than in those without, that Carnegie Research Universities I schools tend to publish more, and that although the Ph.D. and master's granting schools devote about the same proportion of their total output to refereed journals, the Ph.D. institutions have a greater output of refereed articles.

Information science in the international arena: an educator's perspective

Over the last decade or so I have had first‐hand experience of sixty LIS (library and information science) schools or programmes in twenty countries, from Botswana to Brazil; from Morocco to Malaysia. This paper describes my impressions of recent and current developments in the teaching of information studies/science internationally. It is not, however, based on the results of any kind of field survey or systematic comparison of curricula and courses, and my remarks should therefore be treated with caution. These impressions have been garnered through on‐site visits, whether for the purpose of teaching, acting as external examiner, conducting research or undertaking consultancy assignments.