Linda C. Smith, professor and associate dean for academic programs, will serve as a partner on a recently awarded Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) national forum planning grant that will look at the future of library and information science education. The grant, "Educate to Innovate: Re-visioning Library and Information Science Education," is led by Eileen G. Abels, dean of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at Simmons College. Lynne C. Howarth, of the Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto, will also serve as a partner.
Over the last few decades, our society has seen rapidly changing advances both in emerging technologies and the ways in which we work and play. And as our information behaviors evolve, the field of library and information science must necessarily evolve alongside them. This IMLS national forum planning grant will examine how the roles of LIS professionals are changing and what knowledge, skills, and abilities LIS graduates need in order to succeed in the workplace.
“The Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) will celebrate its centennial in 2015. In order to ensure a vibrant future for LIS education and the graduates of our programs, it is critical to understand emerging roles for information professionals and the needed preparation to fill those roles. I am pleased that Illinois is positioned to be an integral participant in these discussions,” said Smith.
As part of the grant, Abels, Smith, and Howarth will convene a group of diverse stakeholders, including faculty and researchers, working professionals, and current and potential employers, to participate in a multi-day conference that will address the future of the field and needed developments in LIS education. Findings from the resulting white paper will be widely disseminated.