Library and Information Science program at the University of Western Ontario

School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) (1966-1992)

The Library and Information Science (LIS) program at the University of Western Ontario was established in 1966 as the School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) after the Ontario government set up a committee to investigate the creation of a new library school in response to a shortage of professional librarians in Canada in the 1960s. Andrew Delbridge Osborn, the SLIS's first dean, decided the school would have its own library operating outside of the University of Western Ontario's library system in order to support instruction and research, and generous funding allowed the SLIS to establish their general and special collections. The University of Western Ontario's MLS program began in September 1967 with 40 full-time and 20 part-time students.

Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) (1993-1995)

The University of Western Ontario's School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) was renamed to the Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) in 1993. This reflects the change in the school's degree designation from Master of Library Science (MLS) to Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS), which occurred in 1985, a common change which occurred at library schools across Canada to reflect the new impact of computers and technology on the discipline.

Faculty of Communications and Open Learning (FC&OL) (1996-1997)

The Graduate School of Library and Information Science merged with the Graduate School of Journalism to form the Faculty of Communications and Open Learning in 1996.

Faculty of Information and Media Studies (FIMS) (1997-Present)

The Faculty of Communications and Open Learning was shortly thereafter renamed to the Faculty of Information and Media Studies (FIMS). There are currently 34 full-time faculty members in the Faculty of Information & Media Studies.

Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS)

The University of Western Ontario's Faculty of Information and Media Studies is one of seven faculties in Canada which offers the Masters level graduate study in library and information science. The MLIS program is a professional-based Master's program designed to emphasize participation through a seminar style method of education. Tests and exams are not a common method of evaluation in this program, but there is a strong focus on group collaboration, presentation skills, and high quality academic writing. The MLIS program was founded on the belief that there is a common set of principles underlying the practices of all information professions. In order to reflect the values of the research university the program is housed in, there has been a long tradition in this program of developing curriculum that strives for a balance between professional practice and research based theory.

The University of Western Ontario offers the only MLIS degree in Canada which can be completed in 12 months. Students are required to complete a total of 15 courses, which can be completed in one academic year (3 terms, 12 months) if students take the full course load of five courses per term and do not participate in the co-op program. Students may also choose to take a reduced course load or complete the program on a part-time basis.

There are five required courses which all MLIS students are required to take:

Students must also complete a total of 10 elective courses, choosing these electives from at least four out of the five program content areas:

Co-op Program

The LIS co-op program at the University of Western Ontario started in 1979, making it the first LIS co-op program in Canada. It allows students to engage in one or two paid work terms at a library or information-related position. However, co-op is not a requirement of the program and the students do not gain credits towards their degree by completing co-op work terms. The placements are facilitated by the co-op office and arranged between the employers and students. The number and locations of placements vary each term.

Library and Information Science PhD

The Ontario Council of Graduate Studies approved the University of Western Ontario's LIS PhD program in 1973, and the first graduate of the program was awarded their degree in 1978. The initial focus of the doctoral program was on bibliographical control, but the program has since shifted over the decades to cover two broad fields of specialization which represent the areas of research and teaching in the LIS PhD program: "Information & Society" and "Information Organization & Technologies". Current research clusters within the faculty and doctoral program include:

In addition to completing six courses (two required, four elective), doctoral candidates are required to complete a research proposal, thesis (including public presentation of thesis topic), comprehensive and oral exams, and they are also required to attend all LIS research colloquia. The length of the PhD program depends on each student's own pace and on their decision whether to participate in the PhD co-op program. Students may also choose to complete the PhD program on a part-time bases.

American Library Association (ALA) Accreditation

The MLIS program at the University of Western Ontario has continually held its ALA accreditation since 1967/68.

Facilities

The program is currently housed in the North Campus Building (NCB) at the University of Western Ontario's main campus, but a new academic building is in the process of being constructed and will house the Faculty of Information and Media Studies and Nursing programs. It is expected to be completed in December 2016, and ready for classes in January 2017. The library program was previously hosted in the following buildings: a temporary structure near the football stadium (1967-1982), Elborn College (1982-1998), Middlesex College (1998-2004), and North Campus Building (2004-2016).

Library

A key component of the LIS program at the University of Western Ontario is its department-supported library, which was first developed alongside the program's inception in 1966/1967 to support instruction, research, experimentation, and professional development. The library first operated entirely outside of the university library system; while still independent of the university system, it now works more closely with it than in its early years.

The current version of the program's independent library is called the Graduate Resource Centre (GRC). It still primarily serves the LIS program but now also supports the other graduate programs within the Faculty of Media and Information Studies.

Tor Relay

Staff at the Graduate Resource Centre created Canada's first ever Tor relay service allowing for anonymous, encrypted internet browsing while improving access to information around the world.

Reputation

Recent LIS research and literature reviews are positive including those of Cronin and Overfelt who found that the University of Western Ontario was ranked 2nd regarding average number of peer reviewed journal articles per faculty member. Walters and Wilder examined articles that were published by professionals in the Library and information science field and found that the University of Western Ontario had one of the most productive non-iSchool LIS departments. Western's LIS department was ranked 20th out of 40 in their top overall rankings of departmental contributions to LIS literature, and as the highest Canadian University at 9th out of 55 when only U.S. and Canadian departments were considered.

When examining the disciplinary composition of library schools, Lopatovska and Ransom found that Western was among the schools that had the highest percentage of faculty members with training in library areas (42 percent of faculty). The researchers also gave the faculty a high disciplinary rating for having faculty trained across seven different areas, including: computing, information, library, social and behavioural sciences, education, humanities, and communication.

Student Groups and Activities

There are several student groups that operate within the Library and Information Science program at Western. Some of these groups include MLIS Student Council, Librarians Without Borders, Special Libraries Association, Student Librarians Association for Children and Youth Services (SLACYS), Association of Canadian Archivists (ACA) and the Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS/NA).

LIS students and graduates from University of Western Ontario have also been active in their community promoting digital literacy and sharing their love of books. Occasionally, faculty members host public interest discussions on relevant events and recent research at their local public libraries to engage with their community.

There is also an unofficial FIMS Gaming Club where students, faculty, and staff in the LIS and related FIMS programs gather to play board games, card games, RPGs and other related activities.