The Mission of SLIS
The school provides students with an understanding of the conceptual foundations of librarianship and information science and of the multifaceted nature of the wider information environment. It prepares students with a rich mix of knowledge, attitudes, an
d skills necessary to function as critical thinkers and effective communicators. Graduates should have a strong grounding in theory and the ability to translate theory into effective practice.
To provide a proper setting for the implementation of this mission, the school promotes the advancement of knowledge, both theoretical and applied, through active programs of research and scholarly publication. The school also provides service within the
university and to the local, national, and international communities through contributions to, and leadership in, associations and organizations and by assuming consulting, advising, publishing, and other professional roles. This leadership by example is
considered essential in providing a framework in which the goals of the program can be pursued effectively.
The school also provides opportunities for students to seek educational experiences involving the development of the specialized skills currently emphasized in information-providing agencies and other organizations. The development of these skills often h
ighlights current trends in information systems and information management that serve to assist the student in career planning. Such educational experiences are gained through selection of elective courses from the School of Library and Information Scienc
e, through cooperation with other graduate programs of the university, and through seminars, workshops, conferences, group projects, internships, and practicum experiences.
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Location and Facilities
The School of Library and Information Science is housed in the Main Library on the Bloomington campus. The school's facilities include a dedicated computer laboratory, lecture and seminar rooms, and a library and information science library.
Both the School of Library and Information Science and Indiana University as a whole are very technology-intensive environments, so the opportunities for learning and working with state-of-the-art technology are numerous.
The School of Library and Information Science maintains two computer labs for use by any student enrolled in SLIS courses. In addition, the school supports a lab dedicated to use by SLIS Ph.D. students. Technology plays a central role in library and infor
mation science research and practice; therefore SLIS devotes significant resources to ensure that students have access to up-to-date hardware and software. The technology staff provides students with opportunities to learn and use current and emerging tec
hnologies that will be essential to their professional development. SLIS computing labs are open approximately 80 hours per week, with consultants generally on duty to assist students. Additionally, the technology staff offers workshops focusing on new de
velopments of interest to the SLIS community.
SLIS maintains its own server room, which houses several NT, Mac, and UNIX servers. These provide services ranging from hosting the SLIS Web site to ensuring the school is in compliance with software licensing agreements. One UNIX server is dedicated to s
tudent use and provides advanced capabilities, such as large-scale streaming video, programming and cgi hosting not offered elsewhere on campus. Individual classes have access to other servers as needed, and an independent study project recently set up a
permanent, student-administered Linux server.
SLIS, the University Information and Technology Services, and the
University Libraries jointly support the usability lab housed at SLIS.
This state of the art facility supports the systematic observation of
human-computer interaction (HCI). With cameras recording users' facial
expressions and physical movements, and system responses directly
captured by digital recording, the complete process of interaction can
be reviewed and analyzed. Students and researchers use the lab to learn
about usability evaluation methods, to identify user problems with
software interfaces, and to test ideas for new designs.
As a part of Indiana University, consistently rated one of the most
"wired" university systems in the nation, every member of the SLIS
community has access to a vast array of computing and information
technology resources. SLIS partners with other IU schools and
departments to ensure that the SLIS community continues to enjoy access
to university-wide resources.
Using the Virtual Indiana Classroom (VIC) and Indiana Higher
Education
Television System (IHETS), SLIS delivers courses and workshops-designed
to meet certification requirements and professional continuing
education needs-to various locations throughout the state. Many of
these courses offered through distance education may be applied to a
SLIS degree program, provided the student has been admitted and meets
all other requirements.
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