This article presents an overview of the popular rankings (US News and World Report, QS World Rankings) of U.S.-based library and information science (LIS) education programs and the shortcomings of each ranking. It calls for a new, more objective ranking of LIS programs that will more accurately assess quality and sustainability of these programs…

This article analyzes the aging of academic librarians and the potential shortage of librarians to replace those who are retiring. Recent statistics indicate that the exodus of retiring librarians may not be as severe as predicted several years ago. Recent articles show potential benefits as new librarians enter the workforce in large numbers to…

What might motivate someone with a natural science degree to forgo the lab and pursue a non-traditional career in librarianship? Are there differences between LIS graduates with and without a science degree that might impact recruitment strategies? An analysis of data from a longitudinal career study, "Workforce Issues in Library and…

The paper intends to shed light on the predicament faced by many Filipino. Librarians: the lack of local institutions offering a library and information science (LIS) postgraduate degree. The paper aims to reveal the state of Philippine LIS postgraduate education by considering the number of librarians who have pursued and are still pursuing…

Science librarianship is a rapidly changing professional specialization that requires unique skills and experiences for science librarians to perform at the highest level. A content analysis of recent job advertisements was conducted to determine the most desirable qualifications for science librarians. It was found that the most frequently cited…

What library/information science education offerings are relevant to preparing graduates for careers in the special library sector? The strengths and weaknesses of education for special librarianship; the match between SLA's competencies statement and what is being taught in LIS master's degree programs; and the role of SLA in continuing education…

Presents results from a survey on the current state of digital library education in academic institutions. Examines the rationale and orientation for digital library education. Suggests several models that have emerged in the teaching of digital libraries and in incorporation of relevant topics into various curricula. (AEF)

Refutes the claim that top-rated programs in library science tend to maintain and enhance their reputation by hiring their own and each other's graduates and that this pattern of inbreeding was likely to be harmful to the field. Concludes convincing evidence was not provided and the true situation may be other than claimed. (PEN)

This paper discusses the evolution from the vocational emphasis of librarianship to a new research and higher education oriented concept of library and information science, focusing on changes in the Nordic countries, and Sweden in particular. Recognizing the strong interrelationship between analytical reviews for policy decisions, research and…

Examines a number of issues facing the Australian library and information services community in the area of continuing education, including recommendations of the Library Association of Australia, the cost of continuing education activities, the role and responsibility of schools of library and information studies, and notions of coordination.…

Academic libraries and schools of library and information studies (LIS) may, by using LIS students to staff an information desk as fieldwork for a basic reference course, collaborate to provide useful educational experiences to LIS students and reliable reference service to library users. (Author/AEF)

In response to the changing information environment within African educational institutions, this article studies the need for strategic planning in the Department of Library and Information Studies at the University of Botswana. Highlights include an assessment of the department's past, current, and future strategic plans, and outlines…

There have been significant changes in the nature of scientific and technical librarianship in the past four decades, reflected both in the structure and organization of literature and the education and professional training of librarians. These changes are reflected in library school curricula and in the skills and abilities needed by…

This book assesses the role of library and information science education in the American university against a broad background of the issues faced by professional schools and the field in general. The book is based in part on information provided by eight accredited schools of library and information science. The issues covered include: (1) what…

This document presents three essays which challenge the image of women librarians as passive and subservient; reexamine the feminine ethic of caring; and document the power of a pervasive women's network that was generational as well as hierarchical and social. The first paper, "Invisible, Indestructible Network: Women and the Diffusion of…