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Overview

The University of Illinois Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) is recognized as a premier institution, consistently named the top LIS school in the nation. GSLIS has earned its reputation by creating pioneering and innovative educational opportunities, including the oldest extant doctoral program in the country (1948), our award-winning online education program (LEEP in 1996), and an advanced degree in digital libraries (2005).

Today, GSLIS is a charter member of the iSchools Project, a community of schools interested in the relationship between information, technology, and people and committed to increasing the visibility of the LIS field. Founded in 1893, GSLIS helped establish and develop the methods used in the field of library and information science. Today we continue this tradition by translating the core principles of library science—information organization, access, use, and preservation—to meet the needs of our information society. This natural integration of library science and information science allows for opportunities to enhance and strengthen learning, teaching, and research: at GSLIS, we understand that fluency with current technologies is important to all information professionals, from librarians, archivists, and museum curators to information architects, Web developers, and data managers.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is considered one of the finest universities in the world. With a wealth of resources and highly ranked departments, Illinois long has been recognized for accomplishments in research and graduate education.

Mission | Reputation | Education | Financial Aid | Facilities & Services | After Graduation

Mission

The mission of the School is to provide:

• Graduate education for leaders in research and practice in the fields of library and information science;
• Groundbreaking research to advance preservation of and access to information in both traditional and digital libraries and in the many settings outside of libraries where large amounts of critical information are collected;
• Useful service to librarians and other information service providers, as well as to the citizens of Illinois.

National Reputation for Teaching and Research

In the 2006 U.S. News and World Report ranking of graduate professional schools of library and information science, GSLIS held the number one spot overall as well as ranked highly in a number of specialty groups: Digital Librarianship (first); Services for Children and Youth (first); Information Systems (fourth); Law Librarianship (fifth); and Health Librarianship (eighth).

In past surveys, library educators ranked Illinois first overall among schools of library and information science in providing the highest quality education at the master’s and doctoral levels and for faculty members who contribute most significantly to the advancement of the profession through research, publication, and leadership.

GSLIS researchers partner with many organizations and have a number of research collaborators, both on campus and around the world. Major funders include the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Library of Congress, Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the National Science Foundation.

Comprehensive Educational Offerings

Students may pursue M.S. and Ph.D. degrees and a Certificate of Advanced Study (C.A.S.), with the opportunity to specialize through such programs as the M.S. in Biological Informatics and the C.A.S. in Digital Libraries.

Many master’s students and recent graduates cite the opportunity to design their own programs of study as a major advantage at Illinois. Areas of
emphasis include:

• information organization and knowledge representation (including a specialization in Data Curation)
• information resources, uses, and users
• information systems
• history, economics, and policy
• management and evaluation
• social, community, and organizational informatics (including the Community Informatics program)
• youth literature and services (including K-12 Library Information Specialist Certification)

A master's degree candidate with a full-time load can complete the 40-hour program in two semesters and one summer, though many students choose to continue in the program for an additional semester or two.

Students have flexible scheduling options for M.S. and C.A.S. degree course work: students may pursue their degrees either full-time or part-time, and can take courses on-campus, through the LEEP online education option, or a combination of both. The LEEP online education option brings students to campus only for brief periods of study; remaining course work is completed remotely, using varied formats that include Internet-based courses with real-time audio and visuals.

Generous Financial Assistance

Generous financial assistance is available in the form of fellowships, graduate assistantships, and student loans. All fellowships and assistantships include both a stipend and a tuition and service fee waiver of at least the in-state cost. Graduate assistantships are the primary source of financial aid, and are awarded by the School, the University Library, and a variety of other campus units. The great majority of on-campus students receive financial support; assistantships generally are available only to regular on-campus students, but all students may be eligible for student loans.

Facilities and Services

The GSLIS building, a former university fraternity house, was first renovated for occupation by the School in 1992 and then doubled in size by a construction project --begun in 1999 and completed in 2001--that added 29,000 square feet to the building. Take a virtual tour of the GSLIS building, thanks to a site produced and developed by doctoral student Kalev Leetaru.

In addition to the University’s vast network of computer labs and facilities, the School has two large computer laboratories of its own: one is available to members of the GSLIS community 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; the other is used primarily as a teaching facility. GSLIS also has UIUCnet Wireless Access throughout the building.

Research is overseen by the Office of Information Technology and Research and further supported by several School resources: the GSLIS Center for Informatics Research in Science and Scholarship, which conducts research on the use and impacts of information resources and tools in scientific and scholarly inquiry; The Information Science Research Laboratory, which supports research into and about design, impacts, analysis, and evaluation of information technologies; The Center for Children's Books, home of a 16,000-book examination collection; The Publications Office, producer of Library Trends and The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books and other LIS-related publications; and the Community Informatics Initiative, a major component of which is Prairienet, the East-Central Illinois community information network.

Illinois has the third-largest academic research library in the U.S., which includes a separate Library and Information Science Library. The University Library's Mortenson Center for International Library Programs fosters international tolerance and peace and ensures access to information by strengthening ties among the world's libraries. The University hosts the National Center for Supercomputing Applications.

All of these resources provide research opportunities as well as student employment.

After Graduation

We equip students with the theories and practices of library and information science through the study of the foundations, principles, and ideas of the discipline, and the status and expectations of the profession.We maintain an online list of job openings and help students and alumni locate position listings. Staff assist students in preparing resumes and mastering job interview techniques, and also provide advice on job-hunting strategies.

Recent master’s graduates have accepted posts in all types of libraries and in a variety of other organizations, including consulting firms, library vendors, and technology companies.

The Ph.D. program is research-oriented and designed to prepare outstanding scholars in library and information science. Almost all Ph.D. graduates assume academic faculty, research, and administrative positions.