Digital Libraries Education Program

Indiana University (IU) and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) propose the creation of the first research-based, comprehensive master’s-level and post-MLS degrees to educate librarians for work in digital library programs in libraries and archives. The project builds upon the experience and expertise of two renowned schools of library and information science—the School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) at IU and the Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) at UIUC—and the highly respected digital library programs developed in the academic libraries of their respective institutions . We envision a program grounded in the needs of the discipline that couples the theoretical orientation of graduate library education with the “real world” of work in academic digital libraries. The collaborative feature of this proposal also will allow us to maximize the complementary strengths of both schools, for instance through the cross-listing of selected existing and new, to-be-developed courses in digital librarianship that will make each partner's offerings more comprehensive. This project will help guide other graduate library schools across the country that are struggling with 1) attracting the best and the brightest to the library profession and 2) educating students and practicing librarians who are excited about employment opportunities in digital library programs.

Under the proposed program, new, comprehensive digital library concentrations will be offered to master’s degree students in SLIS and GSLIS and post-MLS students within the Specialist in Library and Information Science (SpLIS) program at IU and the Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) program at UIUC. New internships in digital library projects, designed to complement these new concentrations, will be added in the libraries at both institutions. Post-MLS enrollees will be required to complete an internship. Our pilot project will feature paid fellowships for a limited number of students, at both MLS and post-MLS levels, who will receive tuition and fee remission, a stipend, and a paid internship for one semester, two semesters, or a summer session. Graduates of both programs will be eligible for one of four semester-long, full-time digital library residencies.

IU and UIUC present a unique environment in which to create a model program for education and training in digital librarianship: two excellent, ALA-accredited schools of library and information science, each with a history of partnership with their respective university libraries; and two nationally recognized digital library programs. As members of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) we have a history of collaboration and partnership in the area of digital library education and project development. For example, IU offers special expertise in the creation of digital music libraries (Variations and Variations2). UIUC has been a leader in the development of Open Archives Initiative metadata harvesting services and offers special expertise in the development of cultural heritage and science and engineering digital libraries. We will draw upon a wealth of scholarship and digital library practice to create team-taught courses that will be offered to students on both campuses. The CIC already has in place a program that allows students at one institution to take distance education courses on another campus for credit.

Our proposal addresses two of the priorities for Librarians for the 21st Century: To develop or enhance curricula within graduate schools of library and information science, in the critical area of digital librarianship (Priority #5); and to educate the next generation of librarians by increasing the number of students enrolled in nationally accredited graduate library programs preparing for careers of service in libraries (Priority #1).