Students in Dominican University’s Graduate School of Library and Information Science enjoy a rigorous academic challenge as well as the satisfaction of knowing they are earning a master’s degree from a program accredited by the American Library Association. The Graduate School of Library and Information Science has been educating future librarians and information professionals in the Chicago area since the 1930s.
Many GSLIS students are already working in libraries and information centers while attending graduate classes; these students bring a wealth of real-world experiences and relevant perspectives.
Students and faculty come to Dominican University from the Chicago area and throughout the world. Many countries are represented in the student body and on the faculty, creating a rich and diverse cultural atmosphere and unique learning opportunities.
Degrees
Dominican offers two master’s degree programs through the Graduate School of Library and Information Science: the Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) and the Master of Science in Knowledge Management. The Knowledge Management master’s degree is a joint program between GSLIS and Dominican’s School of Business.
Mission
The mission of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science is to educate excellent library and information science professionals. This education is carried out within the larger context of Dominican University’s institutional commitment to values-centered intellectual development, both personal and professional, for students and faculty alike.
Goals and Objectives
The goals of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science are to educate individuals for positions in a wide spectrum of established and emerging library, information, knowledge and media contexts; to provide continuing education for the professional community; and to advance and enhance teaching by means of faculty publication, service in professional organizations and other venues.
The goal of the Master of Library and Information Science and the Master of Science in Knowledge Management degree programs is to provide qualified candidates with an education that prepares them for their first and subsequent positions in a wide variety of positions within information and knowledge management professions.
The objectives of the MLIS degree program are to develop reflective practitioners capable of:
- Articulating and applying a philosophy of service that incorporates an awareness of the legacy of libraries and information centers within our culture
- Promoting the professional values of ethical responsibility, intellectual freedom and universal access to information
- Identifying and analyzing information needs and opportunities of individuals and organizations, both within the traditional information service areas and the broader information sector
- Developing creative solutions to information problems by integrating relevant models, theories, research and practices
- Designing, implementing and evaluating systems, technologies, services and products that connect users with information
- Practicing a variety of management, communication and organizational skills to facilitate appropriate change within learning communities
- Teaching others to identify, analyze, organize and use information.
The objectives of the Knowledge Management degree program are to develop reflective practitioners capable of:
- Understanding knowledge management concepts and tools
- Identifying how knowledge management can be used effectively within specific environments, including managerial and decision-making communities, finance and economic sectors, legal information systems, bibliographic information environments and health information systems
- Facilitating mapping of knowledge assets in organizations
- Analyzing and evaluating tangible and intangible knowledge assets in the background of current issues and initiatives
- Utilizing the tools and processes of competitive intelligence
- Developing and implementing knowledge management systems.