Graduate Faculty Committee Doc. No Approved December 20, 2010

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1 Graduate Faculty Committee Doc. No Approved December 20, 2010 RECOMMENDATION OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON GRADUATE COURSE AND CURRICULUM AND THE FACULTY OF THE SCHOOL OF INFORMATION STUDIES TO ADD A CONCENTRATION IN PUBLIC LIBRARY LEADERSHIP WITHIN THE MASTER OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE DEGREE Executive Summary The creation of a Public Library Leadership Concentration serves multiple purposes: It will allow the MLIS Program to consistently identify and serve a core student base, consisting of local and online students. It will allow the MLIS students to further engage with the established core curriculum, with regularly established intervals for course offerings and a balance between online and on-site offerings. According to our recent student survey almost half of our students are interested in pursuing a career in public libraries and of those almost 25% expressed a firm interest in library management, with another 53% answering maybe to the desire to work in library management. In spite of the growing need for students grounded in the theoretical and practical aspects of public libraries, there is a current lack of established programs with a public library concentration. While almost all of the schools nationwide offer public library classes, few offer a public library concentration. The Public Library Leadership Concentration meets several needs: It provides local and online SOIS students in the MLIS program general and specialized knowledge in the management and practice of public libraries, preparing them for leadership positions in public libraries. It provides UWM students with an important credential which will have significant meaning in the library profession, giving them a greater credibility in their search for a professional position. It creates an identifiable cohort of students, which in turn allows for more easily balancing offerings, and establishing a focused curriculum. It fills a niche in Online MLIS programs, as well as in on-site program concentrations. By offering the MLIS Public Library Leadership Concentration, UWM becomes one of a small percentage of schools that students interested in Public Library leadership will consider. I. Program Identification 1.1 Title of Proposed Program: MLIS, Public Library Leadership Concentration 1.2 Department or Function Equivalent Sponsoring the Program: School of Information Studies (SOIS)

2 Graduate Faculty Committee Doc. No p. 2 Approved December 20, College, School or Functional Equivalent: School of Information Studies 1.4 Institution: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee II. Rationale What is the need for the program? Include any available data on student demand and market demand for graduates Need: The Library Profession in General There is currently a distinct need for commitment to public librarianship leadership education. In an increasingly complex information environment there is a clear need for competent, forward thinking public librarians to meet the challenges of the 21 st century. The public sector requires an advocate for continued access to a broad set of information resources. Public librarianship has always been of interest to those entering the library field. As of November 2008, membership in the Public Library Association the main professional organization serving public librarians nationwide was over 11,000 members. What is more, the current employee base is changing. Research has shown that in the ten-year period beginning 2010 communities will see 45% of today s librarians reach age 65. This surge of retirement represents the early-wave of baby boom librarians crossing the threshold of age 65 1 This clearly indicates that public librarians are a graying profession, in need of a steady supply of graduates over the next ten to twenty years simply to meet the rate of loss to the profession by retirement. As this cohort retires, they will make way for a new set of colleagues. Public libraries today face tremendous challenges. Developing technologies, a growing demand for electronic access to information, and increasing competition for public service funding issues impel public librarians to work smarter with available resources. Graduate school is the primary training ground for public librarians today, and the MLIS degree is the preferred degree for jobs currently on the market. An MLIS with public library leadership concentration would be highly valued. There is substantial opportunity for professional development through the American Library Association, and through conferences offered by regional organizations such as the Wisconsin Library Association, yet these do not in and of themselves meet the profession s need for strong education programs that specifically prepare public librarians to meet the coming challenges within the profession. The challenges facing public librarians have become so complex and varied, that the American Library Association and the Public Library Association have developed a Certified Public 1 Lynch, Mary Jo, Stephen Tordella, and Thomas Godfrey. Retirement & Recruitments: A Deeper Look Accessed 11/3/08 2

3 Graduate Faculty Committee Doc. No p. 3 Approved December 20, 2010 Library Administrator program, a voluntary post-mls certification program for public librarians with three years or more of supervisory experience. By providing a strenuous concentration in Public Library Leadership SOIS will be able to help our students avoid the added expense of an ALA-PLA Certification Program. Need: SOIS in Particular In the School of Information Studies, the interest in public libraries is borne out by the data from our 501 class survey. Within the 110 students taking 501 in the Fall of % of the respondents indicated their preference for working in a public library. SOIS and Public Libraries: The Current Environment Resources Currently, the courses specific to public library functions are handled by several faculty members and one full time Teaching Academic Staff. At this time there are no adjuncts prepared to teach public library leadership courses. MLIS Curriculum Our program currently includes courses that can be offered in order to fulfill the requirements of a proposed concentration. We offer 10 courses that apply to public library duties, and 5 courses with associated relevance. All of these courses are currently offered in both online and onsite formats. III Institutional Context How does this new degree program relate to the institutional mission, strategic plan, goals and objectives? UWM s mission is guided by the UW-System Mission Statement. Central to UWM s mission is the commitment to meet the needs of the Milwaukee metropolitan area and the state. In addition to contributing to the needs of area libraries and to the needs of libraries throughout Wisconsin, the proposed MLIS-Public Library Concentration addresses several goals of the University, specifically: a) To develop and maintain high quality undergraduate, graduate and continuing education programs appropriate to a major urban doctoral university. (d) To attract highly qualified students who demonstrate the potential for intellectual development, innovation and leadership for their communities. (e) To further academic and professional opportunities at all levels for women, minority, parttime, and financially or educationally disadvantaged students. 3

4 Graduate Faculty Committee Doc. No p. 4 Approved December 20, 2010 (f) To establish and maintain productive relationships with appropriate public and private organizations at the local, regional, state, national and international levels.(as cited at In addition to this, UWM's Strategic Plan of June 1996 declares that the University will "continue to develop new undergraduate and graduate programs that are responsive to the changing needs of society" (pp. 4, 6). The MLIS-Public Library Leadership Concentration specifically addresses this goal by providing an avenue to train new librarians for the challenges that the future holds in the public sector. Such strategies include recruitment of students to address the anticipated demographic changes within American communities. Further, with the national and international student body that the school attracts by offering a fully online degree, we will foster a greater degree of critical thinking and analysis relating to the role of the public library in contemporary cultures. How does this new degree program relate to other academic programs in the UW System, the region and, if appropriate, the nation? Demonstrate awareness of how this program is similar or different from other majors and also sub-majors/emphases systemwide. The MLIS Concentration in Public Library Leadership does not impact any other UWM programs. All course requirements are taken from the existing SOIS curriculum. No other unit on campus currently supports these courses. The MLIS Concentration in Public Library Leadership would be a unique offering within the world of Library Science and I-Schools. On a national basis, there is still a relatively small contingent of Public Library programs. While schools nationwide offer public library classes, the SOIS Public Libraries concentration would be one of a handful in the nation. Comparable Programs Elsewhere in Wisconsin: There is no other comparable program offered in Wisconsin. Comparable Programs Outside Wisconsin: There are no LIS schools within the top 20 schools (as ranked by US News and World Report) that provide a specific Public Library concentration to their students. Establishing a SOIS Public Library Leadership concentration would make SOIS unique among the top ranked programs in the United States. There are only a handful of programs that offer a specific concentration in Public Libraries, according to the most recent US News and World Report LIS rankings. The unique nature of the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee s program is the ability to complete the MLIS degree with the public library leadership concentration in an online venue. We were one of the first MLIS granting institutions to offer this option to students and remain in the forefront in our provision of this credential. 4

5 Graduate Faculty Committee Doc. No p. 5 Approved December 20, 2010 IV. Program Description and Evaluation Narrative Description and Learning competencies Currently, the MLIS program at SOIS provides students with concrete understanding of key public library concepts, encourages student work in the field, and promotes a strong professional involvement through its connections with regional and national organizations. The curriculum focuses on classes which provide a strong underpinning in theory, combined with extensive practical experience through the use of case studies, guest lecturers, and situational exercises. Curriculum: Courses and Credits The MLIS Public Library Leadership Concentration will require 4 foundational Public Library courses and 3 elective courses from the recommended set of courses. The courses which will qualify for the Concentration are as follows: Required Foundation: Students would be required to take the following courses to qualify for the Concentration: 736 The Public Library (3 credits) 861 Seminar in Intellectual Freedom (3 credits) 864 (891 topic) Public Libraries: Philosophy, Politics and Policy (3 credits) 999 Independent Research (3 credits) Electives: Students must take at least THREE of the following courses: 520 Managing Library Collections (3 credits) 524 Management of Library and Information Services (3 credits) 622 Information Marketing (3 credits) 661 Ethics and the Information Society (3 credits) 682 Digital Libraries (3 crdits) 685 E-publishing and Web Design (3 credits) 862 Legal Issues for Library and Information Managers (3 credits) Concentration credits will be taken as electives within the overall MLIS program. The MLIS program requires 36 credits (30 credits if a student is in possession of a master s degree), with 12 credits of core required courses. Admission requirements and procedures Admission requirements and procedures are those of admission to the SOIS MLIS program. The key to allowing students to fulfill all required concentration credits is informing them in the early phases of their degree that the concentration is available, and what the requirements are. 5

6 Graduate Faculty Committee Doc. No p. 6 Approved December 20, 2010 With proper notification, students will be able to plan their courses accordingly and achieve the concentration without necessarily taking extra credits outside of their degree. Continuation and Exit requirements Continuation and Exit requirements mirror those of continuation and exit requirements of the SOIS MLIS program. A minimum of a 3.0 must be maintained. Allowance for transfer credit A maximum of 3 graduate credits may be transferred from another accredited university, provided that the courses are relevant to the concentration, upon provision of a syllabus and approval by the Public Library Program Coordinator. Courses for transfer credit must meet all standard requirements for transfer credit for the SOIS MLIS program, and be approved by SOIS and the Graduate School. Degree Conferral: Students will receive the standard SOIS MLIS with the addition of Concentration in Public Library Leadership. This should be added to the diploma, official and unofficial transcripts, and all official SOIS records. Program Administration: Participating Instructors and Faculty: Faculty members who teach courses eligible for the Concentration in Public Libraries include: Mohammed Aman, Professor Johannes Britz, Dean Elizabeth Buchanan, Associate Professor Alexandra Dimitroff, Associate Professor Jacques du Plessis Associate Professor Catherine Hansen, Lecturer Joyce Latham, Assistant Professor Tomas Lipinski, Professor Betsy Schoeller, Lecturer Tom Walker, Associate Professor Iris Xie, Professor V. Resources There will be no additional costs to the University or to SOIS to establish the MLIS Concentration in Public Libraries. All courses will be electives to the MLIS degree and as such will be a part of the regular MLIS Program. 6

7 Graduate Faculty Committee Doc. No p. 7 Approved December 20, 2010 VII. Recommended Action A. Revision of the requirements for the Master of Library and Information Science degree program is approved as reflected in the proposed changes described above. B. Following appropriate administrative approval, the revised requirements are effective for students who begin this program as of Spring