MS in Library and
Information Science

Here at the iSchool, our vision is to provide quality professional education for library and information science professionals. Our goals and outcomes guide our direction, provide a framework for assessing our achievement, and most importantly, communicate our beliefs in the foundational skills that modern library professionals must have.

Graduates of the iSchool’s Library and Information Science program:

• Apply the skills and attitudes of visioning, entrepreneurship, advocacy, planning and management to leadership in the information field.

• Manage information resources and the information life-cycle through the processes of collection development, representation, organization, preservation, curation, access, and dissemination in accordance with physical, virtual, and technical infrastructure and needs.

• Apply appropriate pedagogical and learning theory principles in the design, development, implementation, and assessment of library instruction and learning that contribute towards an information and technology literate society.

• Design and employ policies essential for creating and providing information services and resources guided by the values of patron privacy, equitable access, intellectual freedom, and ethical use of information.

• Possess the skills to respect, engage, and collaborate with a diverse community in order to advocate for and construct inclusive, meaningful, and participatory library services, programs and resources.

• Perform and assess research based practices through the application of information literacy, inquiry, and research methods including data discovery, analytics and qualitative measures.

Within the LIS program, you can choose a focus area to further specialize your skill set for your future career.

• Academic Librarianship

  Working in a college or university library provides a special sense of comradery. Patrons are predominantly students and professors, but can also include scholars, researchers, and the public, depending on the university. Academic librarians can have a specific role, like a subject librarian for East Asian Studies, perhaps, or a position can be multifaceted, as is the case with most reference and instruction librarians. As the use of online databases continues to increase, plentiful librarians in academic settings are typically responsible for teaching students how to find, use, and cite online resources.

  Positions held by our alumni: Dean of University Libraries; Web Services Librarian; Associate Librarian of Environmental Science

  Examples of courses you can take:
  • IST 502 New Directions in Academic Libraries
  • IST 564 Accessible Library & Information Services
  • IST 611 Information Technologies in Educational Organizations
  • IST 659 Database Administration Concepts & Database Management
  • IST 622 Instructional Strategies & Technology for Information Professionals
  • IST 671 Research Methods in Information Studies

• Data Librarianship

  Data librarians facilitate the management, maintenance, and preservation of information in a number of professional settings. They can locate data for business or academic use, use statistical methods to understand what stories a dataset tells, or organize data for later retrieval. Students interested in the data librarianship focus area at the iSchool will gain knowledge of integrated library systems, cataloging practices, programming and markup languages, and database management systems.

  Positions held by our alumni: data visualization specialist; data and metadata services librarian; director, data center services

  Examples of courses you can take:
  • IST 659 Data Administration Concepts and Database Management
  • IST 676 Foundations of Digital Data
  • IST 681 Metadata
  • IST 687 Introduction to Data Science
  • IST 719 Information Visualization

• Historical Materials

  Cultural institutions house historical and archival materials and hire MSLIS degree holders to curate, preserve, and present their collection to the public. Librarians also help cultural institutions digitize historical materials so that they can be viewable online. Settings may include special libraries, museums, special collections within academic institutions, small historical societies, and even zoos.

  Positions held by our alumni: photo archives manager; curator of historical collections; director of special collections and archives

  Examples of courses you can take:
  • IST 622 Introduction to Cultural Heritage Preservation *
  • IST 624 Preservation of Library and Archival Collections *
  • IST 628 Management and Organization of Archival Collections *
  • IST 632 Management and Organization of Special Collections *
  • IST 635 Collection Development and Access
    
    * on campus only

• Instructional Librarianship

  Where do you find a material? How do you cite it? These types of questions can be answered during a library instruction session in an academic library. How do I set up my new iPad? How can I get into blogging? These types of questions may be answered in public libraries through programming and instruction.

  Since libraries tend to be considered a “third space” and a “safe space,” separate from school and work, librarians must be prepared to teach patrons how to be information literate, how to use the newest technologies, and more. At Syracuse University, we like to think of instruction as filling in the spaces. LIS students organize an annual Day of FITS (filling in the spaces) to share knowledge with one another, and the larger community of professors and students at SU.

  Positions held by our alumni: instructional services librarian; undergraduate instruction and outreach librarian; instruction and electronic resources librarian

  Examples of courses you can take:
  • IST 511 Introduction to the Library and Information Profession
  • IST 605 Reference and Information Literacy
  • IST 611 Information Technology in Educational Organizations
  • IST 649 Human Interaction with Computers
  • IST 662 Instructional Strategies and Techniques for Information Professionals

• Management

  Branch managers, library directors, and even newer librarians given the freedom to create and direct their own services must hone their leadership skills to better connect with coworkers and patrons. The iSchool’s LIS focus area in management allows students to learn the basics of budgeting, staffing, organizational culture, planning and assessment, marketing, and project management.

  Positions held by our alumni: dean of libraries; library director; branch manager

  Examples of courses you can take:
  • IST 614 Management Principles for Information Professionals
  • IST 617 Motivational Aspects of Information Use
  • IST 627 What’s the Big Idea: Technology Innovation *
  • IST 661 Managing a School Library
  • IST 717 Advanced Library Management *
    
    * on campus only

• Public Librarianship

  Public librarians’ main duty is to provide, to the best of their ability, what the local community wants and needs. A public library generally serves a community of people within a town, city or other municipality with a range of services for those of all ages. Organizing, budgeting, and marketing programs for all ages can take up a lot of a public librarian’s time and energy, and in larger public library systems, managing interlibrary loan and troubleshooting library technologies are daily tasks. Importantly, since public libraries welcome patrons from all walks of life, public librarians are expected to connect patrons to other local organizations if their needs cannot be met inside the library.

  Positions held by our alumni: branch director, online and outreach library manager, head of interlibrary loan

  Examples of courses you can take:
  • IST 553 Information Architecture for Internet Services
  • IST 564 Accessible Library & Information Services
  • IST 613 Library Planning, Marketing, and Assessment
  • IST 635 Collection Development and Access
  • IST 759 Planning and Designing Digital Library Services

• Public Service Librarianship

  Public service librarians serve communities, whether it be a campus community of students and professors or a diverse urban public library. They assess the needs of a community and provide the appropriate programming. Public service librarians also perform outreach, research, reference, and reader’s advisory services to meet the information needs of their patrons.

  Positions held by our alumni: reference, instruction, and outreach librarian; patron services librarian; outreach and assessment librarian

  Examples of courses you can take:
  • IST 564 Accessible Library & Information Services
  • IST 605 Reference and Information Literacy Services
  • IST 611 Information Technologies in Educational Organizations
  • IST 617 Motivational Aspects of Information Use
  • IST 646 Storytelling for Information Professionals
  • IST 662 Instructional Strategies and Techniques for Information Professionals

• School Media

  School media librarians focus on promoting digital literacy and technology skills within K-12 Schools. See our MS in Library and Information Science with School Media specialization for more details on school media librarianship.

• Special Librarianship

  Special libraries are libraries that have a particular focus and collection, and sometimes, a particular patronage. Prison, law, medical, presidential, museum, military— these are all examples of special libraries which house special collections. Special collections are typically treated for and taken care of differently since they tend to consist of one-of-a-kind rare books, aged 3D artifacts, and more. Preservation, conservation, and the digitization of special collections are all great areas to study if you plan to work in a special library.

  Positions held by our alumni:

  • Assistant Museum Librarian, Metropolitan Museum of Art
  • Director of Special Collections and Archives, Southwestern University
  • Music Metadata Librarian, University of Virginia
  • Librarian, Taiwan Power Company
  • Medical Librarian, Masonic Medical Research Laboratory

  Examples of courses you can take:

  • IST 632 Management and Organization of Special Collections *
  • IST 622 Introduction to Preservation of Cultural Heritage *
  • IST 624 Preservation of Library and Archival Collections *
  • IST 628 Organization/Management of Archival Collections *
    
    * on campus only

• Technical Service Librarianship

  Technical Service Librarians work to make collections accessible and convenient to use. They catalog and classify new materials, preserve older items, maintain the library’s online catalog, and troubleshoot a library’s learning technologies. They also play a vital role in collection development by securing acquisitions and renewing subscriptions.

  Positions held by our alumni: head of technical services; catalog and processing manager; digital technologies librarian and manager

  Examples of courses you can take:
  • IST 558 Technologies in Web Content Management
  • IST 604 Cataloging of Information Resources
  • IST 616 Information Resources: Organization and Access
  • IST 631 Theory of Classification and Subject Representation
  • IST 638 Indexing and Abstracting Systems and Services

• Youth Services Librarianship

  Libraries all over strive to be places that facilitate lifelong learning. When is a better time to provoke a permanent passion for curiosity than in the early years of a patron's life? The urgency for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) learning initiatives in library settings, the proliferation of the makerspace movement, and the widespread use of emerging technologies from a young age prove that the role and responsibilities of children’s and young adult librarians go beyond recommending a good read. Networking and marketing are important facets of a Youth Services Librarian’s job, as well as building relationships with parents, caregivers, and teachers in the local community.

  Positions held by our alumni: children’s reference librarian; teen services librarian; coordinator of youth services

  Examples of courses you can take:
  • IST 564 Accessible Library & Information Services
  • IST 612 Youth Services in Libraries and Information Centers
  • IST 617 Motivational Aspects of Information Use
  • IST 646 Storytelling for Information Professionals
  • IST 663 Motivating 21st Century Learning