Goals of the MLIS Program
Goal 1: To provide high quality Master’s-level education in the discipline of LIS, consistent with the Mission statement. Objectives related to Goal 1 are:
Objective 1: to foster a scholarly and critical approach to the understanding of issues and practices in the field of LIS; Objective 2: to emphasize the interplay between theory and practice and its implications for professional work; Objective 3: to promote ethical practices and social responsibility, within the context of a progressive public service for the public good; Objective 4: to provide an environment in which technological expertise appropriate for rapidly changing workplaces is developed and nurtured; Objective 5: to deliver a flexible and responsive program, maximizing the student’s opportunity for professional development, leadership and growth through a variety of academic, professional and extracurricular options.
Goal 2: To graduate information professionals and researchers who are well prepared to meet the challenges of contemporary information workplaces and who feel confident in their knowledge and abilities. Objectives related to Goal 2 are: Objective 1: to produce MLIS graduates who understand relevant theoretical and practice-oriented aspects of the field, including:
a) a commitment to professional values, standards and ethics;
b) an understanding of the historical antecedents of contemporary issues, practices and policies;
c) the ability to identify, select and provide access to information in a variety of formats;
d) the ability to identify the needs of particular user groups and develop collections, services, programs and policies to meet these needs;
e) of the ability to apply a wide range of electronic resources, and techniques for effective information retrieval;
f) the ability to analyze relevant information resources and published research to form valid and well-grounded conclusions;
g) the ability to apply appropriate research methodologies to issues and professional concerns in LIS;
h) the conceptualization, employment, evaluation and use of appropriate technologies in library and information-related applications;
i) an awareness of contemporary issues in the information workplace, including the changing nature of information work, organizational structure and culture, management principles and practices, labour relations and leadership.
Objective 2: to offer opportunities in the MLIS curriculum for students to engage directly with advanced research, including
a) broadening their research knowledge and expertise by undertaking research project options (Independent Study, Guided Research and Major Research Projects);
b) exposure to interdisciplinary scholarship, fostering an awareness of connections between research in LIS and in other disciplines;
c) facilitating an understanding of research proposal development, ethical concerns and the selection of methodologies appropriate to the study of phenomena in information workplaces such as libraries and other settings;
d) developing awareness of the scholarly activities currently undertaken by LIS faculty at Western and elsewhere;
e) contributing to the preparation of interested MLIS students for advanced research in the discipline through doctoral studies in LIS.
Objective 3: to produce MLIS graduates who have developed a key set of professional competencies, including the ability to:
a) write a succinct and well-organized professional report;
b) prepare and deliver an effective presentation on topics related to the discipline and/or workplace;
c) engage in appropriate communication and interaction with a wide variety of people, organizations and groups;
d) work cooperatively and effectively with others in a team environment, including users, colleagues, employers and members of the community;
e) solve problems through creative thinking, and sound analyses of professional literature and contemporary professional practices;
f) participate actively in the structures and issues relevant to the workplace and professional life;
g) take up leadership responsibilities as appropriate;
h) undertake responsibility for one’s own career development.
Goal 3: To forge strategic partnerships (on and off campus) in research, program delivery and service to the profession. In relation to Goal 3, the objectives of the MLIS program are: Objective 1: to foster opportunities for students in our program to participate in relevant areas of study in other units on campus or in the wider national and international academic community, and vice versa; Objective 2: to strengthen and develop ongoing relationships with the profession and employers through ventures such as the Co-operative (Work/Study) Program, guest lectures and workshops by visiting professionals, support of student chapters of professional groups, and other means. Objective 3: to foster research-based connections not only with faculty in other LIS and/or academic programs, but also with professional colleagues working in libraries and other information-related settings, through activities such as collaborative research designed to address issues in professional practice, research talks by LIS faculty and visiting professionals, and other avenues.
Goals of the Doctoral Program in LIS
Goal 1: To carry out advanced study and research in the discipline of LIS, contributing nationally and internationally to the evolving body of scholarly work in LIS through the following objectives: Objective 1: to transmit new and established knowledge through mechanisms such as:
a) scholarly publication and participation in peer review processes;
b) presentations at scholarly and/or professional conferences;
c) interactions with both academic and professional colleagues;
d) providing input as appropriate into public and private sector initiatives that may have an impact on the discipline and scholarly work within it.
Objective 2: to enrich the knowledge base of LIS and foster the cultivation/ discussion of diverse perspectives through:
a) exposure to interdisciplinary scholarship more generally, creating an awareness of how research in LIS may connect to research done in other disciplines;
b) consideration of an array of insights, theoretical frameworks and methodologies from LIS and other disciplines;
c) interaction with other programs within the interdisciplinary Faculty of Information and Media Studies;
d) connections, cross appointments and collaborative projects with other disciplinary units at Western and other universities, both in Canada and internationally.
Goal 2: To provide a very high quality LIS doctoral education. To this end, the objectives of the LIS Doctoral program are: Objective 1: to graduate academics, researchers and professionals who:
a) engage in critical and independent thinking;
b) display creativity;
c) are reflexive about scholarly and professional practice;
d) conceptualize, evaluate and use appropriate technologies;
e) are committed to theoretical knowledge and its application.
Objective 2: to provide a rich and varied intellectual environment for students that includes:
a) diverse learning and evaluation opportunities, including course work;
b) independent and guided reading, comprehensive exams and dissertation writing;
c) opportunities to teach;
d) opportunities to discuss and present work in a variety of formal and informal settings;
e) the cultivation of supportive mentoring and supervisory relationships and other collegial interactions;
f) involvement in the decision making and service aspects of the program.
Goal 3: To forge on and off campus partnerships in research, program delivery, service to library and information workers and outreach to community organizations and the public sector. To this end, the objectives of the LIS doctoral program are:
Objective 1: to support and facilitate inter- or multidisciplinary grants and projects in which LIS concerns feature prominently; Objective 2: to develop ongoing collegial relationships with professional colleagues working in libraries and other information-provision organizations through shared events and mutually supportive projects. Passed by Faculty Council August 2011.