The Library and Information Science Program at Western

We offer two programs in library and information science:

1. Master of Library and Information Science
2. PhD in Library and Information Science

The Library and Information Science Program seeks graduates from all university disciplines - arts, social sciences, natural sciences and professional programs such as law and business - for admission to its MLIS Program. It also seeks the very best graduates of Master's programs for its PhD Program.

The University of Western Ontario began offering a Master's degree in library science in 1967 and a PhD in library and information science in 1973. The Master's program has been accredited by the American Library Association since 1969, with the latest seven-year review being completed in 1997; in 1986, the name of the degree was officially changed from Master of Library Science (MLS) to Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS). The MLIS and PhD Programs have been appraised regularly by the Ontario Council on Graduate Studies since their inception.

From 1967 to 1997, the Library and Information Science Programs were the responsibility of the School of Library and Information Science (1967-1993) and the Graduate School of Library and Information Science (1993-1997). In 1998, they were incorporated within the Faculty of Information and Media Studies (FIMS). FIMS is dedicated to the advancement of interdisciplinary knowledge of the role of information, media, communications and information technologies in the lives of individuals and in society. Through teaching, research, and program design and delivery, the Faculty promotes understanding of the processes by which information is created, packaged, distributed, managed, stored, displayed, accessed, used, and transformed. In particular, the Faculty focuses on the relationship between the users of information and the technologies that are the carriers, as well as the distributors, of information. In this context, users are defined broadly to embrace individuals, including children, the general public, professionals with specialized needs, and adult learners, as well as institutional and organizational users of information. By fostering an environment of creative inquiry and a commitment to both theory and practice, the Faculty cultivates critical thinking about the products, processes, and culture of the information age.