New Position Paper From LIS Forward: “Ensuring a Vibrant Future for LIS in iSchools” (Prerelease)

From the LIS Forward Website:

We are pleased to make available the prerelease of the LIS Forward position paper, Ensuring a Vibrant Future for LIS in iSchools, at the 86th Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science and Technology(ASIS&T) being held in London, UK October 27-31, 2023. Several members of LIS Forward led a session at ASIS&T, Advancing LIS in iSchools: Building a coalition to ensure a vibrant future, on the position paper and next steps for the initiative.

The prerelease includes Part 1, LIS in iSchools: Perspectives and Positioning. The full report with Part 2 — Library Futures: Critical Areas of Inquiry in LIS — will be released in December 2023. To be notified when the full report is available, please email lisforward@uw.edu

Abstract

This position paper is a product of LIS Forward, an initiative addressing the urgent question: As LIS evolves within the context of iSchools, how do we best position our research and education programs to lead the field and the future of libraries? Schools of library and information science led the establishment of the iSchool movement 20 years ago. Today, as iSchools balance investments across a growing range of disciplines and academic programs, their choices have serious consequences for the field of LIS and the library profession. Library-centric research and education can be diluted or diminished, or it can be reinforced and enriched. This position paper, developed by faculty from seven information schools, claims that the future of iSchools and LIS is linked. Part 1 covers the historical context, profiles of LIS in iSchools, perspectives of leadership and early career faculty, and suggestions for strategic directions and investments. Part 2 contains several essays on contemporary issues in LIS and librarianship that iSchools are uniquely equipped to address. The purpose of this position paper is to encourage ongoing deliberation and action.

Direct to Full Text Paper: Ensuring a Vibrant Future for LIS in iSchools
39 pages; PDF.

Direct to LIS Forward Web Site

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