Management
The MLIS program requires an introductory technology course (LIBR 203); three core courses (LIBR 200, LIBR 202, LIBR 204); one additional required course (LIBR 285); and the culminating electronic portfolio OR a thesis (LIBR 289 or LIBR 299) for graduation. Beyond these requirements, a student is free to select electives reflecting individual interests and aspirations.
Program specializations are thus provided here solely for advising purposes. No such designation appears on your transcript or diploma. Many students find these introductions to different program areas useful, however, for course selection and career planning.
Description
Libraries and other information agencies do not exist in a vacuum. They assess the information needs and interests of their communities, design collections, programs and services to address those needs, and assess the impact of those services on well-being. These may be learning communities (e.g., schools), research communities (e.g., universities) or professional communities of practice (e.g., hospitals and law firms). It is the role of managers to orchestrate resources, both people and materials, to enable members of these communities to access and make effective use of information and ideas for improved decision–making.
Paradoxically, few students enter the MLIS program wanting to be leaders of institutions yet most students assume a management position on graduation, if only managing themselves and paid and volunteer support staff.
Career Opportunities
Professional librarians may work in highly specialized fields such as reference in a university or information technology in a corporation, where they are valued for their deep knowledge and abilities. In most other cases, however, graduates assume responsibility for overseeing and managing a small department or branch, assessing needs and training support staff to deliver more routine direct services. This is certainly true of the "solo librarian" found especially in school and corporate libraries but also of smaller departments in academic libraries and branches in public libraries.
Management expertise provides a career ladder through the organization that cannot be based on professional competency alone. Although most graduates begin at some level of management, those with expertise in managing people and resources to achieve goals will advance to more complex and senior positions, and be compensated more appropriately for their responsibilities.
Some anticipate a shortage of senior managers and library leaders over the next decade. Indeed, some senior positions in libraries have been filled recently by those without a graduate degree in LIS due less to particular expertise than the lack of interest and application by professional librarians.
The management specialization will prepare you to assume increasingly senior positions in the organization.
Core Theory and Knowledge
The management specialization will enable students to:
- Work effectively in teams;
- Communicate effectively with others, including those from diverse backgrounds;
- Understand the nature of the organization;
- Plan strategically for improved services and support to realize organizational goals;
- Develop appropriate policies for effective customer service;
- Manage resources for maximum results;
- Supervise, motivate and assess individuals and groups;
- Market services through understanding user needs and expectations;
- Evaluate programs and services;
- Understand the effect of state and national policy on service delivery.
Recommended Courses
Required Courses:
- LIBR 203 Online Social Networking: Technology and Tools
- LIBR 200 Information and Society
- LIBR 202 Information Retrieval
- LIBR 204 Information Organizations and Management
- LIBR 285 Research Methods in Library and Information Science
- LIBR 289 or LIBR 299 Culminating Experience
Foundation Courses:
- LIBR 282 Seminar in Library Management particularly courses focusing on Financial Management, Fund Development and Grant writing, and Human Resources Management; related courses often offered as LIBR 282 include vendor relations and managing electronic resources
- LIBR 283 Marketing of Information Products and Services
- LIBR 286 Interpersonal Communication Skills for Librarians
Recommended Courses:
Courses in "issues" in different environments also focus on management and policy issues. Examples include:
- LIBR 230 Issues in Academic Libraries
- LIBR 231 Issues in Special Libraries and Information Centers
- LIBR 232 Issues in Public Libraries
- LIBR 233 School Library Media Centers
Depending on your background and experience, and your preferred work environment, you may consider:
- LIBR 234 Intellectual Freedom Seminar
- LIBR 257 Records Management
- LIBR 266 Collection Management
- LIBR 275 Library Services for Racially and Ethnically Diverse Communities
Managing communication and information technologies is an increasingly common yet complex factor in decision–making. Many SLIS courses develop both competency and comfort with these technologies and their effective use. Consider courses such as:
- LIBR 240 Information Technology Tools and Applications
- LIBR 241 Automated Library Systems
- LIBR 243 Systems Analysis
Watch for sections of interest to you in these courses as they change each term:
Students with aspirations for a career in management may wish to select an appropriate internship that provides opportunities for supervised experiences in a library environment.
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