The Syracuse University School of Information Studies, also known as the iSchool, is a center for research and education in the policy, systems, service, and technology aspects of
information management
Information management (IM) concerns a cycle of organizational activity: the acquisition of information from one or more sources, the custodianship and the distribution of that information to those who need it, and its ultimate disposal throug ...
,
information science
Information science (also known as information studies) is an academic field which is primarily concerned with analysis, collection, Categorization, classification, manipulation, storage, information retrieval, retrieval, movement, dissemin ...
, and
library science
Library science (often termed library studies, bibliothecography, and library economy) is an interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary field that applies the practices, perspectives, and tools of management, information technology, education, and ...
. Established in 1896 as the School of Library Science, its name was changed in 1974 to reflect the growing information field.
Syracuse University
Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...
was the first library school to change its name in this way,
hence its claim as "the ''original'' school for the information age." Starting in the 1970s, the school began to add new programs focused on information studies that aim to merge technology and management skills with an emphasis on human needs and behavior.
History
![Mary Jane O'Bryon Sibley](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/Mary_Jane_O%27Bryon_Sibley.jpg)
The first library science courses were offered at Syracuse University in 1896 at the University’s
von Ranke library, with university librarian Henry Orrin Sibley and his wife Mary Jane O'Bryon Sibley as the first and only instructors. In 1907, the program moved to the University's Carnegie Library, and, in 1908, it received accreditation from the American Library Association. The program eventually split from the College of Liberal Arts in 1915 and began granting graduate degrees in 1934.
The School of Information Studies emerged in 1974 when Dean Robert Taylor suggested the School of Library Science adopt a name that would signal a new direction.
Throughout the 1970s, he updated the library science curriculum to keep pace with the changing times. In 1977, the
Education Resources Information Center
The Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) is an online digital library of education research and information. ERIC is sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences of the United States Department of Education.
Description
The missio ...
(ERIC/AE) Clearinghouse was launched at the school. The country’s first master's degree in information resources management (IRM) was added to the curriculum in 1980.
The 1980s marked an increase in faculty research and grants that established the School of Information Studies as a leader in the field. During this time, the undergraduate program in information management and technology was introduced. In 1983, the school moved from its old home in several large houses on the edge of campus to Huntington Hall. The school's offices and classrooms moved again in 1989 to the Center for Science and Technology, which also housed the Chemistry and Computer Science programs, among others.
The 1990s brought many innovations to the school, including the master's degree program in telecommunications and network management;
AskERIC, one of the first
digital reference services
Digital reference (more commonly called virtual reference) is a service by which a library reference service is conducted online, and the reference transaction is a computer-mediated communication. It is the remote, computer-mediated delivery of re ...
; and
distance learning
Distance education, also known as distance learning, is the education of students who may not always be physically present at a school, or where the learner and the teacher are separated in both time and distance. Traditionally, this usually in ...
options for graduate study. Several new research centers opened, including the Convergence Center, the Center for
Digital Commerce
The digital economy is a portmanteau of digital computing and economy, and is an umbrella term that describes how traditional brick-and-mortar economic activities (production, distribution, trade) are being transformed by Internet, World Wide ...
, and the Center for
Natural Language Processing
Natural language processing (NLP) is an interdisciplinary subfield of linguistics, computer science, and artificial intelligence concerned with the interactions between computers and human language, in particular how to program computers to pro ...
.
As the new millennium approached, the school had outgrown its space in the Center for Science and Technology. Dean Raymond von Dran began working toward establishing a new home for the iSchool on campus, announcing his vision for the school's permanent home on the Syracuse University Quad. In 2008, von Dran's vision was realized when the School of Information Studies celebrated the iOpening of a completely redesigned Hinds Hall. The building, with its sleek and modern design, earned the
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to su ...
Central New York
Central New York is the central region of New York State, including the following counties and cities:
With a population of about 773,606 (2009) and an area of , the region includes the Syracuse metropolitan area.
Definitions
The New York ...
Chapter Citation Award that same year.
Curriculum
The School of Information Studies offers an undergraduate degree, four master's degrees, and two doctoral degrees, as well as several certificates of advanced study.
* The
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...
in Information Management and Technology focuses on information systems and personal services. It prepares graduates for careers in data administration, database management, systems analysis, web design and development, and consulting. After thirty years of offering only one undergraduate major, two more majors in ''Innovation, Society and Technology'' and ''Applied Data Analytics'' were offered beginning Fall 2021.
* The
Master of Science
A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast to ...
in Information Management for Executives is for students with six or more years of appropriate full-time professional experience in the information management field and who demonstrate appropriate professional qualifications may apply into the Master of Science in Information Management: Executive Track. Those who are accepted into the executive track may waive the internship requirement, and reduce the number of credit hours required for the degree to 30. This M.S. in Information Management degree program can be completed on campus, online, or a combination of both options.
* The Master of Science in Information Management is an interdisciplinary program covering topics in information science, information technology, and management. An executive version of the program is offered to students who already have substantial experience. Graduates work in IT, project management, and consulting at corporations, non-profits, and government agencies. The program has been
ranked
A ranking is a relationship between a set of items such that, for any two items, the first is either "ranked higher than", "ranked lower than" or "ranked equal to" the second.
In mathematics, this is known as a weak order or total preorder of ...
fourth in the nation by ''
U.S. News & World Report''.
* The Master of Science in Library and Information Science (MSLIS), ranked third in the nation by ''U.S. News & World Report'' and accredited by the
American Library Association
The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members a ...
, teaches traditional library knowledge, as well as technical and leadership skills. The school also offers an MSLIS with a concentration in
school media, ranked fourth in the nation by ''U.S. News''.
* The Master of Science in Enterprise Data Systems is designed for students who want to prepare to manage, design, support and optimize the infrastructure, both on-premises and virtualized, that supports the digital enterprise.
* The Master of Science in Applied Data Science prepares students with practical analytical and technical skills to apply analytical concepts to gain insight from small and large datasets.
* The
Ph.D.
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...
in Information Science and Technology facilitates in-depth study of information in a variety of settings and incorporates theory and research from many academic disciplines. Graduates of the doctoral program go on to careers in the library, information, computer, and management sciences departments at universities and research centers.
Online options include: a Master of Science in Applied Data Science, a Master of Science in Information Management, a Master of Science in Library and Information Science, and a Master of Science in Library and Information Science: School Media.
The school also offers
certificates of advanced study in the management of
information security
Information security, sometimes shortened to InfoSec, is the practice of protecting information by mitigating information risks. It is part of information risk management. It typically involves preventing or reducing the probability of unauthorize ...
,
information systems
An information system (IS) is a formal, sociotechnical, organizational system designed to collect, process, information storage, store, and information distribution, distribute information. From a sociotechnical perspective, information systems a ...
,
telecommunications network
A telecommunications network is a group of nodes interconnected by telecommunications links that are used to exchange messages between the nodes. The links may use a variety of technologies based on the methodologies of circuit switching, message ...
s,
digital libraries
A digital library, also called an online library, an internet library, a digital repository, or a digital collection is an online database of digital objects that can include text, still images, audio, video, digital documents, or other digital me ...
,
school library media centers, and
cultural heritage preservation
Cultural heritage is the heritage of tangible and intangible heritage assets of a group or society that is inherited from past generations. Not all heritages of past generations are "heritage"; rather, heritage is a product of selection by soci ...
.
iSchools Caucus
Syracuse's School of Information Studies formed part of the original "gang of three" that established the iSchools Caucus.
Now consisting of over 65 schools around the world,
the members of the iSchools Caucus foster scholarship at the intersections between information, people, and technology.
Deans
School of Library Science
* Wharton Miller, 1952-1956
* Wayne S. Yenawine, 1956-1964
* Antje Lemke (interim dean), 1964-1965
* Edward B. Montgomery, 1965-1968
* Roger C. Greer, 1968-1972
*
Robert Saxton Taylor Robert Saxton Taylor (June 15, 1918 – January 1, 2009) was an influential library scholar and information scientist who served as Dean of the Syracuse University School of Information Studies from 1972 to 1981. His research and publications focus ...
, 1972-1974
School of Information Studies
* Robert S. Taylor, 1974–1981
* Evelyn Daniel, 1981–1985
* Jeffrey Katzer, ''interim'' 1985–1987
* Donald A. Marchand, 1987–1994
* Jeffery Katzer, ''interim'' 1994–1995
* Raymond von Dran, 1995–2007
*
Elizabeth Liddy, 2008–2015
* Jeffrey Stanton, ''interim'' 2015–2016
* Elizabeth Liddy, 2016–2019
* David Seaman, ''interim'' 2019
* Raj Dewan, 2020–2022
* David Seaman, ''interim'' 2022-present
References
External links
School of Information Studiesofficial site
School of Information Studies Faculty research overviewBest Graduate Schools: Library and Information Studiesrankings from ''U.S. News & World Report''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Syracuse University School Of Information Studies
1896 establishments in New York (state)
Syracuse University
Information schools
American Library Association accredited library schools