The document provides an overview of the Southern Miss School of Library and Information Science (SLIS). Key points: - SLIS has been offering library science courses since 1926 and awarding degrees since 1965, becoming the SLIS in 1993. It currently has 175 students in its ALA-accredited MLIS program. - The program's mission is to prepare students for professional roles in libraries and information environments. Its vision is excellence in teaching, innovative research, and distinguished service. - Notable program aspects include its collaboration with the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection and offering an online MLIS degree since 2002. - Recent developments include a new technical elective requirement, certificate programs, and an

1. Southern Miss
School of Library & Information
Science in 2012
Teresa S. Welsh, Ph.D.
teresa.welsh@usm.edu

2. The University of Southern Mississippi
 Accredited by SACS
 Carnegie Doctoral/Research-
Extensive Institution
 Carnegie Community
Engagement Classification
 Ranked as one of nation’s
most environmentally
responsible universities
(Princeton Review, 2010)
 Ranked in top 20 most
popular national universities
(U.S. News and World Report, 2011)
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3. Some History of LIS @ USM
 Library science courses
first offered in1926
 First M.S. in library science
awarded in 1965
 First M.L.S. degree in 1977
 Re-named School of
Library & Information
Science in 1993 - degree
became M.L.I.S.
 Currently 175 students in
M.L.I.S. program Cook Library, 1940’s, USM McCain Archive
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4. SLIS Mission, Vision
Mission:
 to prepare qualified individuals for professional
roles in libraries and other information environments
with appropriate knowledge and skills to serve the
information needs of their communities.
Vision:
 Excellent teaching
 Innovative research
 Distinguished service.
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5. SLIS MLIS Program
 Accredited by American Library Association since
1980; only ALA-accredited program in Mississippi
 Accredited by National Council for Accreditation of
Teacher Education (NCATE)
 Assigned LIS leadership status by Board of Trustees
of State Institution of Higher Learning
 Rated as top-tier program (level 5) by
University Priorities Committee (UPC)
 IMLS Minorities Scholarship Grant
$400,000+ funds 10 students (PI Dr. Yu)
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6. SLIS – de Grummond Collaboration
 SLIS & de Grummond
Children’s Literature
Collection, an
internationally-recognized
collection of primary-
source materials related to
children’s literature
 Co-sponsors Fay B. Kaigler
Children’s Book Festival,
http://www.usm.edu/bookfest/
April 11-13. Karen Rowell,
Coordinator
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7. British Studies: LIS 580/587
 St. Paul’s Cathedral Library
 Barbican Library
 Museum of London
 British Museum & Archive
 British Library
 Greenwich Caird Library
 London Library
 Stratford-upon-Avon
 National Art Library @ V&A
 Oxford, Bodleian Library
 Central Library, Edinburgh
 National Archives, Scotland
 Dunfermline Carnegie Library
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8. SLIS Online
 1993 – IVN classes in Hattiesburg, Long Beach
 1995 – 1st computer-enhanced hybrid course
 2002 – M.L.I.S. degree all online with Blackboard,
online text chat
 2007 – Web CT with WIMBA for interactive
audio classes
 2012 – Blackboard 9.1, Collaborate
Live, Web 2.0 blogs, social media.
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9. http://www.usm.edu/slis/
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10. ALA Accreditation in 2012
 Accreditation report submitted in Spring 2012
 Chapter I. Mission, Goals, Objectives
 Chapter II. Curriculum
 Chapter III. Faculty
 Chapter IV. Students
 Chapter V. Administration and Financial Support
 Chapter VI. Physical Resources and Facilities
 ALA Core Competencies in Librarianship
 Re-accredited by ALA Committee on Accreditation
(COA) in June 2012 for maximum 7 years.
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11. What’s new at SLIS?
 Technical elective requirement, Spring ’12
 LIS 516: Media Utilization
 LIS 557: Computer Applications in Libraries
 LIS 558: Internet Resources and Applications
 New courses:
 LIS 500: 1-hr. LIS Orientation course
 LIS 519: Programs and Services for Youth
 LIS 590: Library Instruction
 Grad. Certificate in Archives & Special Collections
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12. Who’s who at SLIS?
 Emeritus Faculty
 Dr. Antonio Rodriguez-Buckingham donated collection of
rare books to Cook Library
 Dr. Joy Greiner, working on history of SLIS
 New Faculty
 Dr. Brenton Stewart, Assistant Professor
 Dr. Stacy Creel, Assistant Professor
 Dr. Yan Wu, Visiting Assistant Professor
 Mr. Edmand Pace, Visiting Instructor
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13. What is new at SLIS?
 New Web site:
 More scholarship information
 Elective course recommendations for specialized tracks
 New refereed e-journal
 SLIS Connecting: http://aquila.usm.edu/slisconnecting/
 Recent student publications:
 http://ocean.otr.usm.edu/~w146169/mentorpubs.htm
 Future:
 Graduate Certificate in Youth Services
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14. SLIS needs you!
 Our graduates are our product; SLIS grads are:
 Accomplished professionals
 Great mentors
 Great recruiters.
 Please keep in touch:
 SLIS news ListServ:
https://mailman.usm.edu/mailman/listinfo/lisnews
 Connect with me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/drtwelsh),
LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/teresawelsh)
 Send me an email about awards, honors, new job or promotion,
professional publications, presentations, projects
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15. Recommended Resources
 ALA Core Competencies, http://
www.ala.org/ala/educationcareers/careers/corecomp/corecompet
 ALA Process, Policies, Procedures http://
www.ala.org/ala/accreditedprograms/standards/AP3Secon
dEdition_revised1-09-11.pdf
 Norton, M.J., “The University of Southern Mississippi
School of Library and Information Science Distance
Education History and Programs,” in Barron, Daniel D.,
ed., Benchmarks in Distance Education: The LIS Experience.
Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2003.
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