One degree, three streams: three populations?

摘要

There is a well-noted shift in library and information science (LIS) education towards breadth of disciplinary scope. The KALIPER study on LIS curriculum change found an increased focus on information technology, multi-disciplinarity, breadth and flexibility of offerings, including multiple degrees and specializations (Kaliper, 2000). This is reflected in the ways in which LIS programs have begun to position and market themselves. The recently inaugurated I-School caucus (http://www.ischools.org/oc) is the strongest expression of this trend. Among the core attributes of an "I-School" is that the faculty, "should come from various disciplines and have broad based, inclusive, multidisciplinary mindsets" (Bruce, Richardson, & Eisenberg, 2006). The curricula of the 19 member I-Schools reflect this, as they typically offer multiple degrees, and/or multiple specializations within a single degree.