About SIRLS

Contact the School:

E-mail: sirls@email.arizona.edu
Phone: (520) 621-3565
Fax: (520) 621-3279
URL: http://sirls.arizona.edu
SIRLS does not accept unsolicited advertisements via fax, phone, email, or mail.

School of Information Resources & Library Science
The University of Arizona
1515 East First Street
Tucson, AZ 85719

Main Office: Room 3
Fall & Spring Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Summer Hours: Monday - Friday, 7:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.

Welcome from the Director

Welcome to SIRLS!

Jana Bradley

 

Welcome to the School of Information Resources & Library Science at the University of Arizona! At SIRLS you will find opportunities to prepare for a meaningful and exciting career in the library and information professions in the 21st Century. Your education here will provide the foundation you need to work with print and digital information, both in and outside of libraries.

Our faculty will advise you about the many options you will have upon graduation whether you want to be an academic or a public librarian, an information systems manager, or a children's librarian. From archives to information architecture, you will gain a foundation here that can openly lead to many opportunities.

SIRLS has pioneered in distance education since 1985, and our combination of on-campus and virtual instruction provides assurance that you can have the convenience of taking classes from your home or workplace combined with opportunities to meet face to face with your instructors and your colleagues, and to utilize in depth the rich library and computer resources here at the University of Arizona.

SIRLS is proud to be the home of Knowledge River. Supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Knowledge River is a center for the study of Hispanic and Native American library and information issues and for the recruitment and education of Hispanic and Native American librarians. The research, new interdisciplinary courses, and other programs of enrichment will enhance the quality of life here in Arizona.

If you have questions about the program or the library and information professions in the 21st Century, please e-mail us at SIRLS@email.arizona.edu, or me directly at janabrad@email.arizona.edu.

Director Jana Bradley

Job Openings at SIRLS

Job Openings at SIRLS

All positions at SIRLS go through the university's online system UACareerTrack.

Currently Hiring

The current Director of SIRLS, Professor Jana Bradley, has announced that she is stepping down from the Directorship, at the end of her five year term (6/30/2009), and joining the faculty as a professor.

The University has started a search to fill this position.

Job Title: Director
Department: 3206-Sch Of Info Res & Library Sci
Job Number: 41204

To review the posting, see SIRLS Director Position and please work through the UA Career Track applicant site at http://www.hr.arizona.edu

A position has recently opened (this notice is June 24 2008). This position is for the Knowledge River Program Manager.

Job Title: Program Manager
Department: 3206-Sch Of Info Res & Library Sci
Job Number: 41205


To review the posting, please work through the UA Career Track applicant site at http://www.hr.arizona.edu

Student Resources

Job and placement information for students can be found at Job Resources.

Knowledge River

Knowledge River

Knowledge River Homepage on its own Website.

Knowledge River, at the School of Information Resources and Library Science at the University of Arizona, is a center for the study of library and information issues, services and technologies related to Hispanics and Native Americans. Knowledge River educates culturally and linguistically sensitive library and information professionals to serve and represent these communities within the field.

Knowledge River: Spanning the Digital Divide

Hispanics and Native Americans are statistically among the poorest and least educated people in the United States. They need services and support of all kinds to improve their standard of living. Knowing how to find and use information resources and technologies can significantly increase their opportunities for general well being, education, employment and participation in community life.

Knowledge River, at the University of Arizona, is a center for the study of information resources and technology issues related to Native Americans and Hispanics. Envisioned as a national effort, it is located in an area with deep historical roots in both of these communities. We seek partners from the private and public sectors to help create a more equal footing for Hispanics and American Indians in the Information Age.

The Digital Divide, for Hispanics and Native Americans, is not limited to a gap in home computer ownership. Social inequities leave many persons from these populations without the personal or community information, communication and education resources they need to fully engage in the rich new information environment.

Knowledge River's mission is simple: nothing less than a major concerted effort, by an entity totally devoted to attacking the full spectrum of Digital Divide problems Hispanic Americans and Native Americans face, can meet this challenge head-on. Current efforts are too disparate and uncoordinated. Ways must be found to accelerate the rate of involvement with, and acceptance of, information and information technologies as potential solutions to many problems confronted by Hispanics and Native Americans. And these options must be presented with respect to cultural integrity, and appropriateness of design and function. Attention must be given to the differences within and among these groups as well as the similarities.

Knowledge River, spearheaded by the University of Arizona's School of Information Resources and Library Science in collaboration with the University of Arizona Libraries and several departments on campus, is devoted to gaining specific knowledge of our target groups, state of the art information technologies and innovative education methods. In addition, a variety of scholars and experts from across the nation in areas as varied as information policy, high tech industries, media outlets, information and computer science, information seeking behaviors, educational methods, Spanish and Native American languages and culture, museums, and community outreach will join with members of Hispanic and Native American communities to work on an agenda of outcomes that will aggregately empower them as information creators, seekers and users.

Knowledge River's Goals are:

Knowledge River in the News:

For more information, please Knowledge River at 520-621-3958 or janabrad@email.arizona.edu or visit the Knowledge River website at http://knowledgeriver.arizona.edu/

Libraries in the Next Decade

Libraries in the Next Decade,

a discussion with SIRLS Director, Jana Bradley

Recently, I was asked three questions about libraries in the next decade, as part of a survey of library school directors. I would like to share my answers with the SIRLS community.

1. Describe your vision of the direction libraries will take in the next decade. What do you expect to change? What will stay the same?

In the next decade, I expect successful libraries will be those that continue to adapt the principles and practices of librarianship to the changing knowledge and information environment of the next decade. These changes are highly visible as technological changes, specifically the increasing dominance of networked knowledge and information, but other changes in society are also having an impact on the knowledge and information environment, including economic and political changes, the increasingly global nature of the knowledge and information environment and the needs and pressures of multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-lingual societies. In terms of specific directions for the adaptations, I would expect several, already in process, to continue. I would expect that libraries will continue to see decreases in walk-in reference traffic and will continue to explore ways to be useful to their constituencies at the point of constituency need and request. I would expect that libraries will continue to rethink the role of the physical library as a destination, identifying the needs, within a community context, such as the needs of groups like parents and young children, and retiring baby boomers. I would expect that libraries, especially academic libraries, will continue to struggle with what the print collection should look like, in terms of shape, size and usage statistics. I would expect that more and more libraries will focus on shaping their collections, both print and digital, in direct response to user needs. I would expect that more and more libraries will assume roles in creating collections of digital materials of importance to their local communities and making them available globally. I expect that the role of the library as a creator and publisher of information will develop in response to the local needs of constituencies. I expect that we will continue to see the convergence of the information professions, and we will continue to see information professionals of different kinds working in libraries and librarians working in different kinds of information contexts. I would hope to see librarians continue to articulate the knowledge and skills they bring to the mix of information professionals. I would expect to see more innovative collaborations and partnerships across boundaries, including boundaries between disciplines and professions, between business and the academy, between institutions and their communities, and among nations. In the best scenario I can imagine, the relevance of the knowledge and skills of the LIS profession to the emerging environment will continue to be recognized and the profession will continue to be highly relevant to society as the decade progresses.

2. Describe your library school.

Our vision statement reads: Through research, education and service, SIRLS influences the understanding, interpretation, creation, and use of the emerging knowledge and information environment of the 21st Century.

Our mission is two-fold:

Under our new degree requirements, effective spring 2006, our students will take core courses in the foundations of the profession, organization of information, research methods (in order to foster evidence-based librarianship and make them knowledgeable consumers of research) and ethics for library and information professionals. In addition, they will be required to choose at least one course from four lists of electives: management courses, reference and collection development courses, technology courses, and courses about library and information issues from cultural perspectives. Additional electives are available in knowledge organization, including cataloging and metadata management; online searching; information literacy instruction; information technology in libraries; economics of information; networking technologies; user interface design; digital libraries and more. SIRLS is the home of the nationally known Knowledge River program which fosters the study of library and information issues from Latino and Native American perspectives and also provides a scholarship program in these areas. The presence of Knowledge River has resulted in a rich array of courses that include the examination of topics from multicultural perspectives, such as Indigenous Information Services, Information Policy: Culture Perspectives, and Culture and Information Technology.

3. How is your library school preparing students for your future vision?

Our students’ careers will last well into the 21st century. We are striving to give them foundational knowledge in the principles and practices of the library and information professions. We also encourage them to engage with the emerging information environment so that they can practice adapting principles to changing situations. We strive to have a range of elective options that bridge the classic and the emerging aspects of libraries and information contexts. We also strive to include theoretical and conceptual perspectives in library and information science that will enable students to adapt to changing practices. Increasingly, we are striving to develop innovative ways to connect students with the best in contemporary librarianship and other information fields. For example, through a partnership with SIRLS and Phoenix area librarians, a new group, called Phoenix Friends of SIRLS has been formed to encourage the interaction between students and the profession and to develop innovative programming for the benefit of all. And finally, we are encouraging students to undertake their own voyage of discovery as they move through the program, discovering their professional identity now and what they want it to be in the incredibly diverse and exciting world of the library and information professions.

Jana Bradley

June, 2005

SIRLS Vision, Mission, and Goals

SIRLS Vision, Mission, and Goals

The School of Information Resources and Library Science (SIRLS) is an academic department and a professional school in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at The University of Arizona, Arizona’s only public land grant university. The Library and Information Science disciplines (LIS) and interdisciplinary perspectives relevant to knowledge and information resources comprise the intellectual foundations of the school.

Vision Statement

Through research, education and service, SIRLS influences the interdisciplinary understanding, interpretation, creation, and use of the emerging knowledge and information environment of the 21st Century.

Mission

SIRLS’ Mission is two-fold.

Goals

1. Master’s Education for the Library and Information Professions

SIRLS provides education at the master’s level for the library and information professions focusing on services and technologies for the creation, organization, management, access and use of knowledge and information resources in libraries and other information settings and environments.

2. Creation of New Knowledge in the Library and Information Fields

SIRLS faculty conducts original scholarly inquiry and research relating to the creation, organization, management, access and use of knowledge and information resources in a multitude of settings and cultural communities. Through the dissemination of these results in the library and information communities, other relevant communities, and society at large, the SIRLS faculty fosters dialogue about professional and societal issues important to the knowledge and information environment of the 21st Century.

3. Diversity Woven Throughout the Fabric of SIRLS

SIRLS strives to weave diverse perspectives into the fabric of all its activities by achieving diversity in its student body, faculty and staff and by integrating diverse perspectives on library and information issues into its curriculum, research and outreach activities.

4. Service, Outreach, and Community

SIRLS acts as a catalyst for enhancing knowledge and information resources, technologies and services in Arizona , the Southwest, and the nation through connections and interactions with the library and information professional communities, with employers in library and other information-based settings, and with other disciplines and constituencies interested in knowledge and information issues in a changing society.

5. Networked Digital Knowledge and Information in a Changing Society

SIRLS faculty and students develop evolving understanding of the creation, distribution, organization, management and use of digital networked knowledge and information resources and the professional, cultural, and societal issues arising in the changing technological and global environment of the 21 st Century.

6. Continuum of Education for Library and Information Work

While the education of library and information professionals at the master’s level is SIRLS’ primary educational focus, SIRLS makes smaller but important contributions to library and information education at the pre- and post-master’s level, within the scope of its resources.

Student Accomplishments

Student Accomplishments

SIRLS students have been busy winning accolades, scholarships, fellowships, and presenting papers. This page will highlight what our students have been up to -- and what they will be doing in the future.

Fellowships

David Lehman and Heather Phillips have been named Law Library Fellows for the duration of their programs

Awards

Sol Gomez won the Student to Staff Essay Competition to attend the ALA conference in Orlando, June 2004.

Paper/Poster Presentations

Smita Joshipura presented a paper on "Code of Ethics for Collection Developers" in the College and University Libraries Division of AzLA in December 2002. She also presented a poster session on "Blazing an Information Access Trail" at AzLA in December 2003.

Shawn Nelson co-presented a poster on "DLIST: Opening LIS Research and Access" at the JCDL conference in June 2003. She also received the Student Volunteer Award to help with the costs of attendance.

Service

Shawn Nelson will be serving as a virtual member on the Leadership Committee for the College Library Section of the ACRL for a two-year term, 2004-2006.

Publishing

Danielle Carlock co-published an article with UA librarian Jeanne Pfander on their development of the "Arizona Electronic Atlas," an interactive, GIS resource at the UA Library.

Personal Activities

Jennifer Beyer is an advisor for Phi Theta Kappa at Mohave Community College's Kingman Campus. At this year's Arizona Regional Convention, she received the Horizon Award in recognition for her growth and contributions as a new advisor. Her chapter has also earned the highest rating awarded.

  
 

Student Competencies and Learning Outcomes

Student Competencies and Learning Outcomes

A. Foundational Understandings and Abilities

A1) Students will demonstrate understanding of basic principles, concepts, and terminology related to the creation, organization, management, access, and use of knowledge and information and will demonstrate the ability to apply them to practical problems.

A2) Students will demonstrate understanding of the nature of research, research methods and the role of research in library and information science and additionally, demonstrate the ability to apply research findings to practical problems.

A3) Students will demonstrate understanding of the use of information and communication technologies in the provision of information resources and services in libraries and other settings.

B. Disciplinary Knowledge and its Application

B4) Students will demonstrate knowledge of the principles of organization and representation of knowledge and their application to library and information collections and services in their areas of career interest.

B5) Students will demonstrate knowledge of types of library and information professions, settings, services, and roles and be able to analyze key issues and potential approaches to these in the areas of their career interest.

B6) Students will demonstrate knowledge of the management of information resources, services and organizations and apply this knowledge to their areas of career interest.

B7) Students will demonstrate knowledge of the roles of interdisciplinary, interprofessional, and community collaboration and alliances in the provision of library and information services.

C. Ethics and Values in Library and Information Science

C8) Students will demonstrate an understanding of how diversity contributes to the library and information professions and analyze information issues from diverse perspectives.

C9) Students will demonstrate an understanding of the values and service orientation of the library and information professions and their applications in their areas of career interest.

C10) Students will demonstrate the ability to recognize and analyze ethical issues and dilemmas in library and information settings and propose reasoned courses of action.

Learning Outcomes Assessment

The learning outcomes can be reconfigured as a checklist against which student portfolios can be reviewed in a process involving self-, peer-, and faculty assessment.

Student Pages

Student Pages

Home Pages

<Coming soon>
Are you a SIRLS student? Send us information about your website: sirls@email.arizona.edu

Web Resources Developed by Our Students
(while at SIRLS)

Send an email to sirls@email.arizona.edu if you have developed a site while a student at SIRLS.

 
 

The University of Arizona Resources and Links

The University of Arizona

UofA Library 1914
UA Library, c.1914

 

In General

Our Academic Structure

Courses & Catalogs

Administrative Links

Books & Technology