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MLIS Program
2004 Randolph Avenue
Mailstop #4125
St. Paul, MN 55105

Email: imdept-at-stkate.edu
Phone: 651-690-6802

Mission Statement

The Master of Library and Information Science program at
St. Catherine University educates students in the principles, practices, and ethics of library and information science, imbues them with a sense of service to diverse populations, and prepares them to be life-long learners and active leaders in a rapidly changing information society.

Guiding Principles

We, the faculty of the Master of Library and Information Science Program at St. Catherine University:

• Believe that information is an invaluable resource that must be collected, organized, preserved, and disseminated so that all people-regardless of age, gender, race, color, creed, ethnicity, socio-economic status, political persuasion, or sexual orientation-have equal access to the information they seek.
• Maintain that intellectual freedom is vital to a democratic society. We uphold the right of all individuals to create and use resources representing diverse points of view, and we are prepared to defend those rights.
• Support the principles of our profession's codes of ethics and strive to instill in our students the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct.
• Are dedicated to teaching the theories, knowledge, and skills students need to be proficient practitioners capable of preserving the records of the past, managing current resources, and transforming the future through appropriate use of technology.
• Challenge students to become critical thinkers, active learners, and creative scholars who can and will draw upon interdisciplinary studies to contribute to the body of knowledge in our field.
• Actively encourage students to lead "from where they are," in preparation for leadership positions at their place of employment, in the profession, and in the global information society.
• Believe the interests of our profession, our communities, our nation, and our world are best served through faculty/student teaching, scholarship, and service.
• Use systematic and continuous review and evaluation processes to assure quality education, both curricular and pedagogic, and to allocate human, financial, physical, and technological resources appropriately.

Goals and Objectives

Education

The MLIS Program's first goal is to empower students to become leaders in the information professions. This component encompasses the following objectives:

1. Provide a rigorous curriculum that ensures general competencies and specializations in the fields of library and information science and encompasses ethical leadership, critical thinking, technological fluency and diverse perspectives.
2. Recruit, retain and support a highly-qualified, diverse student body.
3. Recruit, retain and support a talented, dedicated and diverse faculty who are excellent teachers as well as active participants in the library and information science professions.
4. Provide a quality learning environment for students and faculty.

Research

The MLIS Program's second goal is to contribute knowledge to advance the discipline and improve practice. This research component encompasses the following objectives:

1. Create new knowledge.
2. Disseminate research results.
3. Create and nurture a productive research environment.
4. Promote students' research.

Service

The MLIS Program's third goal is to use our expertise to serve, lead, and collaborate with our communities. This service component encompasses the following objectives:

1. Increase awareness of our program's identity and purpose to better serve our communities.
2. Serve, lead, and collaborate within the department and across academic units of St. Catherine University.
3. Serve, lead, and collaborate with academic and professional communities at the local, national, and international levels.
4. Serve, lead, and collaborate with community partners.

Sustaining Environment

The MLIS Program's fourth goal is to ensure excellence in the Program's foundations and resources to enable it to achieve its goals and objectives. This administration and resources component encompasses the following objectives:

1. Ensure ongoing planning within the MLIS program and St. Catherine University, as well as among partner institutions and individuals.
2. Ensure ongoing support for the program's learning and research environment.

Student Learning Outcomes

The outcomes of the MLIS degree program are to develop information literate, reflective practitioners who have the ability to:

1. Identify and analyze information needs and opportunities of individuals and organizations.
2. Demonstrate critical thinking by integrating relevant models, theories, research and practices.
3. Demonstrate management, interpersonal and organizational skills.
4. Demonstrate leadership and advocacy skills.
5. Communicate knowledge from library and information studies and related disciplines.
6. Demonstrate information technology fluency.
7. Demonstrate understanding of the selection, acquisition, licensing, organization, preservation, retrieval, and use of recorded knowledge and information resources.
8. Promote and model the professional values of ethical responsibility, intellectual freedom, and universal access to information.
9. Demonstrate awareness of diverse groups and how to serve them effectively.
10. Teach others to identify, analyze, organize, and use information.
11. Articulate a philosophy of service that demonstrates an understanding of the history, philosophy, principles, policies, and ethics of library and information science and technology.
12. Participate in ongoing professional development.

St. Catherine University is an equal opportunity educator and employer.