Wayne State University

Aim Higher

Mission and Goals

Vision Statement

Wayne State University's School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) educates students for careers within the information profession and to be leaders and advocates for the multiplicity of roles information and its providers play within societies. The SLIS offers its students innovative, collegial, and stimulating intellectual and physical environments. Situated within one of the nation's major urban research universities, the SLIS benefits from its close proximity to numerous libraries, archives, and preeminent cultural institutions while also deploying an array of robust online tools and environments. The School provides opportunities for research and practice excellence within multicultural, diverse, and global settings.

Mission Statement

Aligned with Wayne State University's missions of preeminence in teaching, learning, research, and service, the mission of the School of Library and Information Science is to prepare students to assume professional and leadership roles in dynamic and evolving library and information environments. The School is committed to excellence in all of these areas.   

Goals and Objectives

RESEARCH: The SLIS will foster, facilitate, and support research by faculty and students.  

  • The SLIS will assist students in appreciating the importance of research within practice, and for developing theoretical approaches to library and information science.
  • The SLIS will foster student engagement in research,through courses and directed studies, and other independent learning opportunities. 
  • The SLIS will support students in presenting their research in courses, at conferences, and through publication. 
  • The SLIS will support faculty research and scholarly communication
  • The SLIS will cultivate faculty engagement with student research experiences and skill development.

TEACHING:  The SLIS will encourage and teach professional approaches and a service philosophy.

  • The SLIS will provide the skills and dispositions for excellence in information service delivery.
  • The SLIS will offer opportunities to sustain professional growth and achievement, including career mentoring.
  • The SLIS will expose students to the historical, social, cultural, educational, political, and economic dimensions of information and information agencies.
  • The SLIS will educate students in the history, philosophies, theories, principles, policies, and ethics of library and information science.
  • The SLIS will inculcate the importance of career-long professional learning. 

SERVICE:  The SLIS will be engaged within the diverse communities and world of which we are a part.

  • The SLIS will seek diversity among the faculty.
  • The SLIS will seek diversity and facilitate inclusion among the student body.
  • The SLIS will address the roles of library and information services in a diverse global society, paying particular attention to the underserved. 
  • The SLIS will facilitate student experience in multicultural and multiethnic information environments.
  • The SLIS will integrate urban issues across its curriculum, activities, and provide opportunities for community engagement and professional growth. 

LEADERSHIP:  The SLIS will foster leadership in traditional as well as interdisciplinary research, scholarship, and practices that address important information and library issues.  

  • The SLIS will engage the library community, alumni, and employers.  
  • The SLIS will promote commitment and involvement in professional associations and organizations 
  • The SLIS will encourage involvement in the community and community organizations.
  • The SLIS will support service activities and participation in leadership roles at the School, University, local, state, national, and international levels.

TECHNOLOGY:  The SLIS will educate within and for an evolving technological world.

  • The SLIS will continuously evaluate and apply technologies to its teaching, learning, research, and service programs.
  • The SLIS will enable all students to assess critically the effective uses of technologies in information practice.
  • The SLIS will assist students in understanding the roles of information technologies.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the SLIS, students who successfully complete the Master of Library and Information Science degree will be able to:

  • Understand the interactions between societal factors (e.g. cultural, economic, political) and information environments.
  • Critically evaluate, synthesize, and disseminate information.
  • Articulate the importance and value of the profession and its basic ethics such as    intellectual freedom, information access and dissemination and apply these concepts to the advancement of the profession.
  • Identify the significance of intellectual property, security, and privacy issues.
  • Recognize the value of professional ethics, teaching, service, research, and continuing education to the advancement of the profession.
  • Facilitate access to, use of, and communication between information resources and information users.
  • Understand and apply multiple and emerging approaches to the organization of knowledge, published literatures, and records.
  • Develop and apply current management and leadership theories and practices.
  • Adopt and utilize the most relevant information technologies.
  • Read, evaluate, and apply library and information science research to problems of professional practice employing theories, best practices, and assessment strategies to the range of information functions.