The School of Information Management at Dalhousie University has changed the name of its Master of Library and Information Studies program to the Master of Information.
"We want it to be more inclusive of all the career options possible through the degree," says SIM director Sandra Toze. "It reflects the transitions within the library profession, as well as the emerging opportunities of digital transformation, data management, community engagement and human-centred design."
Possible career paths for graduates include anything that involves organizing and connecting people to information: librarian, archivist, information architect, museum collections specialist, data management expert and more.
The School is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and its degree program has evolved as digital information has become common. Dr. Toze explains that the new name will help recruit students and faculty who are interested in the competitive areas of data analytics and information systems. "The MI will provide a broad umbrella under which the program can grow in multiple directions."
Those looking to become librarians will still have a home in the MI program. The name change does not affect the program's accreditation from the American Library Association. "We're committed to educating librarians and will continue to work with all our professional librarian partners to ensure our curriculum and courses fit the needs of the profession," says Dr. Toze.
Rachel Fry (MI 19) was given the choice of an MI or MLIS designation when she graduated this year. She says she put a lot of thought into it, but in the end it was an easy decision. "I wanted to keep my options open," she says. "I like having a broad term to describe everything I learned in my degree. I still feel connected to the library world; I describe myself as a librarian, but this lets me expand the definition."
The structure and content of the program, which includes a 100-hour practicum in a library or other information management environment, remains the same. Students can choose a concentration in librarianship, youth librarianship, archives or one of the emerging areas of the information profession, such as data management, which includes courses on data visualization and geospatial information management (GIS). Other concentrations include user-centred design and information management & policy.
