University of Toronto Faculty of Information Studies
Encyclopedia
The Faculty of Information is a graduate unit within the University of Toronto
and is devoted to the study of information science
. It is located on St. George Campus, in the Claude Bissell
building, at 140 St. George Street, which is attached to John P. Robarts Research Library.
History =
The FI was originally founded as the University of Toronto Library School within the Ontario College of Education in 1928 and was housed at 315 Bloor Street. In 1965, the School was designated as an independent unit within the university and and became known as the School of Library Science and thus moved it quarters to 167 College Street and 256 McCaul Street. In 1971, SLS moved again to its present location at 140 St. George Street . In 1972, the name changed to the Faculty of Library Science (FLS), as the school attained faculty status . The names was changed again to the Faculty of Library and Information Science (FLIS) in 1982 and then the Faculty of Information Studies (FIS) in 1994 . In 2004, FIS joined the iSchool Caucus and accordingly in 2008, it was renamed the Faculty of Information (FI), also identifying itself as "the iSchool
at Toronto".
The faculty has offered a variety of degrees since its inception, which at the same time reflect the changing requirements of entry into librarianship and more recently, into other information professions. Between 1928 and 1936, it offered one-year university Diploma in Librarianship, and from 1936 to 1970, a one-year Bachelor of Library Science degree, which was accredited by the American Library Association
in 1937. The late 1960s saw the emergence of the Master of Library Science (MLS) degree as the first professional degree in librarianship, which was introduced in the School in 1970 and required four semesters to complete . Doctoral program, leading to a Doctor of Philosophy was established in 1971, with Claire England holding the first Ph.D. in library science that was awarded in Canada in 1974 . In 1988, the faculty began to offer a Master of Information Science (MIS) degree. In 1995, the MLS and MIS degrees were both replaced with the Master of Information Studies (MISt) degree, which had three areas of specialization: archival studies, information systems, and library and information science. The name of the degree was changed to Master of Information (MI) in 2009.
Since 2006, when the Department of of Museum Studies became part of FIS, the faculty began to offer a Master of Museum Studies degree .
Programs =
The Faculty of Information currently offers three master's degrees: Master of Information (MI), Master of Museum Studies (MMSt), and Juris Doctor/Master of Information (JD/MI) (offered jointly by the FI and the Faculty of Law) .In addition, students can also enroll in a Ph.D. program and Graduate Diploma of Advanced Study in Information Studies (DAIS) .
The MI degree is accredited by the American Library Association
and those pursuing this program have the option of enrolling in one of five areas of specialization: Archives and Records Management (ARM), Critical Information Studies (CIS), Information Systems and Design (ISD), Knowledge Management and Information Management (KMIM), and Library and Information Science (LIS) . Students are also able to create their own areas of specialization in consultation with their academic advisors or enroll in one of the eight collaborative programs.. The degree also allows for a thesis option and for enrolling in Specialization in Identity, Privacy and Security .
The FI also provides graduate education in museum studies, which is both academic and professional program, and students are awarded a Master of Museum Studies degree upon graduation . The program allows students to complete a summer internship between the first and second years of study .
Collaborative Programs =
Collaborative programs are open to all students enrolled in the MI and and Ph.D. programs . They are designed to allow students to focus on specialized subject interests and since they are a result of cooperation between different graduate units at the university, separate admission process is required of those who wish enter them . Currently, there are eight collaborative programs available: Book History and Print Culture, based at Massey College
, Knowledge Media Design, Addiction Studies, Aging, Palliative and Supportive Care Across the Life Course, Centre for Environment, Knowledge Media Design, Sexual Diversity Studies, Women's Health, and Women and Gender Studies .
MMSt students are allowed to enroll in Book History and Print Culture and Sexual Diversity Studies programs..
Inforum =
Inforum is the library as well as a styled "academic and community hub" at the FI . It contains a specialized collection devoted to the studies at the FI, including library and information science, knowledge management, information systems and design, and other related areas.. It also includes a special collection on subject analysis system .
Faculty of Information Quarterly =
The Faculty of Information Quarterly (F/IQ), is a scholarly, peer-reviewed, open-access e-journal founded and operated entirely by students at the FI. .The mission of F/IQ is to create an intellectual space for the information community to analyse and critically assess the divergent topics that comprise the field's study and practice, and to define and direct the iSchool movement through scholarly and professional communications as a means to fostering collective identity among students, faculty and practitioners of the field . F/IQ was first published in October, 2008 .
The journal accepts submissions from both established and emerging scholars and practitioners in information-related fields, such as archival science, information systems, library science, museum studies and others .
Published four times a year, F/IQ includes original research, guest editorials, interviews with senior scholars and professionals in the field, and book reviews. It uses Open Journal Systems (OJS), an open source
software for the management of peer-review journals, created by the Public Knowledge Project
, released under the GNU General Public License
.
Alumni Association =
The Faculty of Information Alumni Association (FIAA) was first founded in 1929 and represents over 6,700 graduates of the FI. It sponsors a number of events and programs, including Job Shadowing and publishes an online magazine, Informed, dedicated to news about the FI, faculty and alumni.
Student and Alumni Success =
The students and graduates of the iSchool have enjoyed considerable career success. Between their first and second year of study, many iSchool students take summer jobs with a variety of information organizations, including Library and Archives Canada
, the Library of Parliament
, the University of Toronto Libraries
and other locations. Many of these summer positions are funded by special government programs such as the Federal Student Work Experience Program, Young Canada Works and various provincial programs.
According to the most recent salary survey (2005) on the Faculty's website, the median salary of FIS graduates is approximately $49,000 per year. Of the 104 students who received the MISt degree in 2005, 33 responded to the survey. Given the considerable increase in the Faculty's enrollment (the 2007-2008 academic saw approximately two hundred students start their program that year), it is unclear if this change will affect employment.
External links =
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
and is devoted to the study of information science
Information science
-Introduction:Information science is an interdisciplinary science primarily concerned with the analysis, collection, classification, manipulation, storage, retrieval and dissemination of information...
. It is located on St. George Campus, in the Claude Bissell
Claude Bissell
Claude Thomas Bissell, was a Canadian author and educator.-Biography:He was the eighth president of the University of Toronto from 1958 to 1971. He played a major part in the expansion of the University of Toronto, tripling the size of the university during his tenure.He was born in Meaford,...
building, at 140 St. George Street, which is attached to John P. Robarts Research Library.
The FI was originally founded as the University of Toronto Library School within the Ontario College of Education in 1928 and was housed at 315 Bloor Street. In 1965, the School was designated as an independent unit within the university and and became known as the School of Library Science and thus moved it quarters to 167 College Street and 256 McCaul Street. In 1971, SLS moved again to its present location at 140 St. George Street . In 1972, the name changed to the Faculty of Library Science (FLS), as the school attained faculty status . The names was changed again to the Faculty of Library and Information Science (FLIS) in 1982 and then the Faculty of Information Studies (FIS) in 1994 . In 2004, FIS joined the iSchool Caucus and accordingly in 2008, it was renamed the Faculty of Information (FI), also identifying itself as "the iSchool
ISchool
An information school, I-School or iSchool is an emergent label of university departments or independent institutions committed to understanding the role of information in nature and human endeavors...
at Toronto".
The faculty has offered a variety of degrees since its inception, which at the same time reflect the changing requirements of entry into librarianship and more recently, into other information professions. Between 1928 and 1936, it offered one-year university Diploma in Librarianship, and from 1936 to 1970, a one-year Bachelor of Library Science degree, which was accredited by the American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
in 1937. The late 1960s saw the emergence of the Master of Library Science (MLS) degree as the first professional degree in librarianship, which was introduced in the School in 1970 and required four semesters to complete . Doctoral program, leading to a Doctor of Philosophy was established in 1971, with Claire England holding the first Ph.D. in library science that was awarded in Canada in 1974 . In 1988, the faculty began to offer a Master of Information Science (MIS) degree. In 1995, the MLS and MIS degrees were both replaced with the Master of Information Studies (MISt) degree, which had three areas of specialization: archival studies, information systems, and library and information science. The name of the degree was changed to Master of Information (MI) in 2009.
Since 2006, when the Department of of Museum Studies became part of FIS, the faculty began to offer a Master of Museum Studies degree .
Directors
- 1928—1951 Winifred G. Barnstead, B.A., LLD
- 1951—1964 Bertha Bassam, B.A., B.L.S., M.S., LLD
- 1964—1972 R. Brian Land, BA, MA, BLS, MLS
Deans
- 1972 R. Brian Land, BA, MA, BLS, MLS
- 1972—1978 Francess G. Halpenny, CC, BA, MA, LLD, DLitt, FRSC
- 1979—1984 Katherine H. Packer, BA, AMLS, PhD
- 1984—1990 Ann H. Schabas, BA, AM, BLS, MA, PhD
- 1990—1995 Adele M. Fasick, BA, MA, MSLS, PhD
- 1995—2003 Lynne Howarth, BA, MLS, PhD
- 2003—2008 Brian Cantwell SmithBrian Cantwell SmithBrian Cantwell Smith is a scholar in the fields of cognitive science, computer science, information studies, and philosophy, especially ontology. His research has focused on the foundations and philosophy of computing, both in the practice and theory of computer science, and in the use of...
, BSc, MSc, PhD - 2008—2009 Jens-Erik Mai, BA, MLS, PhD (Acting Dean)
- 2009—present Seamus Ross, BA, MA, DPhil
Programs =
The Faculty of Information currently offers three master's degrees: Master of Information (MI), Master of Museum Studies (MMSt), and Juris Doctor/Master of Information (JD/MI) (offered jointly by the FI and the Faculty of Law) .In addition, students can also enroll in a Ph.D. program and Graduate Diploma of Advanced Study in Information Studies (DAIS) .
The MI degree is accredited by the American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
and those pursuing this program have the option of enrolling in one of five areas of specialization: Archives and Records Management (ARM), Critical Information Studies (CIS), Information Systems and Design (ISD), Knowledge Management and Information Management (KMIM), and Library and Information Science (LIS) . Students are also able to create their own areas of specialization in consultation with their academic advisors or enroll in one of the eight collaborative programs.. The degree also allows for a thesis option and for enrolling in Specialization in Identity, Privacy and Security .
The FI also provides graduate education in museum studies, which is both academic and professional program, and students are awarded a Master of Museum Studies degree upon graduation . The program allows students to complete a summer internship between the first and second years of study .
Collaborative Programs =
Collaborative programs are open to all students enrolled in the MI and and Ph.D. programs . They are designed to allow students to focus on specialized subject interests and since they are a result of cooperation between different graduate units at the university, separate admission process is required of those who wish enter them . Currently, there are eight collaborative programs available: Book History and Print Culture, based at Massey College
Massey College
Massey College is a postgraduate residential college at the University of Toronto, established in 1963 with an endowment by the Massey Foundation. Similar to All Souls College, Oxford, members of Massey College are nominated from the university community, and are elected by and as fellows of the...
, Knowledge Media Design, Addiction Studies, Aging, Palliative and Supportive Care Across the Life Course, Centre for Environment, Knowledge Media Design, Sexual Diversity Studies, Women's Health, and Women and Gender Studies .
MMSt students are allowed to enroll in Book History and Print Culture and Sexual Diversity Studies programs..
Inforum =
Inforum is the library as well as a styled "academic and community hub" at the FI . It contains a specialized collection devoted to the studies at the FI, including library and information science, knowledge management, information systems and design, and other related areas.. It also includes a special collection on subject analysis system .
Faculty of Information Quarterly =
The Faculty of Information Quarterly (F/IQ), is a scholarly, peer-reviewed, open-access e-journal founded and operated entirely by students at the FI. .The mission of F/IQ is to create an intellectual space for the information community to analyse and critically assess the divergent topics that comprise the field's study and practice, and to define and direct the iSchool movement through scholarly and professional communications as a means to fostering collective identity among students, faculty and practitioners of the field . F/IQ was first published in October, 2008 .
The journal accepts submissions from both established and emerging scholars and practitioners in information-related fields, such as archival science, information systems, library science, museum studies and others .
Published four times a year, F/IQ includes original research, guest editorials, interviews with senior scholars and professionals in the field, and book reviews. It uses Open Journal Systems (OJS), an open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
software for the management of peer-review journals, created by the Public Knowledge Project
Public Knowledge Project
The Public Knowledge Project is a non-profit research initiative of the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia, the Canadian Centre for Studies in Publishing at Simon Fraser University, the Simon Fraser University Library , and Stanford University...
, released under the GNU General Public License
GNU General Public License
The GNU General Public License is the most widely used free software license, originally written by Richard Stallman for the GNU Project....
.
Alumni Association =
The Faculty of Information Alumni Association (FIAA) was first founded in 1929 and represents over 6,700 graduates of the FI. It sponsors a number of events and programs, including Job Shadowing and publishes an online magazine, Informed, dedicated to news about the FI, faculty and alumni.
Student and Alumni Success =
The students and graduates of the iSchool have enjoyed considerable career success. Between their first and second year of study, many iSchool students take summer jobs with a variety of information organizations, including Library and Archives Canada
Library and Archives Canada
Library and Archives Canada is a national memory institution dedicated to providing the best possible account of Canadian life through acquiring, preserving and making Canada's documentary heritage accessible for use in the 21st century and beyond...
, the Library of Parliament
Library of Parliament
The Library of Parliament is the main information repository and research resource for the Parliament of Canada...
, the University of Toronto Libraries
University of Toronto Libraries
The University of Toronto Libraries is the library system of the University of Toronto, comprising about 30 individual libraries that hold more than 10 million bound volumes and 5 million microform volumes...
and other locations. Many of these summer positions are funded by special government programs such as the Federal Student Work Experience Program, Young Canada Works and various provincial programs.
According to the most recent salary survey (2005) on the Faculty's website, the median salary of FIS graduates is approximately $49,000 per year. Of the 104 students who received the MISt degree in 2005, 33 responded to the survey. Given the considerable increase in the Faculty's enrollment (the 2007-2008 academic saw approximately two hundred students start their program that year), it is unclear if this change will affect employment.
External links =
- Faculty of Information
- Inforum
- Ex Libris Association: Library Education Chronologies A chronology of the FI by former director, R. Brian Land
- University of Toronto