Syracuse University School of Information Studies


The Syracuse University School of Information Studies, also known as the iSchool, is a center for research and education in the policy, systems, service, and technology aspects of information management, information science, and library science. Established in 1896 as the School of Library Science, its name was changed in 1974 to reflect the growing information field. Syracuse University was the first library school to change its name in this way, hence its claim as "the original school for the information age." Starting in the 1970s, the school began to add new programs focused on information studies that aim to merge technology and management skills with an emphasis on human needs and behavior.

History

The first library science courses were offered at Syracuse University in 1896 at the University’s von Ranke library, with university librarian Henry Orrin Sibley and his wife as the first and only instructors. In 1907, the program moved to the University's Carnegie Library, and, in 1908, it received accreditation from the American Library Association. The program eventually split from the College of Liberal Arts in 1915 and began granting graduate degrees in 1934.
The School of Information Studies emerged in 1974 when Dean Robert Taylor suggested the School of Library Science adopt a name that would signal a new direction. Throughout the 1970s, he updated the library science curriculum to keep pace with the changing times. In 1977, the Education Resources Information Center Clearinghouse was launched at the school. The country’s first master's degree in information resources management was added to the curriculum in 1980.
The 1980s marked an increase in faculty research and grants that established the School of Information Studies as a leader in the field. During this time, the undergraduate program in information management and technology was introduced. In 1983, the school moved from its old home in several large houses on the edge of campus to Huntington Hall. The school's offices and classrooms moved again in 1989 to the Center for Science and Technology, which also housed the Chemistry and Computer Science programs, among others.
The 1990s brought many innovations to the school, including the master's degree program in telecommunications and network management; AskERIC, one of the first digital reference services; and distance learning options for graduate study. Several new research centers opened, including the Convergence Center, the Center for Digital Commerce, and the Center for Natural Language Processing.
As the new millennium approached, the school had outgrown its space in the Center for Science and Technology. Dean Raymond von Dran began working toward establishing a new home for the iSchool on campus, announcing his vision for the school's permanent home on the Syracuse University Quad. In 2008, von Dran's vision was realized when the School of Information Studies celebrated the iOpening of a completely redesigned Hinds Hall. The building, with its sleek and modern design, earned the American Institute of Architects Central New York Chapter Citation Award that same year.

Curriculum

The School of Information Studies offers an undergraduate degree, four master's degrees, and two doctoral degrees, as well as several certificates of advanced study.
Online options include: a Master of Science in Applied Data Science, a Master of Science in Information Management, a Master of Science in Library and Information Science, and a Master of Science in Library and Information Science: School Media.
The school also offers certificates of advanced study in the management of information security, information systems, telecommunications networks, digital libraries, school library media centers, and cultural heritage preservation.

iSchools Caucus

Syracuse's School of Information Studies formed part of the original "gang of three" that established the iSchools Caucus. Now consisting of over 65 schools around the world, the members of the iSchools Caucus foster scholarship at the intersections between information, people, and technology.

Deans

School of Library Science