The School of Library and Information Science has a rich history at San José State University (SJSU), dating back to 1928. Since that time, the school has evolved to keep pace with ongoing growth in the information professions, expanding course offerings and adding new degree and certificate programs.

As of August 1, 2014, the SJSU School of Library and Information Science will be known as the SJSU School of Information.

“We are excited to introduce a new name for the school that is more inclusive of all our educational programs and reflects the diverse career opportunities our graduates will have in the information professions,” said Dr. Sandra Hirsh, director of the SJSU School of Information.

While the school’s name is changing, the names of graduate degrees offered by the school are not changing. The SJSU School of Information continues to offer a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science (MLIS) and a Master’s degree in Archives and Records Administration (MARA).  

“Although the word ‘library’ no longer appears in the school’s name, librarianship remains an integral part of our school’s mission,” said Hirsh. Indeed, the school’s MLIS degree recently received full reaccreditation through 2021 from the American Library Association, and many MLIS program graduates pursue careers in libraries and other types of information centers.

The SJSU School of Information began offering a Master’s degree in Library Science in 1954, and the degree name was updated to an MLIS in 1994 to better reflect the breadth and depth of courses offered. In 2008, the school added the MARA program, its second graduate degree program. The school also offers the San José Gateway PhD program in partnership with Queensland University of Technology.

In addition, the school offers professional development and continuing education opportunities through its Post-Master’s Certificate in Library and Information Science program, i.School Open Classes program, and through free, not-for-credit massive open online courses (MOOCs), such as this fall’s The Emerging Future: Technology Issues and Trends.

Whether students are interested in a career in librarianship or other information fields, they will find courses they need taught by award-winning faculty at the SJSU School of Information. The school’s graduates pursue a broad range of careers, such as information governance, data visualization, digital asset management, information architecture, user experience design, and management of corporate records centers.

The SJSU School of Information’s full-time faculty members discussed options for a new school name and voted on the name change during a May 2013 faculty retreat. In fall 2013, SJSU committees reviewed the name change request, which was officially approved by the SJSU provost in January 2014. The new school name is being introduced in August, coinciding with the start of the 2014/2015 academic year.