LISAA
Welcome Alumni and Alumnae--
The UCLA Department of Information Studies has changed and evolved over the years since we first admitted students to the School of Library Service in 1958. We've changed names and our administrative structure in the University. We are now the Department of Information Studies, located in the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies.
What hasn't changed is our commitment to a quality graduate education in the information fields. All of our previous deans and chairs have been committed to a strong multidisciplinary academic program that prepares future professionals and scholars for careers of service and leadership. We have had the Masters of Library and Information Science degree (though its name has also changed) for years, expanding its scope from the training of librarians to include students who are interested in developing and leading innovative information services in an array of settings including libraries, museums, and online. Our PhD program has been a leading program since 1995, allowing students to explore a topic of "information" in depth. More recently, we have developed a Moving Image Archival Studies degree with our colleagues in film. This is an elite, world-leading program that prepares students for future careers developing information services centered on film and other moving image formats.
Whenever you graduated, and whatever your degree, we are proud of your work and your impact in the world. Your dedication is more than a job or even a career—we share a conviction that effective information services transform and inspire lives in all strata of society in California, the US, and beyond.
This year (2011-2012) will be my third year for as Chair of the Information Studies Department. We have lots of initiatives under way, including our efforts to expand our programs in the areas of preservation, special collections and the digital humanities, and in the broad field of archival studies. Our recent faculty hires in the first two areas continue to energize our programs, and we have launched a search to hire a faculty member to teach and do research in archival studies. We are also preparing for the reaccreditation of the MLIS program and the campus revue of all of our programs this year.
If you are a graduate of our programs, then you are a member of the UCLA Library and Information Studies Alumni Association (LISAA). If we haven't heard from you recently, please get in touch with us! If you are already involved, think about how you can enlarge the role you play in the life of the Department. Our graduates teach courses, serve as mentors to students, give job advice, and serve as a rich source of ideas for our curriculum. Both the Department and the alumni association have regular events to which you are invited. Please come socialize with us and get in touch with your old classmates. We hope to see you soon!
Greg Leazer
Chair, UCLA Department of Information Studies
The Library and Information Studies Alumni Association takes an active role in creating an alumni community that remains connected to the Department and to each other. We have an active board that works to plan many events throughout the year. If you are interested in volunteering or have ideas, please contact Nick Belli in the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs at nbelli@support.ucla.edu. Thank you for your interest!
