Library and Information Science graduate program cited among top ten

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Contact:
Andrew Wertheim, (808) 956-7321
Program Chair, Library and Information Sciences
Posted: Feb 2, 2012

LIS graduates at Fall 2011 Commencement
LIS graduates at Fall 2011 Commencement
For the fifth consecutive year, the school library media specialization in the Library and Information Science (LIS) Graduate Program has been recognized as one of the top ten programs in the nation by the U.S. News and World Report in its “America’s Best Graduate Schools 2012.” It was ranked eighth in the top ten. U.S. News and World Report analyzes more than 12,000 different graduate program areas for this special report. Rankings are based on expert opinions regarding program quality and statistical indicators that measure the quality of the faculty, research, and students.
 
The LIS Program is a master’s program in the College of Natural Sciences, Department of Information and Computer Sciences (ICS). Martha Crosby, ICS Department chair, commented: “The ICS department is extremely proud of the five year sustained record of excellence made by the LIS program’s school library media specialization for having the U.S. News and World Report name it in the top ten out of more than 12,000 different graduate program areas programs nationally.”
 
The graduates of the LIS Program make up 85% of the Hawaiʻi DOE’s school library workforce. Several of them have received national recognition. In 2007, Kapolei High School Library led by Carolyn Kirio and Sandy Yamamoto was cited as the National School Library Media Program of the Year by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL). This year, Kailua Elementary Library was selected as one of 35 exemplary programs across the nation by the AASL and librarian Darren Tanaka was commended for his innovative approaches to learning.
 
In 2009, the LIS Program received a $250,000 federal grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to design and implement training for teams of high school teachers and librarians working on capstone research projects with their students. This three-year grant enables the Program to support the state’s P-20 initiative.
 
For more information on the U.S News and World Report rankings of America's Best Graduate Schools, visit www.usnews.com/grad.
 
For more information on the UHM Library and Information Science Program, visit: http://www.hawaii.edu/lis/ or contact Program Chair Dr. Andrew Wertheimer at 808-956-7321 or email Wertheim@hawaii.edu.