Media Librarianship: Curricular Responses to the Digital Revolution 

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 by Rebecca Adler
MC Journal: The Journal of Academic Media Librarianship, v5#2, Fall 1997 

 

INTRODUCTION

Relatively long in coming and belittled along the way by skeptics, the computer revolution is insistently, unmistakably upon us. Even as temperate a historian as Gertrude Himmelfarb has stated in a recent article that only the word "revolution" can properly characterize the changes wrought in society by the computer's advent. More to the present point, Himmelfarb's article specifically deals with the profound changes the computer has introduced into library practice itself (Himmelfarb 1997). Perhaps no other profession, in fact, has been so buffeted in so short a time by the computer revolution as that of the academic media librarian. The rapid emergence of multimedia CD-ROM materials has in its way defined the change from analog to digital systems, and along with the change has come an increasingly pervasive emphasis on computer-based technologies and multimedia design and access. Moreover digital network technology -- i.e., the Internet, digital satellite systems, etc. -- and the soon-to-be-universal high definition television (HDTV) have further radicalized the information fields. Now, seemingly for the very first time, media librarians are not only selecting text, data, still and moving images, and audio materials from various sources near and far, they are also customizing these resources for information seekers. In short, they are finding themselves in the position of creating new information products and avenues and adding to the knowledge base. Indeed some speculate that the librarian has now become a creative partner in the research project at hand (Mac Cormac 1990)! 
The new situation has obviously called for drastic changes in the training of media librarians, and to be sure the best library schools have been modifying their curricula to keep abreast of evolving needs. What makes these recent changes differ from any analogous situation in the past has been the disparate specializatization called for by new technologies. Also pertinent is the question of whether the respective training for these specializations will, in Thomas J.Galvin's terms, eventually converge or diverge (Galvin 1995). 
In 1992 the revised ALA standards for accreditation broadened the academic rubric for library school programs from the old "librarianship" to the new "library and information studies" (Dalryimple 1997, 31). Library schools, rather than face extinction (fifteen have closed since 1976), reorganized their focus toward information science and information studies, thus trying to extend professional opportunities across settings, communities, and forms of service. 
This article presents an overview of changes made in the last few years in the respective curricula of ten leading library schools. The schools selected were among those cited for the greatest productivity of their faculty in a Library Quarterly article (Budd and Seavey 1996, 13). Eight of the schools in this article also appear in a U.S. News & World Report list of the ten best library schools in the country (Whitlock,100). For each of the selected colleges curricula are compared for the 1989-90 academic year (in two cases, because of non-availability of that year's catalog, the 1990-91 academic year) and the1996-97 academic year. In a fitting self-referential manner for the subject at hand, all of the current catalog material was obtained from the Internet (http://www.alaorg/alaorg/oa/uslis.html, for accredited programs, and http://www.shef.ac.uk./uni/academic/I-M/is/lecturer/tom2a.html#USA, for all others). Although some schools offer a rigorously structured school library media services program, and others offer a variety of other information degrees, the focus here is on the Masters in Library and Information Science -- and in particular on those courses appropriate for an academic setting. The changes in some schools are so radical that they not only totally revamp the curriculum, they virtually redefine the field as well. Moreover, some schools have changed their names to reflect the Information Science/Studies component of their programs, and they now also offer joint degree programs with other related departments of their respective institutions, e.g., Computer Science, Communications, Telecommunications, Cognitive Psychology, etc. It also appears that the schools that instituted the most radical changes were recipients of 1994 W.K. Kellogg Foundation grants specifically designated for the purposes of curriculum revision. 

THE SCHOOLS

The respective 1989-90 and 1990-91 catalogs are available from the College Catalog Collection, 1990-91 [microfiche], Career Guidance Foundation. The respective 1996-97 catalogs can be accessed via the Internet addresses already given. For the sake of brevity, I discuss here only the more important changes that have been made in the intervening years, as well as some of the salient consequences of those changes. 

1. University of Michigan. Already by 1989-90 Michigan's School of Information and Library Studies (SILS) offered a number of courses in media librarianship that took into account the changing nature of the profession. Nonetheless the additions since 1990 have been significant. In 1994 the school received a $4.3 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and promptly changed its name to The School of Information. While the heart of the program concentrates on the emerging digital technologies, its focus is on a user-centered approach to the design and use of these systems, taking into account their human, non-technical dimensions. Elements of technology and the behavioral and social sciences are fused in an integrated approach. The curriculum draws upon the strengths of librarianship, information and computer science, business organizational development, communications, and systems engineering. A new curricular vehicle is a series of media seminars whose topics reflect the rapidly evolving state of affairs in the field. They focus on the creation and application of integrated media, whether by direct digital creation or by conversion to digital format. They also explore the myriad issues involved in creating and accessing databases of visual materials, including multimedia databases. Recent specific topics, which vary from semester to semester, have included "Image Databases," "Media Integration," and "Impact of New Information Resources." 

2. Drexel University. This school also received a Kellogg grant, and in 1995 changed its name fromThe College of Information Studies to The College of Information Science and Technology. Part of the grant was devoted to finding a method whereby changing job requirements could be identified and promptly responded to by the curriculum. The changes between 1990-91 (exceptionally, only that year's catalog was available for Drexel) and the present have evolved from traditional media production and design courses to multimedia design and implementation courses. The new program blends such newly requisite disciplines as computer science, software engineering, human factors, and information systems into familiar library and information science courses. Of particular interest is the commendable course, "Understanding Multimedia," which not only treats history and current use, but also evaluates from many perspectives the effectivenes of multimedia as a means of information delivery. 

3. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Having received a 1994 Kellogg grant, the Graduate School of Library and Information Science launched a year-long project to renew the Library and Information Science Masters program through a set of integrated core courses. Although the program continues to offer sound basic courses in audio-visual services in libraries and their evolution toward the electronic environment, the emphasis is on historical and current trends and their impact on society, e.g., the courses grouped under the heading Advanced Courses in Librarianship. One of those courses, "Telecommunications," in addition offers hands-on use and evaluation of currently available network-based communications and retrieval systems. A course in "Multimedia Storage and Retrieval," which deals with techniques used in indexing multimedia as well, is primarily geared for the Ph. D. candidate, though Masters degree students can enroll with permission. 

4. Indiana University/Bloomington. Significant differences between the 1989-90 and the 1996-97 curricula of The School of Library and Information Science of Indiana University are evident in that the 1996-97 catalog contains much more material on multimedia applications and visual information systems. Courses such as "Audio and Video Information Programming" and "Information Networking" (the second treating the differences between digital and analog transmission) are offered. The new philosophy of the school is to foster a user-centered approach to the development and management of information resources. Of major interest are the joint programs leading to dual Masters degrees in Library Science and, variously, Masters of Arts in Music, Art History, Journalism, and History and Philosophy of Science, etc. 

5. University of North Carolina/Chapel Hill. By 1990 the University's School of Information and Library Science was already offering courses in the evolving media technologies. By 1996-97 notable special topics courses included "Multimedia Applications for the Internet: Design and Implementation Issues," "Introduction to Hypermedia," "Telecommuniction Systems," etc. Of special interest is an ongoing project that will explore and evaluate the use of current Internet multimedia technologies to provide enhanced teaching and learning experiences for " the students and citizens of North Carolina." The project will result in the creation of a facility called the Internet Multimedia Studio, where a variety of materials -video, audio, text, graphics, and real time conferencing video-- can be captured, integrated, and made available on demand to low cost desktop PC machines connected to the Internet. 

6. University of Pittsburgh. The School of Library and Information Science, now called The School of Information Sciences (plural), is composed of the Department of Library and Information Science and The Department of Information Science and Telecommunications. The emphasis over the years has been on school librarianship as it relates to media. Exceptions are a new course in "Computer Based Management of Image Collections," some advanced topics courses in information storage and retrieval, and a course in "Technologies for Information Management," the latter emphasizing media and computer technologies and their human and social implications. Though the department does not feature courses in the creation of multimedia, the school does offer a Master of Science degree in Telecommunications, and that is where courses such as "Interactive Computer Graphics," "Compression of Image Data," and "Video Applications in a Networking Environment" are taught. 

7. University of California at Berkeley. The school at Berkeley has also undergone a virtual metamorphosis, having in the intervening years changed its name from The School of Library and Information Studies to The School of Information Management and Systems. Along with the change, the school has introduced an entirely new curriculum. The old program included basic media courses but that orientation was totally revamped in order to incorporate the new digital technologies. The emphasis now is on the interdisciplinary nature of the information professions, and the specific goal is that of training and educating information managers. The road to that goal is by way of the merger of the technical and social sciences. Joint degree programs are offered as well. Present courses include "Presentation of Information" (course description: "The design and presentation of digital information, with theories of cognitive perception of color, space, moving image, sound, the use of graphics, animation, sound, visualization software, virtual reality, and hypermedia in presenting information to the user"); "Multimedia Information," dealing with the concepts and methods of design management, creation, and evaluation of multimedia databases; etc. Other courses deal with the the organization and retrieval of multimedia information. It should be noted, though, that as of this writing the program is still awaiting the approval of various reviewing bodies as well as the California state agencies. 

8. Rutgers University. Rutgers was the first of the schools considered here to introduce a name change, a change that coincided with the 1982 merger of The Graduate School of Library and Information Studies and The School of Communication Studies. The institution's new name is The School of Communication, Information, and Library Studies. The previous curriculum offered the basic audio visual courses for production, design, and evaluation. An abiding strength has been, and continues to be, the school media librarianship program. The 1996-97 curriculum has added a new course in "Multimedia Structure, Organization, Access, and Production," whose emphasis is on designing, producing, and organizing multimedia resources. Another new course is "Knowledge Representation for Information Retrieval," which deals with theory, research, and practice in indexing, abstracting, and related methods of information retrieval representation. Yet another course, "Information, Media, and the Curriculum," treats the design of media center programs based on theories of learning and information studies. 

9. Syracuse University. The School of Information Studies offers an MLS program that is broadly interdisciplinary in focus. Already in 1989-90 the program was up-to-date, embracing as it was the rapid changes in computer and telecommunications technologies. The new courses have made the school even more well-rounded. It draws on faculty expertise from the fields of Library Science, Information Science, Computer Science, Communications, Business and Public Administration. Masters degrees in Information Management and Technology, Information Resources Management, Library and Information Science, Telecommunications and Network Management are offered. Within the four Masters regimens there are also joint programs and dual degrees available in disciplines such as English, History, Museology, Law and Information Studies. Sample new courses include "Telecommunications and Information Networking Technology," and "Advanced Topics in Technological Infrastructures," which focus in their respective ways on critical and emerging issues relating to the state of the art. 

10. Simmons College. In 1989-91 The Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science already offered a great variety of courses in the traditional media vein -- such as "Design and Production of Instructional Materials"; "Communications Media and the Information Professions"; "The Film in Communication; History of Visual Communication"; and "Hypermedia Information Delivery Systems" -- and then slowly began to develop new courses in the emerging technologies. Simmons has built upon its past curriculum but the program still includes many of the evaluative historical courses that comprise the philosophical backbone of the profession. Among the new courses are "Emerging Technologies and the Library/Media Center," which focuses on multimedia programs; "CD-ROMs and the Internet"; and "Art Documentation," which deals with the impact of new technologies and automated documentation projects of visual collections in libraries, archives, and museums. "Multimedia Information Technology: Applications and Systems" provides an overview of the development and concept of hypertext and hypermedia/multimedia, and does so by focusing on the design of applications integrating image, sound, and text. The latter course also examines the current technological environment, including the economic and cultural factors driving the creation of the new multimedia formats and applications. Another new course, "Telecommunications and Computer Networks in Libraries," is designed to introduce a fundamental terminology of technologies associated with telecommunication and computer network environments. 

CONCLUSION

A random review of positions available in the professional journals produced the following descriptions: a) "Instructional Technology Librarian working in a multimedia environment to assist faculty in course design, media and technology selection"; b) "Librarian for Digital Technologies provides technical development for multimedia image databases, media web services, and multimedia authoring tools"; c) "Cybrarian [sic] for the Media Center providing technical information services over a campus network including Internet and multimedia applications"; etc. Descriptions such as these would have been unknown, or unrecognizable, as recently as ten years ago. In addition, The Library of Congress as well as some major universities around the world are launching digital library projects to digitalize not only print collections but also still and moving (i.e., film and video) images. (The major thrust of these digitalized programs is to increase access -- to make the relevant information available on local networks and on the Internet as well.) The Library of Congress is digitalizing films from the early American Memory Collection (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/), and, for example, the Universities of Michigan and Cornell are collaborating on the Making of America project, which will create a digital library documenting American Social History from the Antebellum period through Reconstruction (http://www.umdl.umich.edu/moa/). Clearly these projects call for personnel possessing the new specialized training offered by the various new library programs. And indeed it is evident that the library schools -- no longer, as we've seen, simply called library schools -- have made every effort to bring their programs in line with the changing and expanding cultural, economic, and workplace imperatives. For the time being these imperatives are leading to a number of courses focusing on the new digital environment. These courses explore the issues involved in creating databases of visual materials, including multimedia databases, and the problems associated with the organization and retrieval of this information. In combining courses in the new technologies with courses in the social sciences, an effort is being made to retain the humanistic aspect of the information profession, which is the librarian's traditional orientation. Thus a user-centered approach is characterisitc of many of the new curricula. 
The expanded scope of the library information field has also brought tensions between the profession's eventual tendancy toward convergence (that is, whether the profession will remain essentially a single profession) and that toward divergence (whether the various specializations will result in many different professions) into the forefront. Even though increased importance has been placed on the need to develop a more theoretical generalized conceptual curriculum for interrelated core courses, more specialization tracks are also being created, leading to information careers with distinctly disparate job titles. Although in the past traditional tracks have included School Librarianship, Art Librarianship, Medical Librarianship, etc., those divisions were never as clearly demarcated as the new categories are. Add into the mix that many of the new media positions are attracting, and are being filled by, applicants with specialized degrees unrelated to the traditional MLS, e.g., an MS in Telecommunications. Contrarily, the universality of the electronic environment itself may very well act as a counterforce to the divergent tendancies. Further exemplifying and complicating these tensions is the traditional opposition between the academy on the one hand, with its theoretical predisposition, and the professional field itself, with its day to day practical obligations and demands (Galvin 1996, 5-6).

 

If there is a reservation to be stated and a recommendation to be made, it is that, in the understandable rush to meet the requirements of the job market, some of the traditional intellectual and philosophical standards of the field are perhaps being short-changed or overlooked. An example of this tendancy is the manner in which, in response to the pressures of the job market, the technology of computer imaging, not only for print materials but for visual materials of all kinds, has become in some schools a tail-wagging-the-dog dominant subject in the new curriculum. The historic mission of the library relates to the intellectual life itself. In short, knowledge of and the ability to assess content comprises an essential aspect of the librarian's training. It is clear in examining the above respective revised curricula now in place, which schools have made the effort to preserve this evaluative, aesthetic dimension in their programs and which have not. For the abiding health of the profession itself, one can only hope that as the recent revolutionary pace of change abates, these important values will be restored to their fundamental place in the education of the profession's exemplars. 

REFERENCES

Budd, John M. and Seavey, Charles A. 1996. "Productivity of U.S. Library and Information Faculty: The Hayes Study Revisited." The Library Quarterly 66(1):1-20. 

Dalrymple, Prudence W. 1997. "The State of the Schools." American Libraries 28:31-34. 

Galvin, Thomas J. 1995. "Convergence or Divergence in Education for the Information Professions: An Opinion Paper". http://www.asis.org/Bulletin/Aug-95/galvin.html 

Himmelfarb, Gertrude 1997. "Revolution in the Library." The American Scholar 66:197-204. 

Mac Cormac, Earl R. 1990. "Visualization and Information: Computer Images." The Southeastern Librarian 40:71-73. 

Whitlaw, Kevin 1996. "Is J-School Worth It?" U.S. News & World Report. 18 March: 98-100. 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Grateful thanks to Gary Handman, UC Berkeley, for some helpful suggestions. 

Rebecca Adler is Assistant Professor in the Library Department of The College of Staten Island/CUNY. E-mail: adler@postbox.csi.cuny.edu 

This article copyright (C) by Rebecca Adler. All Rights Reserved. All commercial use requires permission of the author and the editors of this journal. 
 

    ISSN 1069-6792
      Lori Widzinski, Editor (widz@acsu.buffalo.edu)
      Revised: 07/23/98
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