Owing to the scope and pace of change, society has become increasingly knowledge-based so that higher learning and research now act as essential components of cultural, socio-economic and environmentally sustainable development of individuals, communities and nations. In this environment, it is essential that higher learning and knowledge creation involve effective partnerships among academic and non-academic learning institutions and communities to create and apply learning and knowledge with stakeholders that are managing and creating sustainable development initiatives. Growing concern regarding the importance of the contribution that higher education institutions make to society has aroused increasing debate about their relevance and credibility amid escalating social problems. An underlying premise of community engagement is the understanding that not all knowledge and expertise resides in the academy, and that both expertise and great learning opportunities in teaching and scholarship also reside in non-academic settings.
This conference will explore how LIS educators and researchers can develop curricula, programs, and research activities that enable active partnerships with communities and civil society to manage and create change. How can LIS programs increase opportunities for experiential, service oriented, and community engaged student learning? How can we develop further collaboration between LIS programs and their larger communities (local, regional/ state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity?
Family history’s popularity increasingly brings visitors to local cultural heritage sites and online digital collections with expectations of instant genealogical and historical information and innovative, digital interfaces. In the digital age, optimal products and services for family information are often best achieved through collaborative efforts across a variety of information settings, including municipal collections. This panel presents models for successful preparation of graduate students for future work with family history services, with emphasis on reference services, programming, outreach, and community collaboration. A discussion period welcomes debates on best practices and desired outcomes in family history information services education.
Professor of Information and Library Science, Clarion University
I hold a Ph.D. in Russian History ( Univ. MN 1996) and an MLIS from the Univ. of Pittsburgh, 2007. I have been teaching in the MSLS program at Clarion University since 2009. I oversee the Local and Archival Studies, intended to prepare our graduates to work with local special collections... Read More →
