Click below to check out the BCALA's Spring Events! You can sign up for these events at breakingbarriers.bcala.org
The Beta Phi Mu Award is an award of achievement to a library school faculty member or to an individual for distinguishes service to education for librarianship.
Library school faculty members or individuals can apply. Please complete the online application by March 1st, 2024.
To function effectively in today's complex and dynamic world, society and its members need to access and use high-quality information of various kinds, in various forms, across different institutions such as the home, the school, and the workplace. It is the responsibility of national, state, and local governing bodies to ensure the provision of information and services supporting access. They have done so traditionally through libraries and other information agencies. The services provided by those centers are administered most effectively by professionally qualified librarians and information professionals educated in graduate programs provided by institutions of higher education - the category of services all U.S. communities deserve.
From time to time, economic pressures or political and societal trends have threatened the ability of local communities to receive information services provided by highly qualified and educated librarians and information professionals at all levels. The Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) believes, however, that these actions impair and curtail education and research, undermine literacy, and erode the possibilities for progress in improving the quality of life of all people. Without a constant and continuing supply of qualified professionals to direct and maintain our libraries and community-based information centers, our society will suffer from inadequate personnel and restricted service, hindering the growth and availability of essential resources which are vital to an informed citizenry, competitive marketplaces, and stable population growth.
Voting for the 2023 Elections is now closed.
Have you considered serving on a committee? ALISE committees power the association and drive us towards fulfilling our mission.
In order to align with ALISE's commitment to broad representation of our membership on committees, we welcome volunteers from all areas: doctoral students, new and tenured faculty, and part-time/adjunct faculty. Whether you are new to ALISE or have been a member for a long time, your contributions and insights are welcomed.
Thank you to all who submitted nominations!
Candidates for the 2023 ALISE elections will be announced in April 2023.
Join us for the inaugural in-person/virtual Information Science Summit entitled, Innovation and Trends in Information Science - Practice, Research, and LIS Education taking place on Friday October 28, 2022 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM EDT at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown Hotel.
The Summit is co-hosted by three organizations - ASIS&T, ALISE & the iSchools Organization, and sponsored by SLA along with the SJSU, Simmons, and Syracuse iSchools. Due to the generosity of these sponsors, registration is completely free for in-person member attendees, including a complimentary networking lunch and refreshments throughout the day. Registration for virtual attendees will be $100.00 for regular members and $50 for students.
Since 1980, ALISE has collected and reported data annually about the state of library and information science education across the US and Canada. The annual "ALISE Statistical Report" provides stakeholders with detailed data concerning library and information science (LIS) faculty and staff, students, curriculum, income and expenditures, and continuing education activities. While the means and mechanisms of data collection and reporting that underlie this annual effort have evolved -- from handwritten to electronic, paper to spreadsheet -- the foundational data elements remained remarkably consistent over this forty-year period.
To commemorate the 40th year of data collection, the research team compiled datasets as a service to the ALISE members and research community for its use.
ALISE redesigned its Leadership Academy in 2022 through the work of its Programming Committee. The redesigned event features a series of five webinars throughout 2022. The webinars are free to members. The Academy will culminate with an in-person workshop immediately following ALISE’s 2022 Annual Conference in Pittsburgh, PA.
In 2019, ALISE initiated the Leadership Academy to create communities within library and information science (LIS) for the exploration of leadership roles as chairs, directors, and deans. We aim to build interest in leadership and to build the confidence of prospective leaders. The Academy also provides prior attendees a forum to reconvene, to reflect on their learnings from the past year, and to gain new insights to deploy in the future.
In 2021, the ALISE Board of Directors and its membership approved a proposal presented by the Membership Committee to create a tiered dues structure based on World Bank Gross National Income (GNI) data. The committee’s proposal was informed by research conducted by prior ALISE task forces formed to research international dues rates and by the committee’s environmental scan of similarly oriented membership-based associations. The tiered fee structure for personal memberships becomes effective January 1, 2022.
The revised dues structure provides a more equitable fee structure for individuals located in countries with GNI per capita at or below $24,999.00 USD. In addition, the structure provides greater opportunity for information professionals outside of North America to engage in the association through reduced rates for those in Tier 2 or Tier 3 countries. The ALISE 2021-2025 Strategic Plan includes specific objectives and strategies to increase international membership (Strategy 2.2.6) and to make ALISE welcoming and inclusive of people and program from countries outside of the U.S. and Canada (Objective 2.5). The tiered dues structure is a single, albeit significant, step to enable a more global presence and engagement within ALISE.
The ALISE Council of Deans, Directors, and Program Chairs elected three co-chairs for the 2021-2022 term. Dr. Anthony Chow (San Jose State University), Dr. Raj Dewan (Syracuse University), and Dr. Sanda Erdelez (Simmons University) assume their roles on September 24, 2021, at the end of the 2021 Council meeting.
Thank you to Dr. Kimiz Dalkir (McGill University) and Dr. James Elmborg (University of Alabama) as the complete their terms as the 2020-2021 co-chairs. Drs. Dalkir and Elmborg shall lead the 2021 Council meeting on September 24, 2021.
The 2021 ALISE Statistical Report is now available! This annual report on LIS education compiles, analyzes, interprets, and reports statistical information about LIS programs offered by ALISE member schools. These report features two components, the statistical dataset (Excel) and a summary report identifying trends and key indicators in LIS education. ALISE members receive complimentary access to both the dataset and the summary report. Non-members may purchase the dataset for $135 USD. The 2021 Summary Report: Trends and Key Indicators in LIS is available free to the public.
The 2021-2022 committee leaders were recently appointed by the incoming president and confirmed by the ALISE Board of Directors. The 2021-2022 committee terms commence at the 2021 annual business meeting and end at the subsequent annual business meeting.
Dan Albertson, University at Buffalo
Congratulations to the newly elected members of the ALISE Board of Directors. Their terms shall begin at the end of the ALISE '21 Annual Business Meeting in September 2021.