Library school
Encyclopedia : L : LI : LIB : Library school
A library school is a type of institution specializing in the training of librarians. The first library school was established by Melvil Dewey in 1887 at Columbia University; many exist in the United States and Canada, and the development of library schools in other countries began with World War II. The University of Chicago became the first to confer a doctoral degree in library science.
Most library schools in North America are accredited by the American Library Association, and offer graduate programs only, the bachelor's degree in Library Science (or Library Economics as it was called in early days) having been phased out several decades ago. Librarians in North America typically earn a Master's degree, either the MLS (Master of Library Science) or MLIS (Master of Library and Information Science). This degree allows one to work as a practicing librarian in a school, public, or college or university library.
In the last decades many library schools have changed their names to reflect librarian preoccupations with information contained outside of traditional libraries and in other forms than books. Some call themselves schools of library and information science, while others have dropped the "library" and kept only "information science," such as the University of Washington's Information School.
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