The State Board of Regents authorized establishment of a School
of Library Science at The University of Iowa in the Fall of 1965.
A director and faculty were appointed the following year, and in September
1967 the School began full operation with its first class of students.
Although the School of Library Science was newly created, library
education was not new at the University. For a number of years, courses
in school librarianship had been offered in the College of Education.
The establishment of a separate school grew out of the belief that
the needs of Iowa would best be met by having a multi-purpose school
to train librarians not only for school but for public, academic and
special libraries as well.
Frederick Wezeman was appointed first director of the School, and
he began his duties on September 1, 1966. Faculty members from the
earlier program in the College of Education formed the nucleus of
the new Library School faculty. After an intensive study of library
school curricula and the Standards for Accreditation of the American
Library Association, a program of studies was developed and approved.
The School's statement of purpose affirmed its goal of providing the
student not only with basic knowledge of historical concepts and technical
skills, but also a philosophy of librarianship that would include
a commitment to intellectual freedom and to the ideal of free dissemination
of information and ideas.
The School sought ALA accreditation during its fourth year of operation,
and in June 1971 this accreditation was achieved. In May 1972, the
School moved to new facilities in the Main Library, which were specially
designed for the needs and purposes of the School. In June 1974 and
again in January 1980 and in January 1987, the program was reaccredited
under the Standards for Accreditation 1972.
May 1980 marked the retirement of the School's founding director,
Frederick Wezeman. After a nationwide search for a new director, Carl
F. Orgren was appointed to this position, effective August 1, 1981.
In November 1983, the State Board of Regents approved the change of
the School's name from School of Library Science to School of Library
and Information Science. A similar change was made in the name of
the degree program. These changes reflected the integration of information
science into the curriculum and the expansion of supporting resources
for communications and computing technology.
In June 1995 Iowa's program was reaccredited by the American Library
Association under ALA's newly developed standards (1992 Standards
for Accreditation of Master's Programs in Library and Information
Studies).
In August 1996 Carl Orgren completed sixteen years as director, stepping
down to return to full-time teaching. Padmini Srinivasan was appointed
and served as director until August 2000. During her tenure as director,
a new curriculum was implemented and the school began a program of
distance education. Each semester, selected courses are delivered
to sites around the state and the Iowa Communications Network.
In July 2000, the School was transferred administratively to the Graduate
College, from its previous home in the College of Liberal Arts. This
has proven to be a good "fit" for the School. Joseph Kearney
served as Interim Director from August 2000 to July 2002, and helped
steer the School through its seven-year accreditation review. Dr.
Kearney passed the reigns to David Eichmann, current Director of the
School, in July 2002, as the School received news from the ALA that
it had received full reaccreditation until 2009.
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