School of Library and Information Studies
Welcome to the School of Library and Information Studies (SLIS). The School's main program offering is the Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS); a professional, graduate degree accredited by the American Library Association available online and on-campus. We also offer two combined dual-degree programs.
Degree Programs
- MLIS (Course-Based or Thesis-Based)
- Online MLIS
- MA/MLIS in Digital Humanities
- MBA/MLIS
Prospective Student Information
Applications for admission to Fall Term 2025 are accepted from 15 September, 2024 to 15 January, 2025.
Director's Message
I am honoured and humbled to (re)join the School of Library and Information Studies, which has a long, distinguished history of excellence in teaching and learning, research and scholarship, and service, both in- and outside the academy. As I take over from Dr. Kathleen DeLong, who provided excellent, dedicated interim leadership for the last two years, I invite everyone to thank her as she returns to University of Alberta Libraries full-time as Deputy Chief Librarian.
It is an exciting time to be at UAlberta! The Faculty of Education is transitioning to its new organizational structure within the College of Social Sciences and Humanities, and there is continuing hope for Reconciliation and decolonizing in the official launch of Braiding Past, Present, and Future: the University of Alberta Indigenous Strategic Plan. At the same time, libraries, museums, galleries, and archives across the country are continuing the important work and emotional labour necessary to engage more thoughtfully and meaningfully with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples in the fight against institutionalized racism and the ways it is perpetuated. Necessarily, those efforts include difficult conversations about how and why informational, educational, and cultural resources are collected, preserved, and made available, on whose terms those and related public services are provided and accessed, and in what ways they must be more inclusive, appropriate, and democratic. As a public intellectual and a person of Métis heritage, I made a pledge to not look away when democratic and human rights related to otherness are compromised or questioned. In that spirit, I offer a vision of SLIS as being both racism free and anti-racist. I hope that, as a student, staff member, professor, academic teaching staff member, alumni, employer, practicum host, or other member or friend of the school community, you will join me in exploring what that means and how we can achieve it together.
In his State of the University address, President Flanagan announced that UAlberta intends to welcome more students and faculty members during the next five years. As I begin my tenure as Director, I look forward to advocating for the School and its interests in relation to those goals. At the same time, I will work collegially and collaboratively with our diverse stakeholders to ensure that the MLIS program retains its full accreditation status with the American Library Association through high quality, professional library and information studies education that reflects advancements in technology, research, and practice and that is relevant to both to the needs of the field and the aspirations of future students.
Kenneth Gariepy, PhD
Director, School of Library and Information Studies
STUDENT SERVICES
Student services and advising are provided remotely and in-person by Education Student Services (ESS) and the university's Student Service Centre. Students are advised to regularly monitor their university email account.
Upcoming Events
