University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
School of Information and Library Science
Contact
Degrees/Certificates Offered
- C.A.S.
- M.S.I.S.
- M.S.L.S.
- Ph.D.
Programs Offered
On CampusProgram Philosophy
Over the years, many SILS students have prepared to work in archives and manuscript repositories and alumni are employed in special collections and primary materials facilities across the United States, from Harvard University and the Baseball Hall of Fame to Duke University and North Carolina State University. With the birth of digital archives and museum displays, and the desperate need for information literate staff who possess advanced information technology skills in these settings, SILS has broadened what was once a basic archival program to one that will prepare students to be leaders in the cultural heritage information management arena, encompassing all manner of materials from objects to paper to digital entities. The primary mission of the SILS cultural heritage program is to provide the next generation of archivists and other cultural heritage curators with a clear understanding of the fundamental principles and practices of their chosen professions along with an array of technology skills that will facilitate their contributions to their institutions, users, and the field at large. We strive to prepare reflective, adaptive information professionals for action in the present and the future; and inspire in our students an uncompromising advocacy for knowledge. More specifically, our goals are to:
- Provide a wide array of educational structures including coursework, independent research projects, internships, and service opportunities focused on optimizing repository practice and the future development of cultural heritage curatorship. These learning opportunities examine and provide a laboratory for understanding how institutions can best acquire, arrange, describe, preserve, and make accessible the full range of materials they hold.
- Encourage students to be independent researchers who will continue to explore the parameters of best practice once in the archival workplace and share their findings with their colleagues through the professional literature.
- Help students juxtapose theory and practice, thus providing the climate and understanding to improve both.
- Provide students with significant exposure to the field through strong relationships with professional organizations such as SAA and the Society of North Carolina Archivists.
- Provide students with a strong technical background that will support the full range of repository technology needs.
- And, ultimately, provide students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences to be successful leaders in the archival and, more broadly, cultural heritage information arenas.
