Janice Simmons-Welburn

Library Education: Facing New Realities

Janice Simmons-Welburn is currently Dean of Libraries at Marquette University. She has held positions at several other academic institutions including the University of Iowa and Arizona.

"LIS programs currently face a variety of challenges, there is no doubt about that. We are asking a great deal of new graduates. For example they must be techno-savvy and able to interact with IT personnel in the library and elsewhere. We also expect our graduates to be able to function in increasingly culturally diverse environments. New graduates also need to understand how we build advocacy for our libraries through influence and persuasion. I worry that too many LIS programs aren't structured as they need to be in order to encourage students to prepare for the kinds of priorities that academic libraries will face in the coming years."