Reminder: LIS career survey is underway

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Date:      Thu, 27 Sep 2007 15:07:52 -0400
From:     Susan Rathbun-Grubb (UNC-Chapel Hill) <wilisproject_at_gmail.com>
Subject:  Reminder: LIS career survey is underway

Where are you now?

Over 8,000 alumni from six North Carolina LIS programs will have an 
opportunity to make
their voices heard through a study funded by the Institute of Museum and 
Library Services
in Washington, D.C. The Workforce Issues in Library and Information 
Science (WILIS)
project is exploring educational, workplace, career and retention issues 
faced by graduates
of North Carolina LIS programs over the past 40 years. If you are not a 
graduate of a
North Carolina LIS program, information about a follow-up grant that 
will include a broader
range of LIS programs in different locations is outlined below.

Invitations to participate in a web survey were recently mailed to NC 
graduates, and we are
so thankful to those of you who have already responded. If you have 
received an invitation,
we encourage your input to this important career survey. An email 
invitation and reminder to
alumni is forthcoming, so if you have not yet received a letter in the 
mail, look for an email
from the project shortly. Please direct any questions to wilis_at_unc.edu.

Since LIS is not a licensed profession, very little is known about what 
happens to graduates
of LIS programs, in particular factors that affect recruitment, 
retention and job satisfaction.
This study will also provide a greater understanding of the impact of 
trends such as workforce
aging and technological change. These are trends that affect LIS 
practitioners, employers
and educators every day.

Your participation in this unique study will help to inform the field as 
a whole about LIS careers.
This is an opportunity for you to contribute to the development of more 
effective educational
and workforce planning in the future. We look forward to sharing the 
results of this study
with the profession.

The participating NC LIS programs are:
Appalachian State University Library Science Program
Central Carolina Community College Library and Information Technology 
Program
East Carolina University Department of Library Science and Instructional 
Technology
North Carolina Central University School of Library and Information Sciences
UNC Chapel Hill School of Information and Library Science
UNC Greensboro Department of Library and Information Studies

For further information, please see the project website: 
http://www.wilis.unc.edu

 

WILIS 2: The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has 
recently provided
researchers at the University of North Carolina's School of Information 
and Library Science (SILS)
and Institute on Aging (IOA) with a second award to modify the initial 
WILIS study survey and
methodology for use by a broader range of LIS programs in different 
locations.

WILIS 2 researchers will assess the alumni tracking needs of LIS 
programs and include as many
participants as possible in a staged launch of the modified 
career-tracking model. The WILIS
team will develop a system to administer the surveys and provide access 
to results for the participating
LIS programs. The project will also explore options for sustaining the 
career-tracking model,
disseminate findings and publicize the availability of the alumni 
tracking system  to all LIS programs.

Thank you,

Susan Rathbun-Grubb
Doctoral student, SILS, UNC-Chapel Hill
Research Assistant, WILIS Project
http://www.wilis.unc.edu/index.html
susanrg_at_email.unc.edu

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