Library and Information Studies Rankings Methodology

How we rank library and information studies programs

April 22, 2009 RSS Feed Print
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U.S. News ranked 50 master's degree programs in the United States that are accredited by the American Library Association. The rankings are based solely on the results of a fall 2008 survey sent to the dean of each program, the program director, and a senior faculty member in each program. The questionnaires asked individuals to rate the academic quality of programs at each institution as outstanding (5), strong (4), good (3), adequate (2), or marginal (1). Individuals who were unfamiliar with a particular school's programs were asked to select "don't know." Scores for each school were totaled and divided by the number of respondents who rated that school. The response rate was 56 percent.

Specialty rankings: These ratings are based solely on the nominations of program deans, program directors, and a senior faculty member at each program. They were asked to chose up to 10 programs noted for excellence in each specialty area. Those with the most votes are listed.

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What is Clark Atlanta doing in the list? There hasn't been a library science program there since the university killed it five years ago: http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-111069496/clark-atlanta-officials-vote.html

jonathon of PA 2:41PM January 20, 2010

How is this system supposed to be of any value whatsoever to prospective students? You're asking the people who work in (and profit by the success of) a program to rank themselves against their competitors? First, how does a prof or director in University A have sufficient knowledge of the programs in Universities B, C, or D to judge them unless he or she has (a) attended them, (b) worked there, or (c) has very close friends or colleagues who work there? Second, since prospective students actually take these ranking seriously, and since programs profit by attracting students, why would any program's director even try to be objective? Why wouldn't they rate themselves 5s across the board (maybe throwing in the odd 4.5 here and there to make it seem thought out)? And the response rate is fifty-six percent! Are all the USN&BR rankings done this way?

JRL of IL 12:39PM January 07, 2010

I understand the importance of the feeback from program directors and a senior faculty member at each school, but as a graduate student and graduate, I would appreciate the chance to grade my institution. Was I able to get a job in my field? Was I able to apply what I learned in graduate school to my job? Were my professors on top of technology and progressive enough to understand how academia is very different from the "real" world? I fear these items are not part of this ranking and should be.

K of MI 10:36AM December 23, 2009

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