Information & Library Science Program Overview - University of Maine at Augusta

UMA’s library program is available fully online for those with high-speed Internet access.

Mission and Goals
Student Support

The University of Maine at Augusta’s (UMA) completely online program in Information & Library Science engages students from around the world to learn, discuss, and share experiences, and ideas about libraries and working in library and information agencies.

The programs (Certificate, AS and BS) are designed to provide students with the professional skills essential to supporting the effective functioning of libraries and other information intensive organizations and to prepare them for careers as information library professionals.

UMA’s ILS Program is externally certified by the American Library Associations Library Support Staff Certification Program.

The ILS program Mission and our curriculum:

Focuses on and is community/member-centered,
Is rich with practical, hands-on learning experiences to ground students in the important philosophies and day to day practices of libraries, information and cultural agencies.
Involves students within the university, the department and their local communities toward active, life-long learning principles
Engages our students in developing the knowledge, skills and confidence to enter the field of Information & Library Science as specialized information professionals prepared to work both independently and collaboratively in various settings.
Prepares our students for pursuing higher education through graduate study and supports their continuing education at ALA-accredited Masters programs.

Program Goals

Our broader program goals provide students with competencies necessary to perform effectively, both in a supporting role and independently within information and library science settings, in the following areas:

Demonstrated Knowledge of Foundational Principles
Selecting and Evaluating Information
Organizing Representing Different Forms of Information
Analyzing & Responding to Information Inquiries
Teaching about Information & Related Sources
Managing Information and Services
Assessing and Using Technology
Engaging & Advocating in the Community

Additionally reinforcing those core skills and competencies in the following general education areas:

Writing skills in multiple media and formats.
Oral and written communication skills.
Quantitative skills, stressing mathematical foundations and use of logic.
Scientific inquiry, understanding the natural world through systematic observations and analytic reasoning.
Social Sciences with a focus upon social behavior.
Humanities, including history, philosophy and literature.
Fine arts, recognition, understanding, and appreciation of the arts.
Cultural Diversity, understand diversities within cultures, religions, races, ethnicities, genders, sexual preferences, abilities, ages and/or socioeconomic groups.
Computer Literacy, understand basic operations, use word processor, manage and comprehend spreadsheets, professionally present information.
Information Literacy determine extent of information need, access information, evaluate information, use information to accomplish a specific purpose, demonstrate ethical use of information.
Critical Thinking, develop well-reasoned arguments, ability to distinguish fact from opinions, demonstrate critical evaluative skills such as facts v. opinions, classify data, judge credibility, recognize assumptions, inconsistencies, detect bias, etc.
Ethical Reasoning, identify ethical perspectives and concepts, apply ethical perspectives and concepts to ethical questions.

Course Delivery

ILS courses are taught asynchronously via the Internet, some streamed video instruction, and computer conferencing technologies are used. Contact between faculty and students is maintained via e-mail, phone, discussion in the course management system and other technologies as parties are able to participate (video conferences through various platforms, chatting, etc.).

This distance education option includes national and international delivery. Computer use, e-mail skills, and access to Internet (high speed preferred) are required to be successful in the program. Please see the ILS Department Policies for more information and necessary access to technology to support student success.

Costs

See UMA’s Tuition and Fees page for current tuition costs.

Application and Registration

Students may apply and register by contacting the UMA Office of Admissions at 1-877-UMA-1234 (Nationwide).

Student Support

Students at UMA in the Library program realize that “at-a-distance” is only a geographic descriptor.

While our students are dispersed around the world, there is a connection they feel toward their instructors, their classmates and toward the content of their courses. A student in California noted, “It is nice to have instructors who not only know their subjects well, but also know how to mentor/coach students in the right direction.”

When I transferred to UMA I was completely disheartened with college. I was about to give up all together. I felt alone in this processes like no one cared whether I passed or even if I existed. You have rekindled my faith in the higher education system.
– Jennifer, Class of ’07

As you know I have been to lots of ‘bricks and mortar’ schools and not one of them can compare to the support I felt I got at UMA. I felt more connected here than any school I actually was physically present at.
– Pam M. Class of ‘06

The Faculty

The ILS faculty develop libraries in remote areas of India, run outstanding Young Adult (YA) programs in local libraries, conduct research on elearning and eteaching, present at local, regional, and international conferences, publish book chapters, articles and actively engage in the ILS fields. Our formal education and backgrounds flow into everything we do, and our faculty have Ph.D.’s MLS/MLIS degrees, MFA’s, Ed.D.’s, and our experiences range from school media specialists, archivists, art library directors, medical library directors, academic liaisons in prisons, to public libraries, academic libraries, museums, historical societies. We are also artists, archivists, college librarians, part-time farmers, gardeners… and ALWAYS learning along with our students!

More formally, we the ILS faculty:

are committed to helping our ILS students succeed.
recognize it takes a willing and prepared learner to be successful.
approach teaching and learning as a relationship developed between student and information in its various formats.
work as facilitators to help students create, enhance and develop knowledge.
support individual students through the learning process while leveraging their strengths in order to coach them in recognizing areas for improvement.
hold students accountable to the collective rigor the ILS faculty have developed and promoted in its robust history.
treat each student with compassion in recognition of their own unique educational journey and individual challenges.
seek to engage students in their wider community to enhance their learning and develop a service-oriented approach.
open to constructive, critical feedback to help tailor our approach to teaching and learning.

The customer service in general at UMA is exceptional. In all my years there I never encountered one professor or staff member that wasn’t caring, given to help, attentive to his/her students’ needs. It is not something I have found elsewhere nor think I’ll find any time soon. You make it a very pleasant experience for students and give that personal touch that is so uncommon nowadays.

– Monica B. class of ’18

Meet the ILS Faculty »