School History
History
The School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Oklahoma was formally established in 1929, but the program began to develop in 1919 in response to the newly established Oklahoma Library Commission. The Commission found that it was unable to meet statewide needs for trained librarians and called on the state's professional librarians for assistance. Jesse Lee Rader, Director of the University of Oklahoma Library, presented an experimental non-degree program for the training of librarians at the University in Summer 1920, with two faculty and five students.
The summer program grew and in 1929, thirty years after the founding of the University of Oklahoma, the School of Library Science was formally established in the College of Arts and Sciences. Mr. Rader was appointed to serve as Director while continuing his duties as Director of the University Library.
The first degree program offered was the Bachelor of Arts in Library Science. A Master of Library Science and a Master of Arts in Library Science were first offered in 1954. Both master’s degree programs were conferred accreditation by the American Library Association in 1956; the School continues to offer the only accredited library and information studies program in Oklahoma.
A Masters in Library and Information Studies degree replaced the two original masters degree programs in the 1980s. The name was changed to the School of Library and Information Studies in 1990 to reflect the expanding role of the School in the information age. In 1991, the School initiated a Bachelors of Arts in Information Studies, and in 1993 added a Masters of Science in Knowledge Management.
School Directors:
- Jesse Lee Rader; 1929-1951
- Dr. Arthur McAnally: 1951-1959
- Mr. Gerald Coble; 1959-1964
- Mr. Melville Spence, Acting Director; 1964-1965
- Dr. Frank Bertalan; 1965-1974
- Dr. Frances L. Carroll, Acting Director; 1974-1975
- Dr. James S. Healey; 1975-1982
- Dr. Sylvia G. Faibisoff; 1982-1988
- Dr. Robert D. Swisher; 1988-1993
- Dr. June Lester; 1993-2000
- Dr. Danny Wallace; 2000-2005
- Current Director; Dr. Kathy Latrobe; 2005-
Updated: September 5, 2006