Thank you for attending the ALISE 2018 Annual Conference! We'll see you next year in Knoxville!

In response to the growing number of career opportunities in the information professions, library and information science (LIS) schools have expanded their curricular offerings within and beyond ALA-accredited masters programs. This expansion is reflected further in the diverse scope of research agendas undertaken by faculty members and students in these schools. Programmatically, there has been tremendous growth in doctoral programs along with bachelors and masters programs in allied areas, all of which prepare graduates for data, information and knowledge-based careers. Where do educators in these programs go to discuss pedagogy and research? How do we define the LIS terrain in the 21st century? Concurrently, there is growing representation in ALISE by international members and institutions, where program offerings may not fit the North American approach to LIS education. The ALISE annual conference serves as an ideal meeting place to discuss regional and global LIS education and associated research issues.

As one of only a small number of associations worldwide devoted to LIS education, it is imperative that ALISE chart a future that lays out the broader environment within which the field exists. We need to articulate clearly the intersection between information and society, information and policy, information and technology, information and culture, information and management, information and ethics, information and users, and most of all information and allied disciplines. In so doing, ALISE will contribute to the conversation around core competencies graduates from LIS programs need to possess to become a productive workforce in the 21st century. In today’s globalized world, preparing graduates for change and lifelong learning for both traditional and emerging career opportunities is critical.

The 2018 ALISE Annual Conference aims to serve as a platform where such bold conversations take place about the present and future of LIS education and pedagogy research. The theme of the conference has been crafted to call upon educators, practitioners, scholars, administrators and policy makers to bring their ideas to address the ever-expanding horizon in the field of library and information science. Through the wide range of SIGs and the following sub-themes of the conference, we invite all stakeholders in library and information science and allied disciplines to contribute to a fruitful conversation to define and shape the landscape of LIS education.

The 2018 conference will provide opportunities for attendees to:

  • Exchange ideas on innovative pedagogies for active learner engagement
  • Share best practices for evidence-based learning outcomes assessment
  • Explore and evaluate multimodal approaches for program delivery
  • Present research on emerging curricular areas or specializations within programs
  • Develop undergraduate program pedagogy and evaluation
  • Discuss the relationship between MLIS and allied masters programs
  • Foster international collaboration in education and research
  • Address interdisciplinary convergence in the field
  • Discuss how to prepare and mentor the next generation of LIS educators and researchers
  • Nurture effective leadership and management in education and practice

We call for submissions from all Special Interest Groups, current members and prospective members to share ideas, completed research, and research in progress that investigates relevant areas of interest through the prism of the conference theme. Whether your interests are in established or emerging areas of LIS education and research, allied disciplinary areas, undergraduate through doctoral-level education, or international issues, the Expanding LIS Education Universe theme will provide myriad opportunities for investigation and presentation by educators, practitioners, scholars, administrators and policy makers. We look forward to seeing you in Denver for a dynamic and engaging meeting.