You may well have read a dozen or more of these letters of welcome by now, so I'll be brief. Here's what I think you need to know.

We're what I sometimes call an "and" school. We're not a School of Information Studies / Systems / Science / Management or whatever. Rather, we are a School of Library and Information Science. We know what we are, and where we are going. We've been around for more than a half century and have graduated almost 8,000 students in that time. Our alumni are to be found all across the United States and worldwide. Over the years, the school has attracted millions of dollars in research funds, from bodies such as the National Science Foundation and the Institute for Museum and Library Services. Survey after survey shows that SLIS faculty are among the most widely published and highly cited in the field, sought after as consultants and speakers by the profession at large.

What makes us different? Well, unlike most schools, we offer master's degrees in both library science and information science, not to mention an unmatched array of dual/joint degree programs. Whether your interest is in rare books, digital libraries or information visualization, this is the place for you. More to the point, we'll show you how these seemingly disparate areas of interest can support each other.

Where others see barriers and boundaries we see opportunities for interaction and integration. We are not ideologically hidebound, and we'll expect you to critically evaluate the research literature of the field, demonstrate your analytic skills and justify the positions you take. If that appeals, spend some time reading about us. Better still, come join us in Indiana.

With best wishes,
Blaise Cronin
Dean