The School of Information and Library Science (SILS) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill invites participants in the information technology and biomedical areas to attend a special summit titled, "Academy Meets the Real World." Dean Gary Marchionini, faculty and students will be on hand to provide an overview of the School's current plans, introduce attendees to new and exciting projects and provide examples of the skills and knowledge base that our graduates possess when they leave SILS.
Dean Marchionini discussed the importance of this North Carolina summit effort in a letter to fellow LIS deans and library directors. "As the new dean of SILS, I'm naturally curious to learn how the courses we teach are impacting the communities around us," wrote Marchionini. "To gather information and to share news about SILS, we will be hosting informational summits for those who work in libraries over the summer months." Additional summits that focus on business will be scheduled during the upcoming months.
SILS also wants to take the opportunity provided by each summit to learn more about the state of libraries in the real world:
- What are the library's biggest challenges?
- What technology has had the most impact on your job as a library professional?
- What changes or innovations do you see on the horizon?
As the school plans for the future, we want to ensure we are preparing our students appropriately for the challanges they will face in the working world. Your responses at these summits will guide our changes in curriculum and training to ensure that our graduates will benefit you and the entire library community as best they can.
Four successful summits have already been held across North Carolina including the Chapel Hill, Tarboro, Statesville and Charlotte. We hope you'll be able to join us for the upcoming summits to be held in the Triangle this spring.
Although registration is free, seating is limited. If you can attend please respond to Susan Sylvester via e-mail at ssylvest@email.unc.edu or by phone at 919.962.8368.
Watch for more details about upcoming summits soon!
