Copyright and LIS Programs: Is It Time for a Formal Introduction?

Demands on libraries and librarians routinely change, but the curriculum of many Masters of Library Science programs do not necessarily keep pace. An analysis of course content in current LIS programs gathered from online course descriptions revealed that none of the 50 ALA-accredited MLS programs in the United States have a required course dedicated to copyright / intellectual property and only 10 have an elective dedicated to these subjects. This presentation will detail the results of a survey distributed nationally to professionals working in academic, public, school/media, and special libraries that asked respondents to rate their daily copyright and intellectual property knowledge needs vs. their actual knowledge and education in this area. The results were then compared with current LIS course content to determine whether there is evidence pointing to a need to alter the curriculum of LIS programs to better prepare graduates for the copyright and intellectual property demands they will face on the job. The combined data will inform Library Science colleges and educators as to whether an instruction deficit exists in their current curricula and will give these colleges and educators data to support the development of new programs