Partnerships

Successful library and information professionals place a high value on partnerships and collaborations, and the School of Information Studies (SOIS) is no different. Working together with partners who have similar or complementary strengths, needs and goals enables all of us to achieve more than we could on our own. SOIS is primarily interested in collaborating to develop or advance initiatives that directly benefit our students, and in turn strengthen the profession as a whole.

College of DuPage (COD)

Dominican University and College of DuPage offer a partnership program allowing students to complete an LTA certificate or associate's degree at COD, then transfer to Dominican to complete a bachelor's degree and Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) all in as little as five years. The program allows students interested in careers in library and information science to become highly qualified regardless of their current education level. Learn more about this program, including the course of study and how to apply.

Dual-Degree Programs

The School of Information Studies works with external partners as well as other graduate schools at Dominican University to offer MLIS students the opportunity to pursue two discrete degrees in less time than it would take to earn them separately. Dual degrees are available with Dominican's Brennan School of Business (MLIS/MBA) and School of Social Work (MLIS/MSW), Loyola University (MLIS/MA in Public History), and McCormick Theological Seminary (MLIS/Master of Divinity). Learn more about dual-degree options.

Roosevelt University

SOIS has partnered with Roosevelt University in Chicago to offer the opportunity for students in Roosevelt's MA program in history to seek SOIS's Certificate in Archives and Cultural Heritage Resources and Services. The intersection and complementary nature of these two areas of study and professional preparation create a logical disciplinary partnership. History students are frequently attracted to careers such as the curation and management of special historical collections of manuscripts, artifacts, and media. This opportunity provides advanced history students with an additional career avenue. Interested students should contact their academic advisor at Roosevelt, or the SOIS Assistant Dean.

Skokie Public Library Internship

Piloted during the 2014–2015 academic year, this innovative partnership represents a competitive opportunity for three SOIS students to work in an award-winning public library, while earning six hours of course credit and receiving two courses' worth of tuition waiver. Program highlights include varied opportunities in all areas of the library such as public services, community engagement, virtual initiatives and more; mentorship from library staff; registration for the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Chicago, guidance from a SOIS faculty advisor; and monthly cohort meetings with advisors, mentors, students and staff. For more information about this internship, contact the SOIS Assistant Dean.

Studs Terkel Audio Archive

SOIS has recently begun work supporting the development of the Studs Terkel Radio Archive, a collaborative project of the WFMT Radio Network, the Chicago History Museum, and the Library of Congress. There is a vast amount of archival content, much of which has already been digitized by LC. Allison Schein, MLIS '12 is WFMT's project coordinator for the Studs Terkel Radio Archive, and current Dominican students are involved in ontology development, metadata creation, and some digitization of documents and photographs as well as arranging and describing and implementing preservation strategies to Studs Terkel’s personal papers and radio interviews. The archive, which is a work in progress, recently launched where viewers and listeners can access more than 200 programs that have been uploaded to date.

Tales and Travel Memories

SOIS serves as educational partner for this initiative, spearheaded by the Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin, Illinois and supported by a Carnegie-Whitney Grant from the American Library Association. Tales and Travel Memories provides library services directly to the people diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease, not just to their caregivers, by offering librarians creatively designed and developed tools such as reading lists and sample "excursion" agendas to follow with participants. It has received a positive reception by nursing homes and their residents, demonstrating a real need for serving this special population. Learn more about this project.