Civic Engagement Thematic Area

Library and information professionals contribute to the advancement of social justice, intellectual freedom, and citizen participation in government by stewarding equity-oriented services and innovative tools, promoting inclusive access to information and technology, and designing ethics-embedded systems. In addition to our community-focused MLIS core, SCI offers a set of elective courses that encourages and equips graduates to leverage their knowledge, values, and skills as information professionals to contribute to the betterment of communities and the public interest. Through these courses, students will develop an enhanced understanding of the ethical and legal dimensions of their work as information professional and the ways that public policy impacts information and technology access and use. These courses will prepare students to be community-minded and participatory information professionals and to facilitate greater civic engagement by information and technology users.