The focus of the Department of Library and Information Science is on how people and organizations find and use information. Our research interests range from knowledge management to children's literature, digital libraries, the organizational impact of new technology, interfaces and economics of information, and the design and evaluation of information services. The department offers an undergraduate information technology and informatics major leading to the bachelor of arts degree, a master of information degree, and participates in the school's doctoral program with multiple specializations.

Our master's program ranks sixth in the nation according to U.S. News & World Report, drawing students to both its New Jersey-based campus and to its online learning option. Our undergraduates and Ph.D. students win awards from student and scholarly associations. The graduates from all of our programs find employment as scholars, in traditional professional roles in libraries and information agencies, and in many high-tech industries and organizations.

The department's research program spans library and information science from youth services to information retrieval and from policy to school media. The faculty are widely published and heavily cited in these and other areas, supporting the high status of the master of information (M.I.) program in national rankings, informing the undergraduate program, and contributing to the education of Ph.D. students. The faculty design and study new information technologies and new uses for information and media. Research addresses the organization and dissemination of information; the design, management, and evaluation of information services and systems; and diverse topics in professional education for library and information science. There are many opportunities for students at every level to become involved in faculty research projects, gaining valuable hands-on understanding of the interplay between new research and the cumulative achievements of the field. Faculty in the Department of Library and Information Science have interactions across the university with other faculty members from departments as varied as cognitive science, computer science, business, and education.

Members of the library and information science faculty serve as editors of internationally recognized journals in their fields of interest, and their research is supported by organizations such as the National Science Foundation, the Council on Library and Information Resources, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Special Libraries Association, as well as individual libraries.

The diverse research interests of the faculty are united by the shared conviction that the revolutionary technologies of computers and networking will serve humanity best when they are developed and understood in terms of their service to the needs of individuals and organizations. The Department of Library and Information Science recognizes that for effective teaching in our rapidly changing field, it is essential that every member of our faculty be active in the creation of new knowledge in that field through innovative research.

As scholars and educators, the faculty are committed to an advocacy for accurate and current information, for wide public and professional access to information, and for the critical use of information to address the needs and problems of our society. The department advances these values through personal and professional leadership and service in regional, national, and international organizations, societies, and councils. As citizens of Rutgers University, the faculty serves their academic community by offering advice in matters related to information education, and by representing the interests of colleagues and students in governance and academic affairs. Beyond Rutgers, the faculty serve their community, business, and government organizations in areas relating to information and its technologies, the provision of information and research services, and the development of libraries, information agencies, and cultural institutions of all kinds.