School of Library and Information Science
The School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) is a national leader with top-rated faculty, prestigious alumnae/i, and great locations in Boston and SLIS West (Greenfield and Amherst, Massachusetts).
A powerful opportunity to educate, inform, and serve the communities in which we live.
Our students can complete the Master's of Library and Information Science degree entirely online. Our Archives Management, Cultural Heritage Informatics, Information Science and Technology, and Libraries and Librarianship concentrations are offered entirely online, or in blended online and face-to-face format. The School Library Teacher concentration is offered at our Boston or SLIS West location face-to-face.
Ranked among the best
Simmons University is one of U.S. News and World Report’s top ranking schools of library and information science in the nation.
- The Master's in Library and Information Science is ranked 11th in the nation.
- Our Archives Management concentration is ranked 1st among Archives & Preservation programs.
- SLIS was also ranked 7th for Services for Children and Youth programs.
- Our School Library Teacher concentration ranked 9th among School Library Media programs.
- Our Cultural Heritage Informatics concentration ranked 13th among Digital Librarianship programs.
In the School of Library and Information Science, you'll have direct and frequent access to faculty who pride themselves on being personal mentors. You'll work closely with classmates in an engaging, supportive classroom environment, be it face-to-face or through our innovative online programs.
About
Our school is big in many ways — a national leader with top-rated faculty, prestigious alumni, and great locations in Boston, Greenfield, and Amherst, Massachusetts, as well as programs offered online.
Careers
For more than 100 years, our graduates have been pioneers in their profession, recognized for their amazing achievements and remarkable careers, throughout New England, across the country, and around the world.
Alumnae/i
Our alums are innovators, challengers of the status quo, and champions of the right to information. Our alumnae/i are our most powerful ambassadors in the world of Library and Information Science.
Library and Information Science in the News
Dean of SLIS Discusses Public Libraries in The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe featured commentary from Sanda Erdelez, Dean of Simmons‘ School of Library and Information Science, on the remarkable resilience of public libraries, particularly those in New England.
Allen Smith Visiting Scholar Reflects on the Future of Libraries
Dr. Sandra Hirsh, Associate Dean for Academics in the College of Information, Data and Society at San José State University, visited Simmons as a 2024 recipient of the Allen Smith Visiting Scholars Fellowship. She kicked off her week as visiting scholar by delivering an opening keynote presentation, “Future-Ready Libraries: A Glimpse Into 2035.”
Simmons School of Library and Information Science Receives National Grant for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Education
Simmons School of Library and Information Science Dean Sanda Erdelez and Professor and Associate Dean Laura Saunders have been awarded a three-year Institute of Museum and Library Services National Leadership Grant of $249,510 to “implement a nationwide system to develop, audit, and share library and information science courses with an equity, diversity, and inclusion focus.”
Simmons University’s School of Library and Information Science Welcomes Three New Faculty Members
Simmons University’s School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) welcomes three new faculty members this Fall, with expertise in archives management, school librarianship, and public librarianship for children and teens.
Simmons University Brings Graduate Program to Greenfield Community College
Simmons University School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) has relocated the SLIS West program — a part-time master of science in Library and Information Science degree program in Western Massachusetts — from Mount Holyoke College to the campus of Greenfield Community College (GCC), as of Fall 2024.
SLIS Adjunct Interviewed in The Atlantic as a “prominent medievalist”
School of Library and Information Science Adjunct Lisa Fagin Davis was interviewed in The Atlantic for her work interpreting the 500-year-old Voynich Manuscript.
SLIS Professor Wins LIS Education Award
Professor and Associate Dean of SLIS Laura Saunders has been selected the 2024 Winner of the Award for Professional Contribution to Library and Information Science Education granted annually by the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE).
SLIS Student and Alumni Win Law Library Internship
School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) alum Mary Hogan l’85MS and SLIS student Hannah Gershone have been selected for the Summer 2024 Creative Digital Projects Internship at the Law Library of Congress.
Additional Information
Student Placement
SLIS distributes the Library Journal's "Placements and Salaries" Survey to graduates of the LIS master's of science program on a rolling basis as each class — January, May, and August — completes the program.
Retention
On average, 89% of students entering the MS (LIS) degree program between AY 2014 and AY 2021 continued their programs of study after their first year at SLIS.
Assessment & Accreditation
The Simmons School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) is proud to have a degree in Library and Information Science accredited by the American Library Association (ALA).
Contact Us
School of Library and Information Science
The School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) is a national leader with top-rated faculty, prestigious alumnae/i, and great locations in Boston and SLIS West (Greenfield, MA and Amherst, MA).