A Pioneering and Independent Spirit

A Pioneering and Independent Spirit
chronicles the history of San José State University's School
of Library and Information Science as it evolved from a
small school-library training program established in 1928
into the largest MLIS degree program in the world. Set
within the heart of California's Silicon Valley, the
School's history reflects the dramatic social, economic, and
educational changes resulting from the information
revolution in the 20th century. From the use of closed
circuit television in the 1950s to microfilmed course
readings in the 1970s to the delivery of courses on the
World Wide Web, the School harnessed these new technologies
to keep librarianship relevant as a profession and to make
education for the field as widely available as possible. In
March 2009, they took another bold step by going completely
online. This means that now they are not only the world's
largest MLIS program, but the first wholly virtual one.
Based on extensive research in the university's records, Dr.
Hansen shows how the School's tradition of entrepreneurship
and innovation shaped its development between 1928 and 2009
and pays tribute to the administrators, faculty, and
students who contributed to the School's success.