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The Center for Library & Information Innovation (clii.umd.edu) of the iSchool at the University of Maryland College Park launched its new online MLS program in e-government and digital government in August 2010. The first cohort of students live and work in a diverse number of geographies and institutions in Arkansas, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, and Washington DC.

This unique program is for students interested in careers in librarianship and other information organizations as specialists in digital government information and e-government services. The program prepares graduates to take advantage of the evolving range of e-government services to develop government information services that are not based in physical collections. This program is an online extension and expansion of the College’s successful face-to-face e-government MLS program (http://www.cipeg.umd.edu/teaching/egovcon.html).

Over the next two years, this program will educate the next generation of government information and e-government librarians through:

Coursework. The specialized coursework will serve as the intellectual and conceptual basis for the evolving government information environment.
Practice. Though internships with the GIO program participants, students will develop applied government information skills.
Scholarship. Though inclusion in the review process of Government Information Quarterly, students will publish government resource reviews, contribute to furthering scholarship in government information, and learn the publication process. The project principles will also work with students to publish manuscripts in key areas of government information and e-government.
Professional Interactions. By bringing students together annually to attend the Fall Federal Depository Library Council meeting, students will become integrated into the larger government information community and engage key issues in government information.

The participation of the first 20 students is possible through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (www.imls.gov) awarded to John Carlo Bertot and Paul T. Jaeger of the University of Maryland and John A. Shuler of the University of Illinois Chicago. In addition to the generous support of the University of Maryland and University of Illinois, Chicago, other program partners include the Government Printing Office (www.gpo.gov) and the Government Information Online consortium (www.govtinfo.org). Bertot commented that the “Unique program prepares students for an ever-evolving digital government information and e-government service context.” Expanding on that, Jaeger said “This program allows students to become involved in scholarship as well, through involvement with Government Information Quartertly (www.elsevier.com/locate/govinf).” Shuler added “An exciting aspect of this program is the blend between practice and coursework. Students are folded into a larger community of practice that is determining the future of digital government and e-government librarianship.”

For more information about the program, visit clii.umd.edu. Contact John Bertot ([log in to unmask]) for questions.

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John Carlo Bertot, Ph.D.
Professor and Director
Center for Library & Information Innovation
College of Information Studies
University of Maryland
4105 Hornbake Building, South Wing
College Park, MD 20742
Email: [log in to unmask]
Web (Bertot): http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~jbertot/
Web (Center): http://clii.umd.edu
Phone: 301.405.3267
Fax: 301.314.9145

Editor, Library Quarterly (http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/toc/lq/current)
Editor, Government Information Quarterly (http://www.elsevier.com/locate/govinf/)