University at Albany's
Graduate Program in Library Science
Ranked 15^th in the Nation
by U.S. News & World Report;
Education Also Ranked High

ALBANY, N.Y.— The University at Albany has the 15^th best graduate program in library science in the country, according to a U.S. News & World Report survey of deans, program directors, and faculty of accredited library science graduate programs.

The results appeared Friday (March 19) in the 2000 America's Best Graduate Schools guidebook. Library science, a field transformed by the cyber-revolution, was last ranked by U.S. News in 1996. Explosive growth in the volume and import of electronic information has created demand across disciplines for people expert in organizing and retrieving it.

Albany's library science program ranked 15 in a three-way tie with the University of North Texas and the University of South Carolina, Columbia. U.S. News ranked the 48 master's degree programs in the U.S. that are accredited by the American Library Association. Albany's School of Information Science and Policy was ranked 17^th in 1996.

Philip B. Eppard, dean of the School, which is part of the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, and is located on the Downtown Campus, said the ranking reflects the school's "long tradition of excellence in such areas as information sources and services, school library media, archives and records management, and government information sources."

"In recent years we have worked to develop new strengths in such areas as information policy and the economics of information, subjects of ever increasing importance to librarians as well as other information professionals. And we are adjusting our curriculum to meet the constant challenges posed by the rapid changes in information technology," said Eppard, who has been dean since 1995. The school has 225 students enrolled in its master's degree program.

Albany's School of Education also fared well, and was ranked #44 in the nation.

In last year's ratings, U.S. News & World Report ranked the University's Rockefeller College graduate programs in public administration, criminal justice, information technology and public finance and budget among the country's elite. Those U.S. News listings ranked the master's in public administration program tied for 11th in the nation (among 248 public affairs programs) with Duke University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In related specialty listings, Albany's program in criminal justice policy was ranked No. 3 in the nation, its specialty in information technology and management was No. 4, public management was tied with American University at No. 7, and public finance and budget was ranked No. 9.

For more University at Albany information, visit our World Wide Web site at https://www.albany.edu.

March 19, 1999