Where are you now? <br><br>Over 8,000 alumni from six North Carolina LIS programs will have an opportunity to make their voices heard through a study funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services in Washington, D.C

. The Workforce Issues in Library and Information Science (WILIS) project is exploring educational, workplace, career and retention issues faced by graduates of North Carolina LIS programs over the past 40 years. If you are not a graduate of a North Carolina LIS program, information about a follow-up grant that will include a broader range of LIS programs in different locations is outlined below. 
<br><br>NC graduates who have not already done so should send their name and e-mail address to: <a href="mailto:[log in to unmask]" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"><a href="/cgi-bin/wa-jisc.exe?LOGON=A3%3Dind0708%26L%3DDC-GENERAL%26E%3D7bit%26P%3D16500%26B%3D------%253D_Part_171905_28994884.1186696967257%26T%3Dtext%252Fhtml%3B%2520charset%3DISO-8859-1%26pending%3D" target="_parent" >[log in to unmask]</a></a> in order to receive information about how to respond to a web survey. If you participated in the pilot survey conducted during Spring 2007, thank you for your&nbsp;&nbsp;contribution to the project; you will not receive a duplicate request for participation in the September survey.
<br><br>Since LIS is not a licensed profession, very little is known about what happens to graduates of LIS programs, in particular factors that affect recruitment, retention and job satisfaction. This study will also provide a greater understanding of the impact of trends such as workforce aging and technological change. These are trends that affect LIS practitioners, employers and educators every day. 
<br><br>Your participation in this unique study will help to inform the field as a whole about LIS careers. This is an opportunity for you to contribute to the development of more effective educational and workforce planning in the future. We look forward to sharing the results of this study with the profession.
<br><br>The participating NC LIS programs are:<br>- Appalachian State University Library Science Program<br>- Central Carolina Community College Library and Information Technology Program<br>- East Carolina University Department of Library Science and Instructional Technology
<br>- North Carolina Central University School of Library and Information Sciences<br>- UNC Chapel Hill School of Information and Library Science<br>- UNC Greensboro Department of Library and Information Studies<br><br>For further information, please see the project website: 
<a href="http://www.wilis.unc.edu" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://www.wilis.unc.edu</a><br><br>WILIS 2: The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has recently provided researchers at the University of North Carolina&#39;s School of Information and Library Science (SILS) and Institute on Aging (IOA) with a second award to modify the initial WILIS study survey and methodology for use by a broader range of LIS programs in different locations.
<br><br>WILIS 2 researchers will assess the alumni tracking needs of LIS programs and include as many participants as possible in a staged launch of the modified career-tracking model. The WILIS team will develop a system to administer the surveys and provide access to results for the participating LIS programs. The project will also explore options for sustaining the career-tracking model, disseminate findings and publicize the availability of the alumni tracking system&nbsp;&nbsp;to all LIS programs.
<br><br><br>Susan Rathbun-Grubb<br>Doctoral student, SILS, UNC-Chapel Hill<br>Research Assistant, WILIS Project<br><a href="http://www.wilis.unc.edu/index.html" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
http://www.wilis.unc.edu/index.html</a><br><a href="mailto:[log in to unmask]" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
<a href="/cgi-bin/wa-jisc.exe?LOGON=A3%3Dind0708%26L%3DDC-GENERAL%26E%3D7bit%26P%3D16500%26B%3D------%253D_Part_171905_28994884.1186696967257%26T%3Dtext%252Fhtml%3B%2520charset%3DISO-8859-1%26pending%3D" target="_parent" >[log in to unmask]</a></a><br><br>