The environment at SILS is attractive and dynamic. Chapel Hill is a friendly and lively college town and neighboring Raleigh and Durham offer big-city attractions within a short drive. The school's partnerships with local libraries of all types, industry and governmental agencies have led to cooperative ventures and internship opportunities for students. For almost 70 years, SILS has educated individuals to work in the information science and library science fields, and academic excellence has been a hallmark of the school since its founding. Graduates find employment in libraries, government agencies, corporations and academic institutions and are among the leaders in the dynamic and changing world of the professional information practice.
Some graduates form their own companies or develop their own information products and services.
SILS has a strong alumni association that affords ongoing opportunities for professional networking. The school provides a range of continuing education opportunities as well as international programs with universities such as Oxford University, Charles University in Prague and the Royal School of Information and Library Science in Copenhagen. There is a growing recognition that skills in gathering, organizing and providing access to information are needed in many different knowledge-based organizations,thus enlarging the scope of practice for SILS graduates. Simultaneously, the Internet is providing access to a library without walls that is growing exponentially. Meeting the challenge of the Internet, as well as dealing with information in its multiple forms, will provide ongoing challenges for librarians, archivists, records managers and information systems professionals.