The school offers one of 58 master's programs in library and information science in the United States and Canada that are accredited by the American Library Association. The School of Library and Information Science provides students with the basic knowledge and skills required to function effectively in beginning professional positions in various types of libraries and information-providing agencies. It contributes to the advancement of both the theory and practice of librarianship through systematic and continuing research and publication and provides continuing public service to individuals, libraries, professional organizations and related institutions to the end of promoting effective and efficient information services. The School of Library and Information Science maintains flexibility and openness to change through the participation of faculty, students, and administration in the decision-making process. The student body, numbering about 250 graduate students, each year elects a student committee to represent them in all deliberations of the School of Library and Information Science.
Students sit on committees and share significantly in the development of the college.
The student committee participates in orientation programs, publishes a newsletter, and sponsors social activities throughout the year. The diversity of the students, in terms of geography and interests and backgrounds, helps to create an atmosphere in which change and improvement in the program can take place. They are supplemented by other libraries in the area including those at the Lexington Theological Seminary, the Veterans Administration Medical Center, the Lexington Public Library, several nearby public regional libraries and the State Department for Libraries and Archives in Frankfort. The master's program in library and information science is accredited by the American Library Association. The School of Library and Information Science offers graduate degrees only.