The I-School Movement was discussed by a panel of five this morning, which included our very own Dean Michele Cloonan. They discussed various topics across the I-School movement, including whether or not it was a good idea, the benefits of the movement, and what it should be called or encompass. The moderator, Andrew Dillon, did a fantastic job of summarizing the various ideas behind the program and being sarcastic about the questions he was supplementing. The panelists, some of which seemed to feel more comfortable sitting in front of a group of peers than others, all had something to say, although they seemed to take different views on the answers to the various questions presented. Cloonan presented some of the historical information behind the movement and discussed it from a non I-School view.
Curiously enough, all of the panelists were relatively positive about the movement and seemed to think it was a great way to go, despite a few questions and set backs here and there. The audience seemed less inclined to agree, especially in regards to the idea of inter-departmental work and research groups. Overall everyone seemed to agree that I-Schools and LIS programs need to avoid being swallow and taken down by a perhaps dying, or at the least changing, university system. There also seems to be a need to state outright what it is that I-Schools want to do and to try and advertise this movement to people other than 17 year olds.