Hi Folks, and now for something completely different.

[Thom Gillespie]

Last year I floated the idea of a new program to meet new needs I didn't
see being addressed in traditional MLS programs nor in the advanced MIS
proposals from U Mich or Berkeley. A new masters track in
Telecommunication, Masters in Immersive Mediated Environments (MIME) has
been approved unanimously by the school. This is an interdisciplinary
program which goes the extra mile which recognizes multimedia as
essentially a new medium of communication with new needs for new training 
and new faculty.

This is not a replacement for either the MLS or the MIS but something
different for different industrial and student needs, for new
markets, and probably new students. I teach in the School of Library and 
Information Studies at Indiana. MIME is actually housed in 
Telecommunication but the supporting departments range from SLIS to 
Telecommunications to Fine Arts and many others. Significant roots in 
this program can be found in computer game design, theater, television, 
database design and folklore.

The initial draft of the program can be found at

http://www.indiana.edu/~slizzard/dmd/immersion.html

This program has only 2 required courses and is built for speed, for
students who are interested in all different aspects of new media design,
management, and evaluation. Once in the program students have the option
of focusing on information design, sound design, evaluation, storytelling
telling & computer game design or computer science to name just a few
directions possible. 

I'd be very interested in feedback from folks on web4libs. Feel free to 
send personal email or just blast away in public. I'm thick skinned along 
with being thick headed. 8-)

Thanks, Thom