History
The School of Social Work was founded in 1920 and a complementary library collection was started in the 1920s as well. In 1972, the library became a separate entity. It was called the Arlien Johnson Library in early 1980s to honor the school’s former dean. In 1998, the Social Work Library’s book and journal collections were integrated into the main book stacks in the Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library. A Social Work Information Center was established in place of the former library, enabling computer and Internet access for new generations of social work students. The social work librarian is housed in the Information Center to provide reference and research help for faculty and students.
The School of Social Work has grown rapidly in recent years. It currently has 26 tenure track faculty, eight clinical faculty and 34 adjunct faculty and about 550 graduate students. The school offers a master of social work and a doctor of philosophy, and six dual degrees.
The Social Work Library Information Center supports the mission of the school: to provide value-driven and empirically based practice and policy leadership; and to prepare social workers for leadership in professional, local, national, and international domains.
By fall 2004, an expanded Social Work Information Center with new computers and instructional equipment will be completed. The center has two major roles in the school: To provide information literacy instruction and provide Web-based information services, supported by other communication channels.