The ancestry of teaching and research in Library and Information Science (LIS) at Leeds Metropolitan University can be traced back to 1946, when a course of professional training in Librarianship was inaugurated in the Leeds College of Commerce.

Research in the LIS area is led by Alistair Black, Professor of Library and Information History (those interested in the MSc Information Studies course can contact Peter Robson).

In recent years, research in LIS has been informed to a large degree by the work of researchers contributing to the Library and Information History Research Programme (IHRP), which includes the work of Alistair Black, Rodney Brunt, Dave Muddiman and Margaret Hung.

Also linked to the Group is the work undertaken on children's libraries by Carolynn Rankin.

The LIS Group currently sustains three fully-funded Leeds Met Centenary Research Students: Christopher Walker, Premila Gamage and, as part of the IHRP, Margaret Hung.

In addition, staff in the University Library have been active in publishing their research and reflections on practice.

Work in the LIS area contributed significantly to the University's submission to RAE 2001 in the Library and Information Management area, and forms a key element in the submission to RAE 2008 in the same area.