The School of Information Management was created as the School of Library Service in 1969. It was located in the Faculty of Graduate Studies, but in July of 1975, it became affiliated with the newly-formed Faculty of Administrative Studies, along with the Schools of Social Work, Business Administration, and Public Administration. The School of Social Work withdrew from the Faculty in 1984, at which time it became the Faculty of Management Studies (later Faculty of Management.) The School for Resource and Environmental Studies joined the Faculty in 1989.
The School awarded its first MLS (Master of Library Service) at the May convocation in 1971. From 1979 to 1985 the School undertook a complete revision of its curriculum, which was then implemented over two academic years from Fall 1985 through Winter 1987. At the end of the revision process the name of the School and the degree offered were changed to reflect the new curriculum with its integration of librarianship and information studies. The first Master of Library and Information Studies degrees were awarded in May 1987.