The three Cs of distance education: Competence, creativity and community

The School of Information Studies at Syracuse University has long been an innovator in library and information science education, including the establishment of the field's first Web-based with limited residencies library and information science distance learning program in 1993. This article describes Syracuse's school library education (both distance and campus-based) in terms of developing student competence through a competency-based curriculum, bringing research into the classroom, and the use of technology for teaching and learning; fostering creativity through inquiry and "scholarship in action"; and building a community of inquiry among school library faculty, students, and practitioners through the use of social media and a variety of inclusive techniques.