Learning, unlearning and relearning - knowledge life cycles in library and information science education

This examination of the membership trends of the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE), from 1986-87 to 1996-97 as shown in its annual directory suggests that: 1) membership has been in decline since 1993, its peak year; 2) assistant professors are in more severe decline than other faculty ranks; 3) part-time faculty and retired faculty are among the fastest growing groups in the field of library and information science (LIS) education; and 4) the market share that ALISE enjoyed at its height was comparable to other professional associations.

This paper presents the current scenario of library and information science (LIS) education in India, with special reference to open and distance mode. In the centenary year of LIS education in India, it is important to evaluate the existing system. SWOT analysis is a tool to evaluate the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats of Indigenous LIS education in distance mode. The analysis is carried out in the light of national-level practices and perspective. Analysis of SWOT results in few strategies, which can be useful for contemporary open and distance education centres in India.

Library and information science education in Nigeria: Curricula contents versus cultural realities

Library and information science education in Nigeria: Curricula contents versus cultural realities

Eswatini has been impacting and sourcing Library and information science education in training from foreign institutions due to a shortage of institutions offering Library and Information Science (LIS) training. The relevance of sending people for training in other countries has been a great concern for the government of Eswatini. The expense and complexity of sending employees out of the country for training have caused problem many organizations due to their absence from the office. This study, therefore, investigates the development of an open distance e-learning (ODeL) curriculum for the LIS program in Eswatini and proposes strategies in this regard.

This report presents the final results of Work Package 2 (WP2) – Developing Gender-Inclusive Teaching Innovations in Library and Information Sciences – within the GEDIS project (Gender Diversity in Information Science: Challenges in Higher Education). WP2 provides both the analytical foundations and the pedagogical infrastructure needed to integrate gender perspectives systematically into Library and Information Science (LIS) education across several European universities. The work package combines a comprehensive analysis of existing LIS curricula, a consensus-building process with international experts, staff training activities, and student-centred innovation. WP2 delivers five main results: (1) a Comprehensive Curriculum Analysis Report, documenting how gender is currently addressed in LIS programmes and where gaps remain; (2) a Consensus Document on Innovative Teaching Strategies, realised as the white paper Embedding Gender Perspectives in Information Science Education: Barriers, Opportunities, and Pathways for Change; (3) Prototype Teaching Methods, Tools, and Materials, organised into twelve prototype teaching packages based on 91 student-created and 153 staff-created multilingual Open Educational Resources (OER); (4) a Detailed Implementation and Evaluation Plan for piloting gender-inclusive teaching strategies; and (5) Gender-Inclusive Educational Frameworks that structure these innovations into coherent curricular pathways. The report shows how these outputs contribute to the overall objectives of GEDIS, support the design of professors’ and librarians’ toolkits, and prepare the ground for piloting in subsequent work packages. It also reflects on lessons learned regarding multilingual co-creation of OER, curriculum reform and sustainable integration of gender perspectives in LIS teaching.

This paper presents a two-fold examination of some recent writings on library and information science (LIS) education emanating from within and without LIS education. The first part is a content analysis of the writings, intended to provide insight into the points of emphasis in documents from the American Library Association, the Medical Library Association, and other official bodies, as well as from individuals writing on LIS education in general or on specific curricular matters. The second part examines the discourse from the theoretical perspectives provided by Michael Foucault and Pierre Bourdieu. In particular, the writings are examined as articulations of symbolic power. In this sense, the writings comprise a dialectic, but one without a clear and common context.

The global higher education landscape is increasingly shaped by technology-driven models, with mobile technologies emerging as critical tools for sustaining instructional delivery, access, and engagement. In Nigeria, persistent economic declines, infrastructural deficits, and chronic underfunding have constrained higher education, particularly Library and Information Science (LIS) programmes, necessitating cost-effective and scalable e-learning solutions. This study investigated the optimization of mobile technology for e-learning in Nigerian library schools, focusing on types, extent, impact, relevance, and challenges. A quantitative descriptive design was employed, targeting 1,103 LIS educators affiliated with the Nigerian Association of Library and Information Science Educators (NALISE). Data were collected via a structured questionnaire administered through WhatsApp, yielding 771 responses. Descriptive statistics, including means and standard deviations, were used to analyze results across the study’s five objectives. Findings revealed that smartphones, WhatsApp, eBook reader apps, and platforms such as Zoom and Google Classroom are the most commonly recognized tools. However, their practical integration into teaching, learning, research, and administrative activities was generally moderate. Educators reported modest improvements in communication, access to resources, collaborative learning, and academic efficiency, but transformational impacts on education were limited. Key challenges included poor internet connectivity, high data costs, frequent power outages, limited digital literacy, and inadequate institutional support. Despite these barriers, educators affirmed the relevance of optimizing mobile technology to enhance inclusivity, flexibility, and instructional effectiveness. The study concludes that realizing the full potential of mobile learning in Nigerian LIS schools requires coordinated policy frameworks, targeted digital training, and strategic infrastructural investments.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to suggest to move successfully beyond the fragmented and cursory treatment of diversity that prevails in library and information science (LIS) education should articulate a vision of teaching and learning within the diverse society we have become. That vision must then be used to guide systematically, the inclusion of intercultural issues throughout the LIS education. Presents four salient characteristics that define the culturally responsive LIS educator. Recommends that LIS educators examine critically the curriculum and revise it as needed to make issues of diversity central rather than peripheral.Design/methodology/approachUsing four salient characteristics, the paper discusses the approach LIS educators should use in order to create the interconnectedness of the themes that are made up of knowledge, skills, and disposition. Using this framework as theoretical bases an analysis is then presented for changing nature of LIS education.FindingsIt was found that to prepare future library professionals for a multicultural society, educators in LIS schools must first articulate a vision of teaching and learning in a diverse society. The four salient characteristics identified will serve as the framework for infusing cultural diversity issues in LIS education.Originality/valueThe paper presents, how LIS educators could promote a more equitable and just society through inclusion of diversity issues in the education of future library professionals.

The aim of the article is to determine the Ukrainian higher education institutions’ opportunities for improving educational programmes in 029 Information, Library and Archival Studies specialty in the context of their compliance with IFLA Guidelines for Professional Educational Programs in Library Science and Information Science. The methodology. The study’s methodological tool is a comparative approach to the content and quality criteria of foreign and domestic educational programs for bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Library Science and Information Science. A systematic approach to the educational programs’ cognitive component has allowed to establish compulsory and optional educational components blocks and to determine the efficiency for their content in terms of complication the system of the modern library and information specialist’s general and professional competencies. The results. In the research we have characterized the IFLA Guidelines for Professional Library and Information Science (LIS) Educational Programs, described and presented for public discussion by IFLA Building Strong LIS Education Working Group (Building Strong LIS Education (BSLISE)) in 2021. The study defined international requirements to the content, organizational and methodical bases of the bachelor and master training in Library and Information Science, as well as established the conformity degree of the Ukrainian higher education institutions’ educational programs to IFLA Guiding principles. There were substantiated the opportunities for improving the content and structure of the domestic educational programmes in 029 Information, Library and Archival Studies specialty as to meeting the international criteria for assessing their quality and modern teaching and learning educational methods used in the educational programs. The topicality. For the first time in scientific circulation there has been introduced the content of the IFLA Guidelines for LIS professional educational programmes. These guidelines summarize the international requirements for cognitive, organizational and methodological components of the modern library and information specialists training; allow to establish the compliance degree of domestic educational programs with the world quality criteria. The practical significance. The results of the study may be used by Ukrainian higher education institutions implementing educational programs in the specialty 029 Information, Library and Archival Studies and looking for their compliance with international requirements and quality criteria for the library and information professionals’ training and competitiveness in the processes of Ukraine’s integration into the European educational space.

Connie Van Fleet is well known to RUSO readers. She edited the journal (in conjunction with Danny P Wallace) for twelve years. Upon completing her final term as editor, she assumed leadership for the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE). ALISE is the premier organization for faculty teaching in graduate programs in library and information science in North America. Connie graciously took time out of her busy schedule to respond to my questions about library education and LIS students. All of a sudden librarianship is becoming portrayed as a hot occupation. Last spring, U.S. News & World Report (see Best Careers for 2007, in the issue dated March 19, 2007) ranked librarianship as one of the top twenty-five careers for 2007. This summer, the New York Times (see A Hipper Crowd of Shushers, in the July 8, 2007 issue) ran a story on how librarianship is becoming a career choice for Generation Xers. Have library schools noticed a marked increase in applications over the last year or two? I loved those articles and really got quite a kick out of sharing the NYT piece with my students. It's great to see librarianship getting attention and respect. I think those articles, however, reflect recognition of a trend, rather than drive enrollment figures. Enrollment in ALA-accredited programs has been increasing steadily since an inexplicable dip in 1999. In fact, according to the ALISE statistics, enrollment in accredited masters' programs grew by about 8% per year between 1999 and 2006, resulting in an increase of over 65%. The 2007 statistics have just been collected from the schools and have not yet been analyzed, but it is my sense that this upward trend is continuing. Who is attending graduate programs in library and information science these days? Is there a demographic profile of the typical student enrolled in a master's degree program? Is librarianship a second career for many individuals? There is a very diverse group of individuals who attend graduate programs in library and information science for a variety of reasons. The profession may still be overwhelmingly female and white, but we are seeing more men and ethnic groups represented in the program. I think the data gathered in Fall 2006 probably gives a pretty accurate picture of this year's class. It shows that enrollment in MLIS programs was 71% female and 29% male. Of those students for whom ethnicity data is reported (such reporting is illegal in Canada), 74% of the students were identified as white, with about 4.4% black, 4.34% Hispanic, and 3.37% Asian. Nearly 5% were international students. Perhaps the most dramatic change is in the age of those attending graduate programs in library and information science: 40% were under the age of 30; 69% were under 40; and 87% under 50 years old. The majority (73.7%) of students reside in the state or province in which they attend school. Librarianship still remains a second career for many individuals. We don't have statistics on students who come into our programs with advanced degrees or from other careers, but my experience at three different universities and my impression from speaking with other faculty indicate that a number of students come to us from a variety of professions, including law, music, education, business, and retail sales. We also see a number of library workers who enroll in school for advancement or professional development. It appears that there has been an explosion in online course offerings in library and information science. Are there data on how many students are enrolled in distance versus residential programs? Are there some master's degree programs that are a hybrid? Has ALISE or any other body sponsored research evaluating the quality of online programs? We don't have figures that indicate the balance of enrollment in distance and residential programs that have been aggregated on the national level, nor do we have directly comparable data on those enrollments. …

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to find out what the Greek library and information science (LIS) students want from their studies concerning the use of Web 2.0 in education. Based on the results of this study, this paper will seek to identify problems and propose solutions that will tackle students' needs and improve the quality of their studies.Design/methodology/approachA web‐based questionnaire was distributed to students of the Library Science and Information Systems (LSIS) Department of ATEI of Thessaloniki, Greece. Students had to answer 61 questions, divided into ten sections about Web 2.0 tools. First, they were asked to state the knowledge and personal experience on Web 2.0 tools and then to express their views for the LIS curriculum and the use of Web 2.0. Interviews with four members of staff from the LSIS Department were followed in order to review the research findings and express their views concerning Web 2.0 and LIS education.FindingsThis research revealed that most of the students are aware of the majority of Web 2.0 tools. Thus, they are willing to attend training concerning Web 2.0 because they believe this will enrich their knowledge on the subject. Blogs and wikis are the first choices of the tools they would like to learn about. Students believe that computer scientists are more qualified to teach Web 2.0 tools, while some respond that cooperation between librarians and computer scientists will be to the benefit of the profession. As advantages of using Web 2.0 they name acquiring new knowledge and facilitation with the assignments. The faculty staff have positive views introducing Web 2.0 tools in classes as a way of communicating with students but they feel that it is too early for these tools to play a learning role in LIS teaching.Originality/valueThe implementation of Web 2.0 in schools, especially LIS departments, is very important nowadays. There are only a few studies about Web 2.0 in Greece. This study will help LIS faculty to understand students' needs about Web 2.0 in order to improve their units and LIS curriculum and adopt Web 2.0 applications to their classes. On the other hand this research records for the first time the views of the Greek faculty members concerning Web 2.0 and social networks.

In a society that is increasingly diverse in culture, language, and technology, the field of information science education has continued to evolve and respond to the changing information environment. The iSchool movement has attracted a good number of library and information science programs, as well as programs in computer science, while many library and information science programs have revised their mission and curricula to meet the information needs of a pluralistic world without changing the name of their programs (they are often referred to as the LIS Schools). Although iSchools and LIS Schools may seem dichotomous, many of these schools share the history of library and information science education and may have more in common than their names imply. The proposed panel is designed to shed light on the diversity and commonality of information science education in the 21st century by examining the similarities and differences of these two types of schools (including their relationship to the tradition of library and information science education) and the extent to which these schools are meeting the needs of a pluralistic world.The panel will have two parts. Part One is a report on the curricula offered at ALA‐accredited LIS schools and iSchools. In Part Two panelists will respond to the curriculum analysis report and address these topics: Their school's relationship to the tradition of library and information science education. Their experience in changing from an LIS School to an iSchool. Their rationale for remaining an LIS School and how they have changed their programs to meet the need of a pluralistic society. Their perspectives on how they are meeting market needs. Their experience in recruiting new students and placing graduates in libraries and non‐library information environments.

This article investigates the renaming of departments of library and information science (LIS) in China in the 1990s. It analyses the technological, economic, social and government factors which affect education for LIS in contemporary China. Problems facing education for LIS in China are considered and suggestions made.

In South Africa during the 1980s and 1990s socially conscious librarians took steps to transform librarianship. This inevitably led to the democratisation of library and information science (LIS) education. This process was inextricably linked to the social, political and economic events in the country as it prepared for its first democratic elections in 1994. From the traditional approach to library and information work prevalent in the apartheid era emerged an alternative approach. This new approach recognised strong links between libraries and the struggle for democracy and rejected the idea of librarianship as a neutral activity. Various leading librarians in South Africa began to criticise the prevailing model of education for librarianship and to redefine its educational goals and objectives. The need for more appropriate training as well as rapid technological changes necessitated curriculum revision. A newly emerging clientele and the appearance of resource centres and community libraries also called for alternative training for information workers. By 1994, in spite of plans, policy-making and recognition of the need for change in the education for librarians, problems of fragmentation, a lack of articulation of programmes and little differentiation and specialisation persisted in LIS education and training. Although there have been further policy initiatives and gains resulting in legislation in the 1990s, the democratisation process of LIS education in 2001 is far from complete.