PREREQUISITES:
MLIS and Dual MAS/MLIS: Completion of MLIS Core or permission of the iSchool Graduate Advisor
MAS: completion of MAS core and permission of the iSchool Graduate Advisor
GOAL: The goal of this course is to provide students with a broad understanding of library development and services throughout the world. Students will learn about the issues and problems facing the development of libraries and will become acquainted with the successes and/or failures of various approaches to these issues. As North American librarianship is addressed in other iSchool courses, most attention will be given to library development in other regions.
OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
- Discuss the major cross-cutting issues facing libraries, library services and the library profession in various regions of the world (North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australasia)
- Identify the major trends in the provision of library and information services in the aforementioned regions
- Discuss the specific issues facing libraries, library services and the library profession in developed, lesser, and least developed countries
- Describe the various library and information training approaches and accreditation systems in different countries and regions
- Explain the role and existence of national libraries in various countries
- Describe the role and activities of national, regional and international library associations
- Describe the effects on libraries and library services in areas where there is:
- War
- Natural disaster
- Unstable governance
- Low levels of literacy
- Little indigenous publishing
- Little or no monetary assistance
- Lack of foreign currency for purchase of materials
- Lack of training
- Censorship and other intellectual freedom challenges, etc.
- Propose possible solutions and assistance where the aforementioned occurs
- Discuss the role of international aid organizations, and inter-governmental aid/assistance
- Identify the existing programs of international aid organizations and inter-governmental assistance
- Discuss the pros and cons of these methods of assistance
- Access various internet sites concerned with the aforementioned issues, associations etc.
- Identify the key international journals of librarianship
CONTENT:
- This course concentrates on library and information services in other countries, using national and regional library and library association documents. Instructors and guest speakers who have worked in libraries around the world will impart their experiences and interpret historic and current issues in international librarianship.
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