IFLA

As of 22 April 2009 IFLA has a totally redesigned new website

This old website and all of its content will stay on as archive – http://archive.ifla.org

IFLANET home - International Federation of Library Associations and InstitutionsActivities and ServicesSearchContacts

Education and Training Section

Guidelines for Professional Library/Information Educational Programs

Third revised draft, 2003 with subsequent minor revisions

These guidelines were approved by IFLA's Professional Board in December 2000. Since then minor updates have been made by the IFLA Section on Education and Training. These guidelines are in effect a revision of the "Standards for Library Schools" published by IFLA in 1976 for the Section on Education and Training. This new version has been drafted by a working group of the Section whose members included: Evelyn Daniel, Susan Lazinger and Ole Harbo. This version supersedes all earlier drafts.

The Larger Framework

PREAMBLE. Library/information educational programmes have a long and distinguished history. In the past, they have focused on developing physical collections of books and other materials in library buildings staffed by people who have learned to select, acquire, organise, retrieve and circulate these materials. Today library information educational programmes extend beyond the physical collections and buildings to the virtual world of the Internet. Today the emphasis is on the individual practitioner and the concentration is on information provision in a variety of contexts. Educational programmes are offered at the technical level, at the graduate and professional level, and at the research and doctoral level. The guidelines offered here primarily address the graduate and professional level.

1.Context. The library/information educational programme's description and status (organisational level) should be comparable to that of other programmes in the country that are engaged in vocational and professional education. For professional level preparation, the library/information educational programme should be part of a degree-granting institution and instruction should be at the tertiary (university) level. Library/information programmes should be eligible to offer doctoral level study on the same basis as other programmes.

2. Mission. The library/information educational programme's mission should be clearly stated in a publicly available formal document. The programme's mission should address the purpose of the educational programme in the larger political, social, economic and technical context and should be consistent with the non-discriminatory values of the profession. It should identify the constituencies being served and should be responsive to the needs of the country and, unless it is an independent, free-standing organisation, should be consistent with the values of its parent institution. The LIS programme should demonstrate awareness of related professions and disciplines.

3. Goals and Objectives. The library/information educational programme should state its goals and identify specific objectives, derived from its goals, addressing philosophy, principles and methods of the programme; areas of specialisation; level of preparation provided; teaching, service and research values; and the perceived role of library and information services in society. The goals and objectives should be consistent with published educational policy statements from recognised official bodies (See number 7 below).

Curriculum

4. General. The curriculum shall consist of a unified series of courses and other educational experiences based on the programme's goals and objectives. It should provide students with a theoretical framework for research and practice in the library/information field. Opportunities to gain and demonstrate professional competencies should be a part of the educational programme. An awareness of professional concerns should permeate the programme.

5. Public Document. The curriculum should be stated clearly in a publicly available formal document, describing the aims, prerequisites, content, learning outcomes, and assessment methods for each course within the programme.

6. Breadth of General Education. Students should acquire a broad general education (topics from other disciplines) as a significant preparatory component of the total educational programme for the library/information professional.

7. Core library/information coursework. Programmes should refer to educational policy statements issued by government or professional associations that identify important knowledge and skill components. (Examples of such statements include those issued by the Institute of Information Science (UK), the Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals - CILIP (formerly the Library Association (UK)), the Special Libraries Association (US), the Medical Library Association (US), the Association of Library Service to Children (US), the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA).

8. Core Elements. Core elements include:

  1. The Information Environment, Information Policy and Ethics, the History of the Field
  2. Information Generation, Communication and Use
  3. Assessing Information Needs and Designing Responsive Services
  4. The Information Transfer Process
  5. Organization, Retrieval, Preservation and Conservation of Information
  6. Research, Analysis and Interpretation of Information
  7. Applications of Information and Communication Technologies to Library and Information Products and Services
  8. Information Resource Management and Knowledge Management
  9. Management of Information Agencies
  10. Quantititive and Qualitative Evaluation of Outcomes of Information and Library Use

9. Practicum, Internship or Fieldwork. The programme should incorporate appropriate means to allow students to appreciate the interplay between professional theories and their application in professional practice.

10. Transferable Skills. Methods of teaching and assessment should be designed to develop or enhance students' interpersonal communication skills, ability to work in teams, and time and task management skills. At the professional level, emphasis should be placed on developing students' analytical and problem-solving skills.

11. Continuing Education. In order to assist practising librarians and information specialists to maintain competence in a changing society and to keep educators aware of issues and trends in practice, the programme should either conduct suitable workshops and short courses for the benefit of practising librarians and information specialists or partner with other agencies in doing so. If distance learning methods of course delivery are used, the quality of the educational experience should be comparable to similar experiences offered on site.

12. Regular Review of Curriculum. A process of formal curriculum review should take place on a regular basis. This review should be informed by input from employers, practitioners and professional associations, as well as students and faculty.

13. Consultancy. The programme's staff should have the opportunity of offering consulting to libraries and information agencies to develop further interplay between the educational institution and practice.

Faculty And Staff

14. Academic Staff. The academic (teaching) staff should be sufficient to accomplish programme objectives. The qualification of each full-time faculty member should include research-based competence in the designated teaching areas, technological proficiency, effectiveness in teaching, a sustained record of scholarship, and active participation in appropriate professional associations. For teachers of programmes at the professional level, a sustained record of scholarship is expected comparable to that expected of university teachers in other disciplines.

15. Faculty Appointment. Review and Promotion Policies. The educational programme should have stated policies and standards for appointment, review and promotion of full-time faculty equivalent to those in comparable units. All full-time faculty should hold degrees in relevant subjects from recognised academic institutions. There should be a clearly stated policy for the continuing education and professional development of the academic teaching staff, and for reviewing the currency and relevance of courses and teaching methods.

16. Part-time faculty. Part-time faculty should be appropriately qualified and should balance and complement the teaching competencies of full-time faculty. Inputs from part-time faculty should be coordinated with the programme as a whole.

17. Non-Academic Staff. Non-academic (clerical, secretarial, technical) staff should have qualifications equivalent to those of persons in comparable units. The number and kind of staff should be adequate to support the faculty in the performance of their responsibilities.

Students

18. Academic Policies. Recruitment, admission, financial aid, placement, and other academic and administrative policies for students should be consistent with the mission, goals and objectives of the educational programme and should be explicitly non-discriminatory. The policies should reflect the needs and values of the constituencies served by the programme. Policies should be publicly available.

19. Admission. Selection of students should be based on clearly stated publicly available criteria. Interest, aptitude, intellectual and educational backgrounds and diversity should be addressed in the criteria. Standards for admission should be applied consistently.

20. Programme of Study. Students should have advisory assistance in constructing a coherent programme of study to meet career aspirations consistent with the educational programme's mission, goals and objectives. Evaluation of student achievement should be provided on a consistent and equitable basis. Student and alumni evaluation of the programme should be undertaken on a regular basis.

21. Completion Requirements. A clear statement of the requirements of the educational programme should appear in a formal document that is available to students and prospective students. On completion of requirements, students should be awarded a degree, diploma, or certificate suitable to their level of study.

Administration and Financial Support

22. Organization. The administrators, faculty and staff of the library/information educational programme should be aware of, and in communication with other related professions and disciplines within and outside the educational establishment. In addition, the programme should occupy a distinct position in the administrative organisation plan of the institution. It should have autonomy sufficient to ensure the intellectual integrity of the programme is consistent with its goals and objectives.

23. Head of Programme. The head of the programme should have status and authority comparable to heads of similar units in the parent institution. The head of the programme should possess both academic and professional qualifications comparable to those required of faculty and administrative ability and leadership skills.

24. Governance. Decisions should be based on clearly defined and publicly stated policies. Faculty, staff, student, alumni and employer participation in governance should be encouraged. Major decisions and activities should be documented.

25. Financial Support. The educational programme should have adequate financial support to develop and maintain a library and information course of study consistent with the expectations of practice and comparable to similar programmes elsewhere. An annual budget should be administered by the head of the programme. The level of support should relate to the number of faculty, administrative and support staff, instructional resources and facilities.

26. Planning and Evaluation. The programme should have a clearly developed, regular planning and evaluation process. The process should include an ongoing review of policies and procedures in light of anticipated changes in the library/information field and in the larger society. Faculty, staff, and students should be involved in the planning and evaluation activities. Employers and practitioners should be consulted as well. The programme should meet such educational and/or professional accreditation requirements as are the norm in the country.

Instructional Resources And Facilities

27. Library Resources. Library resources should be of sufficient depth, quantity and accessibility to support the courses offered by the educational programme and the research efforts of the faculty. These should include monographs and serial publications, in print and in electronic formats; a range of bibliographical tools to support teaching and research; and other appropriate media. A procedure for access to additional resources from other locations should be in place.

28. Information Technology Resources. Computer hardware and software and multimedia resources should be available for students and staff and be sufficient for the level of use required for coursework and faculty research.

29. Internet Resources. Adequate connections to the Internet should allow ready access to Internet resources for faculty and students. A policy regarding acceptable uses of the Internet for teaching and research emphasising the librarian's concerns for freedom of information should be formulated and publicised.

30. Physical Facilities. The educational programme's physical facilities should provide adequate space for faculty, staff and students to accomplish its objectives.

If you have comments or suggestions about these guidelines, please contact the Section Officers.