Courtesy: Bachelor of Library and Information Science (B.Lib.)

Bachelor’s Degree In Library And Information Science Field: A Comparative Analysis Study Performed On Distinguished American Universities / By Dr. Hossam Eldin Mohamed Refaat Abouserie. Department of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Arts, Helwan University, Egypt, 2009. Email: Hossam_usa@yahoo.com Abstract This study explored the state of bachelor’s degree offered at top Library and Information Science schools in the United States in 2009. Schools selected were accredited on the Master’s level and ranked as top five Library and Information Science schools by the American Library Association, ALA. The study embraced the comparative analysis methodology. The focus of the study was on various points related to the BA degree, such as accreditation, program emphasis, course offerings, distance learning, cost, admissions requirements, and rate. The study found bachelor degree in Library and Information Science to be the least offered degree. The basic requirements to enroll in bachelor degree programs varied from one school to another. Rank and accreditation were restricted to graduate programs on the master’s level, and not on the bachelor level. Each school had its unique curriculum, as schools had different concentrations and various focuses. Number and type of courses offered (core, elective) varied from one school to another. Courses offered were on– campus (residential) courses and schools didn’t have a choice of distance learning at the undergraduate level. Tuitions paid were relatively high and varied not only from a school to another but also within each school according to student’s status (In-State Student & Out – of – State Student). Each program had its own admission requirements. Some schools required students to take some courses, while other schools required students to take certain tests. The study found that the University of Michigan had its unique system, in that it divided students into three types: prospective students, transfer students and international students, defining certain requirements for each type. The study found the school at Syracuse University offered more choices to students, such as obtaining dual degrees, registering in honor programs and studying abroad. Background Education for librarianship varies widely in different countries. 1 librarians In that, the academic preparation for professional in the United States and Canada includes, in addition to a bachelor degree in a certain field, a one or two-year master’s degree in 1 Education for librarianship: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, available at 2 library and information science, library science or information science from an American Library Association (ALA) accredited university.2 In the United Kingdome and some other countries, a librarian usually has a three- or four-year bachelor’s degree in library and information studies or information science; separate master’s degrees in librarianship, archive management, and records management are also available. These degrees are accredited by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals and the Society of Archivists. 3 In Germany and some other countries, the first step for an academic librarian is to hold a Ph.D. in a subject field, followed by additional training in librarianship.4 Literature Review Although numerous articles and studies discuss general Library and Information Science education, studies of Library and Information Science bachelor degree in specific is a generally unexplored area. In a search of the literature, studies were identified as follow. 1- A window of opportunity: Libraries in higher education Alan Bundy. Library Management. Bradford: 2003. A version of this study was presented to the 24th annual conference of the International Association of Technological University Libraries (IATUL) Ankara, Turkey, 2-5 June 2003 as “Changing the paradigm: libraries, education and networking”. The writer indicated that “In progressive universities the next 25 years will see graduate qualities; massification, technology; flexible delivery and new disciplines drive pedagogical change. The lecture and online transmission of rapidly outdated content will continue to give way to a focus on the qualities required by students for employability and lifelong learning. Heavier and more diverse workloads on university teachers will encourage the disaggregation of their teaching. This will provide a window of opportunity for academic librarians to demonstrate their educational partnership role. They should contribute proactively to that dis aggregation and, as a key accountability, to the development of information literate students. 2 Education for librarianship: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, available at 3 Education for librarianship It described the relationship between formal library education and work in research libraries from the perceptions of entry-level librarians and their supervisors. The main goal of the study was to help library and information studies schools to prepare future research librarians and equip them with in-demand knowledge and skills. The results of the study would be of benefit for administrators and educators at library and information studies schools who were concerned with preparing.

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MLIS students to work in research
libraries. Two web-based surveys were used to collect data from 45 entry-level research
librarians in Florida, and 18 heads of departments at the same libraries. Descriptive and
inferential statistics were used for data analysis. Findings of the study validated 28 required
competencies for entry-level research librarians. Perceptions of research librarians
indicated that schools of library and information studies in the U.S. had helped their recent
graduates, who work in research libraries, in acquiring 64% of the required competencies.
3- Special feature: Whither library education? by Michael Gorman. New Library World.
London: 2004. Vol. 105, Iss. 9/10; pg. 3767This study advanced the idea that there was a crisis in library education, varying in severity from country to country and calls for a new model of library education that would meet the demands of libraries and librarianship in the years to come. Among the problems
seen were that library schools had become hosts to information science and informationstudiesfacultyand curricula. These disciplines were, at best, peripheral to professional
library work and, at worst, inimical to it. There is a growing gender divide in Library and Information Science (LIS) schools between “information science”-oriented male teachers and library course-oriented female teachers. Many of the topics regarded as central to a library education by would-be employers were no longer central to, or even required by,today’s LIS curricula. Modern communications technology has led many library educators.#ISO certification in India
to concentrate on that technology and dismiss anything about libraries that is not amenable
to a technological solution. The gap between what was taught in many LIS schools and
what was being practiced in libraries is wide and widening. This paper called for a national
core curriculum that would apply to all schools in a country.#ISO certification in India

4- Exploring the guidelines for library services to distance education programs, by Latham,Clara, Ph.D., Texas Woman’s University, 2005 , 150 pages.8This research explored the various elements of providingservices to distance education programs. The elements of these services were analyzed relative to the

Association of College and Research Libraries’ Guidelines for Distance Learning Library Services. The question of useful standards was analyzed in order to clarify the role of library service in the overall provision of distance education programs. By rating these guidelines, operational definitions were set in order to analyze services provided by various libraries in different settings and sizes. The major categories of the guidelines: management, finances, personnel, facilities, resources, services, documentation and library education, were converted into measurable, operational activities. A questionnaire was sent to library services representatives in universities across the United States asking that the guidelines be rated for usefulness and practicality, from essential to useless. Analyzing the questionnaire responses reveal several concepts. A partnership between the distance Adequate funding for the distance education component of library services was considered essential by the respondents, as is easy to access virtual services. Another essential concept revealed in the study was timeliness of delivery of materials.5- Toward library and information science education in the European Union: A comparative analysis of library and information science programs of study for new members and other applicant countries to the European Union Primoz Juznic, Branka#ISO certification in IndiaBadovinac. New Library World. London: 2005. Vol. 106, Iss. 3/4; pg. 173, 14 pgs9 This research presented an analysis of the development of schools of librarianship and information science (LIS) in the European Union (EU) applicant states until 2004. It discussed the potential and actual changes in their organization, notably their curriculum. The comparative analysis of LIS programs was performed. The model presented by Wilson in 2001 was selected as the model for analyzing the data. The aim was to support the Wilson model with some empirical data from the specific countries. The results showed that the long history of traditional library education in these schools was not a great obstacle to adapting the curriculum to new professional and political standards. LIS schools had generally changed their curriculum towards those of modern LIS schools and had also embraced the EU outlines regarding higher education.#ISO certification in India