LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE EDUCATION IN LATVIA


Baiba Holma, M.Sci.Soc., Lecturer, Department of Library Science and Information Science

There are several institutions providing library and information science (LIS) education on different levels in Latvia. The lower level of professional education is provided by the Culture School in Riga. Academic education in LIS is organized at the Department of Library Science and Information Science, Faculty of Philology, University of Latvia in Riga. For professional continuing education the Continuing Education Center for librarians of the Department of Library Science and Information Science was established at the University of Latvia in 1988.

The aim of this paper is to characterize the content of LIS education at the Department of Library Science and Information Science of the University of Latvia.

The main attention of the LIS education programs offered at the Department of Library Science and Information Science of the University of Latvia (the Department) in 1998/1999 is given to the library and librarian in contemporary society. Therefore the programs contain the necessary knowledge for librarian as an intermediate communicator between information sources - different kinds of documents - and information users. There are several academic programs for the study at the Department: academic program for Bachelor degree and academic program for Master degree. The program for post-graduate (doctoral) study is in preparation stage yet.

Bachelor's degree Program
The aim of the LIS education for Bachelor degree studies is to give the basic theoretical and practical knowledge and skills necessary for work in the library or information center. The following table indicates admission requirements, duration of studies for Bachelor degree, degree requirements and the title of the obtained degree.

Table 1. Characteristic data for Bachelor degree program

Admission requirements Diploma of general secondary education
Duration of studies 8 semesters
Degree requirements Complete mastering of the program, presentation and the defense of Bachelor's thesis
Degree  B.Sci.Soc. in Library Science and Information

The Bachelor degree program consists of three parts (Table 2.):

Table 2. Structure of Bachelor's degree programme

Part of the Program Courses  Credit points
Part A  Compulsory courses 84 credits
Part B Electives options 68 credits
Part C Free options from any other study program of the University of Latvia 16 credits

A part includes mandatory courses organized in the following blocks: Library in society (Library and society; History of Libraries); Information organization (Information processing; Information resources); Information management (Users services; Information services; Basics of research theory; Library management), as well as Social Science's block: Basics of economic theory; Basics of management, Psychology; Introduction in information science; Philosophy; Basics of computer studies; etc.

B part - selective courses includes such courses as: National bibliography; Reference interview; Information sources; Basics of Business information; Lettica (local studies); Children librarianship; Basics of Information society theory; Book science; School library functions; Manuscript and rare edition collection management; etc.

C part consists of courses chosen by students from all study programs offered in the University of Latvia. For full description of the program see the Appendix 1. Study Plan for Bachelor Degree in Social Sciences in Library Science and Information.

Pretender of the Bachelor degree in Library Science and Information should collect at least 168 credits in full-time studies (163 - part - time studies).

Master degree Program
The aim of Master degree program is to give more profound theoretical understanding of the Library and Information Science and in such a way to favor integration of information society and library in changing information environment.

The Table 3. indicates admission requirements, duration of studies for Master degree, degree requirements and the title of the obtained degree.

Table 3. Characteristic data for Master degree program

Admission requirements  Academic degree B.Sci.Soc. in Library Science and Information or another academic degree of Higher education diploma in Library Science or another scientific branch
Duration of studies 4 semesters
Degree requirements  Full coverage of the programme, Masters's thesis (written and defended)
Degree M.Sci.Soc. in Library Science and Information

The Master degree program consists of three parts (Table 4):

Table 4. Structure of Master degree program

Part of the Program Courses Credit points
Part A Compulsory courses  15 credits; 19 credits - for students with higher or academic education in other branches.
Part B  Electives options 55 credits
Part C Free options from any other study program of the University of Latvia  6 credits

The program includes such courses as Information society theory; Marketing theory of information centers and libraries; Intellectual property, Copyright; Library and Information law; Information retrieval languages; Theory of bibliography; Databases structure and design; Expert systems; Theory of communication; Library philosophy; etc. For full description of program see the Appendix 2. Study Plan for Master Degree of Social Sciences in Library Science and Information.
The pretender for Master degree should collect 76 credits.

Postgraduate studies
From 1999 the Department starts to organize postgraduate doctoral studies. The program for doctoral studies is in preparation stage yet. The main research directions will be Library Science, Book Science, Information Science, Library Science and Information Science Education.

Future development of the Department
The Department has the following development directions:
1. The preparation and realization of doctoral programs.
2. The preparation and realization of programs for distance learning.
3. The preparation and realization the program for Master's degree studies "Information Management".
4. The improvement of courses in Information Science.
5. The improvement of material and technical base for teaching process.

Appendix 1. Study Plan for Bachelor Degree in Social Sciences in Library Science and Information

Hours : credits 

Control form

I sem.

16 w. 

 II sem.

16 w. 

 III sem.

16 w.

 IV sem.

13 w.

 V sem.

16 w.

 VI sem.

13 w.

 VII sem.

16 w.

 VIII sem.

5 w.
A Compulsory courses                  
Basic studies of the UL                  
1. Basics of informatics  64:4  E
2. Foreign language    64:4 64:4 T,E
3. Philosophy  64:4  E
Block of social sciences                  
1. Basics of economics theory  64:4  E
2. Basics of management  48:3  E
3. Psychology general  32:2 E
4. Introduction in information science  48:3 E
Branch basic study courses                  
I. LIBRARY IN SOCIETY
1. Library and society    48:3 48:3 E,E
2. History of libraries   48:3 E
II. INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
1. Information processing
1.1. Bibliographic description  64:4  T,E
1.2. Classification. Subject indexing. Coordinate indexing  96:5  E
1.3. Introduction in bibliography science  64:4 E
2. Information sources
2.1. Documentology  32:2  E
2.2. Library collection management  64:4 E
III. INFORMATION DISTRIBUTION
1. Lectology (users services)   64:4 E
2. Information services  64:4 E
3. Introduction in research theory  32:2 E
4. Library management  64:4 E
5. Practice  40 40 40 40
6. Semester (study) works  :2 :2 T,T
7. Bachelor's work (thesis)  :15
Total credits in part A 84         17 14 16 9 10 - 8 10  
  1T4E 4E 5E 1T2E 1T2E   2E   1E  
B Selective optional courses                  
1. National bibliography*  32:2  E
2. Reference interview   32:2 E
3. Information sources: I*   48:3 E
4. Information sources: II*  48:3  E
5. Information sources: III*   64:4 E
6. Introduction in business information   16:1 E
7. Lettica*(Inform. sourc. in local studies about Latvia)   64:4 E
8. Theory of local studies*   64:4 E
9. Children librarianship*   48:3 E
10. Management of scientific bibliography   32:2 E
11. Introduction in theory of information society  16:1  E
12. International cooperation in library and information work*  48:3  E
13. Famous library scientists  32:2  E
14. Manuscript and rare edition collection management  32:2  E
15. Introduction in book science and world book history*  32:2  E
16. History of book science in Latvia*  48:3  E
17. School library functions  32:2  E
18. Research in information science   32:2 E
19. Publishing business in Latvia   16:1 E
20. Memorial libraries  32:2  E
21. Project management   16:1 E
22. Exhibition management*  32:2  E
23. Research methods   16:1 E
24. Sociology research methods*  48:3  E
25. Information systems*   48:3 E
26. Automated information retrieval*  48:3  E
27. Machine-readable cataloguing*  64:4  E
28. Theory and methods of bibliography*  32:2  E
29. Systems of language signs  32:2  E
30. Desktop publishing*  48:3  E
31. Special seminar: User's special services*   16:1 E
32. Special seminar: Censorship and book science   16:1 E
33. Psychology (contact)*   32:2 E
34. Publicity in information centers   32:2 E
35. Library system policy   16:1 E
36. Introduction in research methodology  16:1  E
37. Special seminar: Document preservation   16:1 E
38. Professional english/german (payment course)   64:4 64:4  T,E
39. Foreign language (english/german from "0" level - payment course)    64:4 64:4 64:4 64:4 T,T,T,E
40. Special seminar in research work*  16:1  32:2  T,T
41. Practice (4+4+5 weeks)*    4 w.:4 4 w.:4 5 w.:5  T,T,T
Total credits in part B 121 10  16 19  20 14 19 16 7  
  2T1E 1T4E 1T5E 1T7E 6E  1T7E  1T9E 2T  
C Free choice courses                  T or E

Credits in total: full-time 168 CR, part time 163 CR.

Part A - 16 (University of Latvia) + 12 (Social sciences) + 56 (Library science and information) = 84 CR
Part B - 68 CR part time 63 CR from offered 121 CR
Part C - 16 CR

* optional courses for those students who are going to work as librarians or information officers
"E" - exam, "T" - test

Appendix 2. Study Plan for Master Degree of Social Sciences in Library Science and Information

Courses      1.s.16 w. 2.s.16 w. 3.s.16 w. 4.s.16 w. Control form
A : Optional common courses          
1. Information society theory  32:2        E
2. Marketing theory of information centers and libraries  32:2        E
3. Intellectual property. Copyright      32:2    E
4. Library and information law  32:2        E
5. Terminology of librarianship, bibliography and information   16:1       E
6. Research methods    48:3      E
7. Staff management      48:3    E
8. Introduction in library history and bibliology*   16:1       E
9. Data processing in MARC format*   16:1       E
10. Library management*  16:1        E
11. Lectology*  16:1        E
B : Selective optional courses. Have to be chosen in accordance with research course in library science (LS) or information (I).          
1. Information center and service functions, structure, management (I)      32:2    E
2. Information retrieval languages (I)    48:3      E
3. Theory of bibliography (I)     48:3     E
4. Database structure and design. Expert systems (I)    32:2      E
5. Business information (I)    32:2      E
6. Theory of communication (I)   48:3       E
7. Theory of library science (LS)  32:2        E
8. Library management     80:5     E
9. Problems of lectology (LS)      32:2    E
10. Problems of children reading (LS)    32:2      E
11. Bibliophile and basics of archivistic (LS)      32:2    E
12. Library philosophy (LS)  32:2        E
13. Classification of information sources (LS,I)    32:2      E
14. Special seminar - corresponding with master's research topic (LS,I)      16:1 16:1 16:1 T
Master's thesis^        35  
C : Free choice courses - 6 credits in total. Courses should be chosen in corresponding with master's research topic          T or E
Credits in total : A 7/11* 3  5 -  15/19*
                          B LS   4 10  5 36  55
                          I 3 13  3  36  55
                          C        -  6

Sum of credits : LS: 76/80* (A;15/19*, B:55, C:6)
I: 76/80* (A;15/19*, B:55, C:6)
Part A : should be got 15/19* credits.
Part B : should be got 55 credits during 4 semesters in corresponding with research topic in LS or I.
Part C : should be got during 1-3 semester total 6 credits.
8-11* courses in addition for undergraduates with higher education in other branches of science and in library science and bibliography (but not with bachelor's degree in library science and information).

^The topic of master's thesis must be chosen in the 1st semester.

Last updated August 31th, 2003
sirvir@tpu.ee