Differences in educational programmes for librarians and information officers

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Zaaiman, R.B.

Affiliations: Department of Library and Information Science, University of South Africa, 0001 Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract: Schools of education in library science often fail to attract students with a first degree in science. This probably is caused by a difference in culture and personality between scientists and librarians. The historical development of information science shows that scientists contributed greatly to its founding and extension. Yet today information science is mostly taught in the atmosphere of the ‘soft’ humanities prevailing in library schools. The scientist finds the adaptation to that atmosphere difficult, especially in accepting the largely non-research approach to education prevailing at graduate level in many library schools. Scientists also have problems in reconciling their essentially creative attitude with the essentially conformist attitude possessed by many librarians in training. To overcome these problems information science teaching at the graduate level should show more of the nature of graduate education in science than is shown at present by graduate education in librarianship. Basically a research-oriented approach should be followed in information science teaching.

DOI: 10.3233/EFI-1984-2203

Journal: Education for Information, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 95-108, 1984