Diploma in Library and Information Studies

LIAS@UOM
Library, Information and Archive Studies@University of Malta
Division of Library & Information Studies
Centre for Communication Technology


University of Malta	Centre for Communication Technology	University of Malta Library	Computer Services Centre

The Field of Library, Information and Archive Studies

Although a first Diploma course in Library & Information Studies, coordinated by Mr George Bonnici, was offered through the Faculty of Education as a prototype between 1986-1988, it was not until late 1992 that the University instituted a lectureship in Library Studies within the Centre for Communication Technology. The Dip.LIS course was then revised and re-launched and has been successfully run since 1993. By 2001the LIS programme was established as one of three divisions within CCT, and a second lectureship was instituted in 2002. These developments, together with the continued assistance of visiting lecturers, has now permitted the launching of a bachelor’s degree programme and the addition of archives and records management to the existing library and information components. The interest and assistance of the Director of the CCT, of the Malta Library & Information Association, and of the Head of the National Archives is here recorded with appreciation.

What is Librarianship and Archival Work?

Librarians, Information Workers and Archivists work with people needing to use information in its various manifestations and with documents in all media and of all times. There is an increasing convergence and relationship in the functions carried out in libraries and archives.

Demand for effective library, information and archival services continues both in Malta and internationally, but the need for traditional professional skills is being accompanied worldwide by a parallel growth in the use of information and communications technologies, and by the proliferation of media and of documents of all types. These capture, store, retrieve, disseminate and exchange information on a global scale.

The successful application of computer systems to the tasks performed in libraries, records offices, and archives has revolutionized the planning and management of tasks, and has now made services traditionally provided within the walls of libraries and archives the province of a wider community of information professionals.
Such extraordinary changes have brought about new requirements that need to be reflected extensively in courses of study at the beginning of the third Millennium. The programme of studies, therefore, though fully conscious of the need to embody traditional values and principles, equally emphasizes the inevitability of change, and stresses the following:

the acceptance of technological change and the recognition of its role in reviewing, re-organizing, and refining essential services provided by libraries and archives;
the recognition, as a consequence, that the traditional library and archival professions must necessarily evolve and merge into a wider information profession;
the recognition that change is both constant and inevitable, and that regular updating, retraining, and continuing education are not only desirable but essential;
the possibilities for electronically linking information in new ways and in a variety of media globally and beyond are virtually infinite;
traditional libraries and archives, though still valid, will continue to be shaped by the requirements and the vision opened up by computer and communications technologies, and the expectations of users based on them;
co-operation and resource sharing, both nationally and internationally, will not only become increasingly desirable but increasingly possible;
efforts towards the acceptance, application and adoption of common standards will continue on a global scale.

Career & Work Opportunities

Library & Information Work

The changes outlined above have, in addition to the demand for work in libraries, opened up horizons in the shape of new markets for those with competence in library and information skills. These include: Research work; Publishing and the Book trade; Journalism; Media work; Information management; Museums and heritage work; Business intelligence; Internet mentoring; Teaching LIS skills to specialists in other fields. Professional associations representing library and information personnel include the Malta Library & Information Association (MaLIA), the Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals [UK] (CILIP), and the American Library Association (ALA).

Archival Work & Records Management

The Society of Archivists (UK) states that:
In the course of business lots of organisations and people accumulate archives. These include government agencies, local authorities, universities, hospitals, museums, businesses, charities, professional organisations and families and individuals. Archives may be books or papers, maps or plans, photographs or prints, films or videos, or computer generated records. Archives are intended to be kept permanently, to preserve the past and allow others to discover it. It is the job of the archivist to preserve and exploit this archival heritage and the information contained within it. For a more detailed skill set and career path for archivists click here.

Page last updated: 16/09/05