Royal School of Library and Information Science

The Royal School of Library and Information Science (RSLIS) is an institution that provides higher education in the field of Library and Information Science at locations in Copenhagen and Aalborg, Denmark.

History

The School was founded in 1956 and replaced the Danish State Library School that had been established in 1918. In 1973, RSLIS set up a library school branch in Aalborg. Up to 1969 RSLIS offered a sandwich course leading solely to the qualification of public librarian. Those graduating with the Diploma in public librarianship would take up positions as librarians in public libraries (Section I). In 1969, RSLIS extended its course offerings to include a specialised diploma programme directed towards national, research and academic libraries (within the framework of Section II). In 1985, the two bifurcated librarianship programmes were merged into a joint library degree programme. In 1998, the School was granted university status and in 2004 the first PhD thesis in Library and Information Science was defended - and in 2006 the first doctoral degree was awarded.

Facts

RSLIS is located in Copenhagen with a satellite department in Aalborg – in Aalborg, the RSLIS location is in the University of Aalborg campus area. Student enrolments in Aalborg total approximately 200 with the total number of students in the Copenhagen domicile being around 800. Both schools are known for their attractive study environments. The total number of employees at RSLIS is 140 and the total budget amounts to 80 million DKK.

Academic programmes

The School offers an undergraduate Bachelor of Library and Information Science, a Librarian DB qualification, a 2-year Master of Library and Information Science (M.L.I.Sc. degree) along with a PhD degree programme. Also offered are a range of specialised courses including a one-year, post-professional Master of Library and Information Science degree, diploma courses as well as continuing education options including short courses and theme-days.

In 2008, the contents of the 3-year Bachelor of Library and Information Science course have been revised with the focus now mainly being placed at knowledge design and knowledge media. Students are offered course units and seminar options covering, among other things, media theories, knowledge forms, information architecture, information seeking and retrieval, communication and diffusion, culture, communication, learning, knowledge management and user behaviour. As a student, you are offered the possibility of toning your programme of study allowing you to decide on a thematic specialisation within a variety of specialised areas of study including for instance media, culture and information architecture.

The two-year Master of Library and Information Science degree programme was also revised in 2008 thus providing students with new possibilities of taking options covering constituting as well as free modules. The constituting modules are rooted in the School’s three research programmes with the free modules to a greater extent being offered in relation to specific research fields and having the nature of scientific workshop. Students are also offered the possibility of toning their individual programmes in the context of the Masters programme – you might carry on with the toning selected while doing the undergraduate course – with a view to the pursuit of a subsequent research career or a career within organisations in industry and commerce or within the public sector. Teaching covers, among other things, the theories and methods of information science, information architecture, communication in organisations, information behaviour and systems design in organisations, knowledge management, practice-related research and knowledge production, linguistics as well as interaction design and evaluation.

Research

Research at the Royal School of Library and Information Science is organised in three research programmes:
*Information interaction and information architecture
*Knowledge culture and knowledge media
*Knowledge management, library development and learning processes Find an expert: http://www.db.dk/forskning/

References to external resources

*Danmarks Biblioteksskole (the Royal School of Library and Information Science): http://www.db.dk
*www.bibliotekar.nu (website Librarian Now!): http://bibliotekar.nu
*Bibliotekarforbundet (Danish Union of Librarians) http://www.bf.dk