Welcome to Year 1

Year 1 Course Descriptors 

Year 1 Summary

History of Information Services

Main Outcomes
On completion of this module, students should be able to:

• Explain the past and present role of information in society; 
• Evaluate the impact of recorded information on civilisation; 
• Discuss the flow of information in society; 
• Distinguish between different types of libraries and information agencies and the information found there; 
• Comment on the history and current state of libraries and information services in South Africa; and 
• Explain the various philosophical views on libraries that developed throughout the ages.

Main Content
The Historical Dimension 

• The origins of writing; 
• History of writing materials; 
• History of printing; and
• History of libraries and library philosophical thinking throughout the ages. 

The Economic Dimension 

• The publishing industry. 

The Information Profession 

• The types of libraries and information agencies; and 
• The information society.

Introduction To Information Literacy

Main Outcomes
On completion of this module, students should be able to:

• Explain the role of information in the information age and the functioning of the information society;
• Use cognitive skills of analysing, accessing, locating, using, organising, synthesising, and communicating both printed and electronic information; 
• Identify keywords; 
• Use the library catalogue, indexes and abstracts, and databases; 
• Evaluate information found and write an academic essay; 
• Use the computer to access, organise, present, and communicate information; and 
• Word process documents and create spreadsheets.

Main Content

• Information age and society; and
• Information literacy skills: Define the problem; identify the information need; determine all possible sources; select the best sources; locate sources; find information within sources; extract relevant information; organise information to present the result; evaluate the result and process; keyboard proficiency; computer literacy theory; creating text and text editing; managing files and creating folders, tables, charts and graphics; headers, footers, borders; spreadsheets; PowerPoint presentations; Internet and email.

Welcome to Year 2

Year 2 Course Descriptors

Year 2 Summary

Collection Management in Library and Information Services

Main Outcomes
On completion of this module, students should be able to:

• Define the terminology of library collection management and development; 
• Identify, distinguish between, and apply selection criteria for different kinds of library and information centre collections; 
• Explain the functions of the acquisitions department and different acquisition methods;
• Assess user needs and evaluate existing collections; 
• Formulate collection management policies and guidelines, including budgeting processes for collection management and development; 
• Discuss the impact of technology on management and development practices; 
• Build collection, marketing, and outreach activities; and
• Demonstrate a critical understanding of current collections management and development issues, and their applicability to South African contexts.

Main Content

• Theories and approaches to collection management and development; 
• Publishing; 
• User needs assessments; 
• Selection and acquisitions; 
• Deselection; 
• Assessments and budgets; 
• Collection policies; 
• Collection preservation; 
• Marketing and outreach methods; 
• Electronic resources and licensing; 
• Consortia; and 
• Legal and ethical issues.

Literature Studies

Main Outcomes
On completion of this module, students should be able to:

• Explain the value of reading and books; 
• Describe and identify the various genres and formats of literature, for children, youth, and adult readers, typically found in a library collection, for example, picture books, graphic novels, fantasy, problem realism, literary non-fiction, and e-books; 
• Identify target readership age groups of children’s and youth books; 
• Describe the state of South African publishing and bookselling, analysing trends, and challenges; 
• Read and review a wide range of children’s, youth, and adult books for library collections; 
• Design a reading programme for a specified library or community group, for example, a library teenage reading club or an adult literacy class.

Main Content

• The value of reading and books; 
• Children’s and youth literature; 
• Public library adult literature; 
• South African publishing and bookselling; and 
• Library reading and literacy programmes.

Information resources and services

Main Outcomes
On completion of this module, students should be able to:

• Define and describe different resources; 
• Systematically search for information in different disciplines; 
• Create search strategies; 
• Retrieve relevant information using different discovery tools; 
• Evaluate retrieved information and resources; 
• Deliver a reference service; and
• Repackage information to add value.

Main Content

• Information resources in different disciplines; 
• The organisation of subject/discipline access; 
• Bibliographic control; 
• Open-access; 
• Analysing information needs; 
• Locating and accessing information; 
• Search strategies; 
• Evaluation criteria for information resources; 
• Evaluating information; 
• Rendering an information service; 
• Reference interview; 
• Virtual reference desk; and 
• Repackaging information.

Cataloguing

Main Outcomes
On completion of this module, students should be able to:

• Describe what resource description entails; 
• Apply the general cataloguing guidelines to all forms of media; 
• Compile a cataloguing policy; and
• Create a catalogue record.

Main Content

• Clarification of key concepts; 
• Purpose and functions of the library catalogue; 
• Evaluation of the library catalogue; 
• Creating a cataloguing policy; 
• Cataloguing guidelines; 
• Bibliographic and authority control; 
• Analytic cataloguing; and
• Practical use of different library management systems to create a catalogue record.

Welcome to Year 3

Year 3 Course Descriptors 

Year 3 Summary

ICTs in Library and Information Science

Main Outcomes

• On completion of this module, students should be able to:
• Describe concepts related to databases; 
• Identify different types of databases; 
• Design and create a database; 
• Outline current developments on the internet and web in the context of the African continent and in relation to LIS; 
• Describe the history and development of digital libraries; 
• Discuss issues around mobile technologies in libraries; 
• Discuss the value of the open-access movement and institutional repositories; 
• Use a variety of tools to search the web and critically evaluate websites; and
• Create a website.

Main Content

• Database concepts such as file systems; 
• Database management systems; 
• Current developments in ICT of relevance to LIS; 
• Digital libraries; 
• e-books; 
• Censorship and security on the web; 
• Mobile technologies in libraries; 
• Open-access; 
• Repositories; 
• History of the internet and the web; 
• Search engines; 
• Meta-search engines; 
• Search strategies; 
• Website evaluation; 
• Subject guides (Libguides); and
• Educational apps.

Resource Description and Subject Analysis

Main Outcomes

• On completion of this module, students should be able to:
• Apply cataloguing, classification and indexing principles and guidelines to create metadata representing information resources and to create discovery tools.

Main Content

• Dewey classification scheme; 
• Indexing; 
• Metadata; and
• Practical use of library management systems to create catalogue records.

Critical Theory for Library and Information Science

Main Outcomes

• On completion of this module, students should be able to:
• Explain certain concepts among other things epistemology, ontology, positivism, empiricism, materialism, and pragmatism; 
• Develop a theoretically informed critique in LIS; 
• Discuss ethics in LIS; and
• Evaluate LIS as a profession.

Main Content

• An introduction to concepts; 
• Theories applied in LIS; 
• Paradigms used in LIS; 
• Ethics in the LIS profession; and 
• Professionalisation.

Welcome to Year 4

Year 4 Course Descriptor

Year 4 Summary

Research Paper

Main Outcomes

• On completion of this module, students should be able to:
• Conduct a literature review; 
• Identify and implement appropriate research designs and methodologies; 
• Structure research according to logical chapters; and 
• Write a research paper.

Main Content

• Independent research by each student on an approved topic; 
• Engagement with the relevant literature; 
• Based on the research proposal prepared in LIB433 students will undertake research under the guidance of a supervisor; and
• Students must submit a research paper of approximately 10 000 words.

Practicum

Main Outcomes

• Under the supervision of a professional librarian or information worker, on completion of this module, students should be able to: 
• Demonstrate skills in applying theoretical training to practice; 
• Learn more about the functioning of the library, among other things objectives, collection, and staffing; 
• Participate in cataloguing, classification, and indexing; 
• Execute information searches; 
• Participate in the selection and accession of new material; 
• Do duty at the reference or information desk; and
• Critically assess the fieldwork experience.

Main Content

• Practical fieldwork in libraries and information work.

Management in LIS

Main Outcomes

• On completion of this module, students should be able to:
• Discuss the various theories of management; 
• Describe the functions of management; 
• Prepare a library budget; 
• Discuss library publicity and marketing; 
• Apply management principles to the LIS profession; 
• Discuss human resource management theory and principles and their application to the LIS profession; and
• Explain the different types and structures of organisations.

Main Content

• Theories of management; 
• Management functions; 
• Budgeting; 
• Publicity and marketing; 
• Human resource management; and
• Organisational management.

Research Methods in LIS

Main Outcomes

• On completion of this module, students should be able to:
• Discuss the fundamental principles and procedures of scientific research and its application to LIS; 
• Explain what quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research entail; 
• Apply various research methods; and
• Prepare a research proposal on an approved topic.

Main Content

• The research process; 
• Different research methods; 
• Application of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research in LIS; and
• Preparation of a research proposal.

21st-Century Literacies

Main Outcomes

• On completion of this module, students should be able to:
• Describe the history and development of information literacy education; 
• Explain the concept 21st-century literacies; 
• Discuss information ethics in the African environment; 
• Design and run an effective information literacy programme in a library/information service;
• Prepare and give effective information literacy lessons/workshops; and 
• Identify the gaps in their information literacy and take steps to fill those gaps.

Main Content

• Information literacy education theory and history; 
• 21st-century literacies; 
• Information ethics, for example, freedom of access to information, digital divide, information poverty; and
• Association of College and Research Libraries information literacy framework for higher education in theory and practice.