In this climate of change, it is evident that the right information and its management will remain at the core of most professions and an important corollary for future economic development. Our University has invested in this sector for more than three decades and is heading towards more reforms to strengthen its positioning in this area.
The current Library Information and Archive Science Department’s existence as an academic entity can be traced to the university’s determination to expand its subject areas of teaching and research and a Council decision in December 1992 to institute a first-ever full-time lectureship in Library Studies. As of 1993, training and education in various aspects of information work have continued to be part of the university’s academic offerings.
Initially centred almost exclusively on the professional training of librarians at the diploma level, the courses now offered have embraced technological innovation and encapsulate an extensive range of information-related work to additionally include archive and records management, knowledge management, and related studies leading to the formation of well-rounded information professionals. Programmes are now also offered as bachelor's, master's, and doctoral level degrees
The DLIAS has now reviewed its courses with the target of offering more specialisation in librarianship, records management and archives studies at master’s level. The Bachelor of Knowledge and Information Management has been reformed including a wide range of library, information and archive study units.
Two new Masters were created in line with the international professional requirements: the Master of Arts in Library and Information Sciences; the Master of Arts in Archives and Records Management. These Masters allow our students to receive professional training and also to specialise in specific areas of the information professions.
Whether interested in traditional books and manuscripts, e-books and digital library and archives, palaeography and diplomatics, electronic records, traditional archives or specialised audio-visual information carriers, the new DLIAS courses will offer prospective students a solid theoretical and practical basis for working at the local and international level and paving the way for doctoral specialisation in future.