LIS Education at University of Botswana: Evolution, Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract

In Africa, the first Library and Information Science (LIS) education programs started in South Africa in 1938 as the “Department of Librarianship” at the University of Pretoria and today LIS education is considered a sophisticated programme like any other academic programs in all African countries. This paper discusses the major changes, opportunities and challenges at the DLIS. LIS education in Botswana boasts an admirable history of roughly 37 years, during which the Department of Library and Information Studies has made a significant contribution in human resource training, research and service. Today, DLIS offers both Bachelors and Masters Degree programmes in Library and information studies, Information systems, and Archives and Records management and it also offers M.Phil and PhD programmes. To equip future information professionals with the right skills and competencies for the current job market and to prepare them for the emerging global society, DLIS keeps reviewing its teaching curricula to introduce new programmes. Some of the development includes winter programme; Bachelor of Information Systems (BIS 210) programme for the curricula harmonisation; and forthcoming ‘Bachelor of Information and Knowledge Management’ (BIKM) programme. This paper is based on in-depth and latest literature review mainly from developing countries and the authors’ experience as LIS practitioners and educators at DLIS.