An Overview on Library and Information Science Education Status in Egypt

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An Overview on Education Status of Library and
Information Science in Egypt
Maurice A. Mikhail, Ph.D. Consultant of Mubarak
Public Libraries Professor, Faculty of Social
Sciences, 6 October University,
Egypt mauricemikhail_at_Gmail.com
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Contents
Levels of LIS Education
Professional Level
Short Training Courses
Egyptian Libraries Association (ELA)
Mubarak Public Library (MPL)
Obstacles, Conclusion and Recommendations
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Professional Level

• Supreme Council for Egyptian Universities and
  Institutions
• Responsibilities
• To set up standards for LIS Education in the
  Egyptian Universities.
• To endorse fields of specializations at all
  levels in high Education institutions.
• To approve higher Education plans for all
  institutions, and to set up priorities.
• To approve establishment of higher Education
  institutions, and to accredit the field of
  studies.

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Professional Level
Professional Level
Non Governmental Organizations (NGO's)
Governmental Organizations (GO's)
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Professional Level Governmental Organizations
(GO's)
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Governmental Universities Have LIS Education

• Beni Suwayf University
• Tanta University
• Helwan University
• Minufiya University
• South Valley University
• Al-Minya University
• Assiut University

• Alexandria University
• Al-Azhar University
• Al-Fayyum University
• Ain Shams University
• Banha University
• Mansoura University
• Cairo University

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LIS Departments in the Egyptian Universities
Governmental Universities Have LIS Education

• (Arranged by the opening date)
• Cairo University (1951).
• Alexandria University (1981).
• Helwan University (1982).
• Cairo University Branch in Beni Suef (1985).

1. Tanta University (1986).
2. University of Menoufiya (1990).
3. Al-Azhar University, Assiut (1991).
4. Faculty of Humanities (Girls) - Al-Azhar
   University, Cairo (1991).
5. Faculty of Education, Al-Azhar University, Cairo
   (1991).

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Governmental Universities Have LIS Education

1. Faculty of Arabic Language, Al-Azhar University,
   Shebin (1993).
2. University of South Valley, Sohag (1995).
3. Faculty of Arts, Helwan University, (1995).
4. Menia University (1997).
5. University of Assiut, (1997).
6. University of Zakazik, Benha Branch (1997).

• Ain Shams University, (1999).
• Faculty of Social Sciences, 6 October University
  (2000).
• Mansoura University (2004).
• Suez Canal University (under establishing).
• University of South Valley, Qena (under
  establishing).

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Under graduate program
Number of under-graduate LIS students in the
Egyptian Universities. (During two academic
years 2008/2009 2009/2010)
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Post graduate program
Total No. of Theses During 50 Academic Years
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Post graduate program
Total No. of Theses in the Last 10 Years
(2000-2009)
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Post graduate program

• 1. There are an unprecedented increase in the
  number of dissertations has been recognized,
  whether approved or registered over the last ten
  years (from 2001 to 2010). The percentage of
  dissertations in this period reaches up to 76
  from the total dissertations number since 1961
  (see Figure 4 Table 4). These results reflect
  the high demand for graduate programs in
  Libraries Departments.
• 2. The whole number of dissertations reached up
  to 1264 where 854 (68) for Master Degree,
• and 410 (32) for Ph.D. Degree.

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• 3. Number of dissertation in the last 5 years
  reaches up to 679 (54) from the whole period (50
  year).
• 4. Cairo University realizes higher number of
  dissertations followed by Menufiya University,
  and Alexandria University.
• 5. Number of approved dissertations are 747 (59)
  more than the registered ones 511 (41).
• 6. Year 2008 shows the highest figure 163 (13)
  comparing with the whole universities years.

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Curriculum (Current Courses, in Brief)

1. Introduction and Theories
2. Laws and Legislation
3. Technical Processes
4. Information Technology
5. Information Resources
6. Archives and Documentations
7. HR Development

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Curriculum (Proposed Courses,8 Core Modules)

1. Fundamentals in LIS.
2. Organizing, Information Processing and Retrieval
   of knowledge.
3. Information Sources Products and Services.
4. Digital Library.
5. Library Management, Information Centers, and
   Information Institutions.
6. Information Technology Basics and Applications.
7. Research Methods and Statistical Techniques.
8. Library Information Systems.

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Professional Level Non Governmental
Organizations (NGO's)

• Private Universities
• Several private Universities have been
  established within the last 20 years. A limited
  number has LIS Department, such as 6 Oct.
  University. This University changed its whole
  system into credit hours since few years and
  splits LIS Department in two divisions Library
  and Information Sciences, and Information
  Technology Divisions.

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Short Training Courses
Short Training Courses
Non Governmental Organizations (NGO's)
Governmental Organizations (GO's)

1. Integrated Care Society (ICS).
2. Future Generation Foundation (FGF).
3. Heliopolis Association

1. Information Technology Clubs (IT Clubs).
2. International Computer Drivers License (ICDL).
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IT Clubs
Partners
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IT Clubs

• Activities
• Train Trainees to be Trainers.
• Train on Line Searching in Digital Media.
• Conduct Training Sessions in the Field of ICT.
• Self-learning for Young People.
• Provide All the Services of Various Internet
  Applications.
• Provide Software for teaching basic skills in IT.

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IT Clubs

• Services
• Internet Accessibility and Affordability.
• Job possibilities for University Graduates who
  Join the "Training of Trainers" Program to Become
  ITC Knowledge Trainers, Providing Courses at the
  Clubs.
• Availability of the Latest Technology.
• Anyone can Use IT Clubs and Work on Spreadsheets
  and Presentations etc.

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IT Clubs

• Partners
• MCIT Provides all necessary equipment
  computers, printers, peripherals, Internet
  access, network (LAN), and servers.
• The private sector partners provide space,
  infrastructure, utilities, furniture, and
  security for the clubs.

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Egyptian Libraries Association

• Objectives
• To create closer links between workers in the
  field of libraries, documentation and information
  
• To establish active links with the corresponding
  library associations in different countries.
• To set standards for work in order to develop the
  performance at the country level.
• To disseminate researches and special studies in
  the field of Library, Information science, and
  Archive.
• To arrange professional meetings to discuss
  issues of Library, Information, and Archive.

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Egyptian Libraries Association Objectives

• 6. To strength the cultural and professional ties
  among the members.
• 7. To publish a scientific journal.
• 8. To arrange training courses for members of the
  Association and staff working in libraries and
  information centers.
• 9. To enhance career of Library and Information
  Services and Archives.
• 10. To work on spread awareness among Egyptian
  Librarians.
• 11. To arrange parties, scientific and cultural
  trips for members and their families.

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Egyptian Libraries Association

• Training Program
• Technical Operations 
• Building and Development Collection
• Indexing Internet Resources
• Rules of International MARC
• Dewey Decimal Classification
• Subject Indexing and Cataloging
• Technical Operations in Libraries and Information
  Centers in Light of IT.
• Library Automation Systems
• Manuscripts
• Electronic Reference

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Egyptian Libraries Association
11. Library and Information Services 12.
Electronic Information Services 13. Search
Bibliographic Databases 14. Use Internet in
Libraries 15. Design Websites for Libraries 16.
Search Engines on the Internet 17. Management of
Egyptian Libraries 18. Management of the Digital
Library 19. Formulation of Reference Citations 
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Mubarak Public Library

• MPL arranges a number of training, e.g.
• Internet, PC programs and its applications.
• On-the-job-training on all library services and
  activities.
• Integrated Library Systems.
• The target trainees are mostly
• Graduate and undergraduate students of LIS.
• MPLs users and employees.
• Librarians working in governmental and private
  institutions.
• Staff of other libraries.
• Librarians and information specialists

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Obstacles

1. Lack of enthusiasm of students in some
   Universities, especially in non governmental
   organizations (NGOs).
2. Shortage of qualified teaching staff who could
   upgrade their knowledge.
3. Students - in many cases - are unhappy with the
   requirements that they pass an English language
   exam before being admitted into a post graduate
   program.
4. Although most of specialists in Arab Countries
   are initially got their experiences from the
   Egyptian experience, but we find low status of
   the profession as a result of low pay.
5. Egyptian graduates from universities outside
   Egypt prefer to get a job abroad rather than
   return back with low paying jobs.
6. The library profession suffers from low pay, and
   lack of interest by young people in attaining a
   LIS degree.

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Conclusion

• Factors affecting on LIS research
• Senior educators need to ensure that
  librarianship is greatly impacted by technology
  changing all time, so they have to be able to
  adopt to implement new development.
• Coordination between academics among each other
  and academics with practitioners to do research
  is highly recommended.
• Practitioners must document their gained
  experiences for the coming generations.

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Conclusion

• LIS Education in Egypt needs
• To upgrade the nature of LIS educational
  material.
• To improve skills and knowledge for conducting
  search.
• To re-orient research agenda for solving current
  problems.
• To restrict interest of research.
• To expose dissertations theses for others to
  get access.

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Recommendations

1. Egypt is one of the developing countries doing
   efforts to learn from the experience of the
   developed Countries, so Egyptian librarians are
   looking for enhancing the inter-relationship with
   their counterparts in developed countries.
2. Professionals and educators in developed
   countries have to be aware with problems facing
   their counterparts in the developing countries to
   bridge the IT gap.
3. Management plays a significant role in the
   profession of librarianship. Management of
   information resource, human and financial
   resource are factors with important aspects in
   LIS.
4. Activating e-learning among librarians in the
   north and their counterparts in the south.
5. The application of quality standards on LIS is
   the most. IT has its deep impact on LIS begin
   with library automation.

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Recommendations

• 6. Providing Egyptian librarian with up to date
  technology, through arranging video conferences,
  e-learning, visits, and streaming the valuable
  events after get official approval from the
  organizing sides.
• 7. Enhancing skills of the Egyptian librarians
  and specialists through personal contact with the
  professionals around the World to exchange their
  experience.
• 8. Pushing educators and practitioners to do
  their best to achieve the national dreams.
• 9. Doing some research works on the relevancy of
  the curriculum and inadequately of financial
  support.
• 10. Turning from brain drain to brain gain by
  providing advance courses in the newest topics
  relevant to Egyptian conditions.

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Recommendations

• 11. Adding IT component to the libraries
  curriculum, so libraries seeing themselves as
  part of the knowledge society. The results are to
  obtain a vital link between the production of
  knowledge and access to it by the public.
• 12. The curriculum contents should concentrate on
  developing skills, and tools to take care of
  creation, collection, ICT, management etc.
• In my opinion, these points will serve as a
  guideline to design the LIS curriculum in the
  future. The Egyptian Universities graduate
  librarians have background mainly theoretical
  while some libraries as MPLs present chance to
  implement the practice to enhance their skills.

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Thank You !