From Comparative Librarianship to International Information Policy Studies: Repositioning the LIS Curriculum for the Global Context by

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From Comparative Librarianship to
International Information Policy
StudiesRepositioning the LIS Curriculum for
the Global Context by

• John Agada and Brenda Hough
• Emporia State University
• Emporia, Kansas 66801

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Whats the problem?

• Information is now recognized as the driving
  force in contemporary society.
• Global information policy regimes on core LIS
  issues are being designed largely by non LIS
  experts.
• Emerging information regimes threaten to
  undermine LIS core values in international
  information exchanges.

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Whats in a name?From Comparative Librarianship
to International Information Policy Studies

• Prevailing models of boundary crossings in LIS
  education reflect little change in
• instructional goals (technical competence),
• content (universal standards in products and
  processes) and
• delivery methods (as elective, non-formal ed.)

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Towards an Analytic Model of Boundary Crossings

• There is no way of exchanging information that
  does not demand an act of judgment. J Bronowski
• Crossing boundaries and exchanging information
• Boundaries abound from local to global contexts

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Why cross boundaries?

• (i) To preach the gospel Model as surrogate for
  units of analysis, or the way the world is
• (ii) To tell a story Model as surrogate for
  theory, or the way the world works
• (iii) To build a bridge Model as surrogate for
  strategies, or the way you design the world

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Have we crossed any boundaries yet?

• LIS education may be said to be largely about
  preaching the gospel
• Have we crossed any boundaries when our work is
  based on only one knowledge system and the
  experiences of one segment of the global society?
• Assumptions
• Symmetric power relationships in concepts and
  praxis
• Shared realities and aspirations
• Underlying law of historical necessity (ideology
  and dogma)

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How do you begin the story?

• Give meaning to the phrase user-centered
• Identify the diversity of realities, aspirations
  and interests in your local community
• Analyze their implications for LIS core values
  and curriculum, as well as emerging global
  regimes

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How do you begin the story?

• Connect the dots
• Libraries are part of a system of information
  infrastructures
• Information infrastructures are embedded in
  socio-economic, technical, political and cultural
  systems
• Notions and values of information and creativity,
  access to, and ownership of intellectual property
  for examples, are shaped by these contexts

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How do you build bridges?

• Seek comparative advantage from synthesis
• Foster interdisciplinary collaborations
• Develop the human dimensions of LIS knowledge
  base and services
• Give voice to the moral and ethical issues
  inherent in current global information
  transactions.

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How do you build bridges?

• Adopt a LIS school from the South
• Partnership as solidarity
• Educate global LIS professionals
• The Emporia-Nigeria Project as a case study

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• Thank you!