Library Science Studies in Latin America and the Caribbean

1
Library Science Studies in Latin America and the
Caribbean

• A Numerical and Interpretative Approach
• Adolfo Rodríguez

2
The socio-historical background

• Aboriginal population culture, language,
  religion, folklore
• The colonial period
• Cultural diversity between conquerors
  Anglo-Saxon, Hispanic-Portuguese, Dutch, Germans,
  French
• The independent life (democratic government,
  conservative government and dictatorships).

3
The educational system as a colonial heritage

• The Anglo-Saxon System
• The higher education begins with general studies
  in order to be able to get a master or a
  doctorate in a specific field
• The Hispanic-Portuguese System
• The higher education begins after 12 years of
  studies and constitutes the first professional
  level (Licenciatura), after that, there is the
  postgraduate level master, doctorate and post
  doctorate.

4
The Library Science Studies in Latin America and
the Caribbean

• Its main characteristics are
• There is a high variety in the level and scope of
  the curricula
• The curricula is designed to focus in different
  aspects of the discipline
• There is curricula focused on preparing special
  librarians (school, public and academic
  librarians or only in training personnel).

5
Todays objective

• To present a clear panoramic on the current
  situation and trends of the library science
  studies in Latin America and the Caribbean
• In order to accomplish the above, this study
  compares the available directories of the library
  science schools in the area.

6
Data dispersion

• There are several Web sites that listed
  Departments and Schools of library science
  worldwide, but the information corresponding to
  Latin America and the Caribbean is obsolete and
  incomplete
• On the other hand, there are a few printed
  directories and although they have not been
  updated recently they seem to be more complete
  and reliable
• There are great difference between sources about
  the number of schools, programs and the
  countries they belong to.

7
The main sources are

• Fang and Nautas International guide to library
  and information science education (1985)
• Fang, Stueart and Tuamsuks World guide to
  library archive and information science education
  (1995)
• Maris and Giuntis Planes de estudio de las
  escuelas de bibliotecología, archivología y
  museografía de Iberoamérica (1999).

8
Comparison between Fang (1985), Fang (1995) and
Maris (1999)
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-26
17
6
32
41
9
LIS Programs' Level According to their Source
10
Web Directories of LIS Schools
11
LIS Schools established per decade
12
The influences

• The American School
• The European School
• UNESCOs Programs.

13
LIS Programs Level by Country, Maris (1999)
14
LIS Teaching Levels and Characteristics (1)
43
15
LIS Teaching Levels and Characteristics (2)
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LIS Teaching Levels and Characteristics (3)
17
Archival Science (AS) Study

• It is separated from the library science studies
• It is taught in institutions and schools
  different from those of library science, as if
  there were no connection between them
• There are three levels according to their
  duration
• Less than 3 years
• 3 years
• More than 3 years.

18
AS Schools and Programs According to the Source
19
AS Programs Level According to their Source
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Conclusions

• The educational system has affected the main
  features of teaching in library science
• Latin America followed the European pattern at
  the beginning of the 20th century and the
  American pattern at the mid-twentieth century
• Information about the quantity of schools and
  programs varies largely
• There is no agreement regarding the number of
  schools and programs

21
Conclusions (2)

• Programs levels vary from only training to
  postgraduate
• The most common of all is the Bachelors degree
  (20 years of study)
• Except Jamaica, the less developed area is the
  Non-Latin Caribbean, where they do not have any
  library science college
• A census must be done about schools and programs
  in Latin America and the Caribbean in order to
  learn more about the teaching situation in
  library science in the area.