Towards an ideal library and information studies (LIS) curriculum for Africa: Some preliminary thoughts

Abstract

The paper traces the inability of the curricula of LIS schools in Africa to respond to the immediate job environment in Africa. The main weakness of the curricula is that they reflect essentially the curricula of LIS schools in the Western World. Thus, while most of the LIS curricula are relevant to the traditional library setting, the curricula fail to address positively the emerging information market in Africa and the untapped information job openings in the rural areas. The paper proposes an ideal curriculum that would cater for the traditional library setting, the emerging information market and the job openings in the rural community. It caters for both global and local needs. This curriculum consists essentially of eight modules. These are library concepts, information and communication technology, archives and records management and rural information service. These four modules constitute the core of the ideal curriculum. Other relevant modules in the curriculum are research, management, publishing and public relations. The ideal curriculum was compared with the existing curricula of three library and information science schools in Africa, with a viewing to establishing the divergence between these existing curricula in Africa and the ideal curriculum proposed.