The European LIS Curriculum Project: An Overview

Provides an overview of the aim, organisation, results and wider perspectives of the European curriculum development project that started in 2004. Financial support for the project was received from the European Union's SOCRATES program. The results of the expert-based analysis of a range of Library and Information Science (LIS) school subjects are documented in the chapters of an e-book entitled European Curriculum Reflections on Library and Information Science Education (2005). In explaining the background of the project, mention is made of the diversity of cultural and language contexts, traditions, conceptual frameworks, program structures, levels, delivery formats, etc. A major objective of the project was to bring European LIS educators together so as to enable them to participate in discussions centering on twelve themes identified as essential in the context of LIS school curricula. Discussions were conducted both in a virtual mode and conventionally face-to-face and throughout this collective process special reference was made to the European perspective and the Bologna Process. The tangible results produced by the work groups reflect the variety of approaches and emphases and range from profiles of specific course elements, educational models, curricular structures and syllabuses to reflections on learning outcomes, pedagogy and teaching methods. Some evaluative comments are given on the outcomes of the project and problems identified (e.g.LIS terminology).