CC BY
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УДК [02:378.22](72)
Filiberto Felipe Martfnez-Arellano
LIS education at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)
History of LIS education in Mexico. Professor, Undergraduate and Graduate Program in Library Science and Information Studies, National Autonomous University of Mexico. Features of LIS education programs accreditation and collaboration.
Keywords: LIS education, LIS education in Mexico, National Autonomous University of Mexico
Филиберто Фелипе Мартинез-Ареллано
Библиотечно-информационное образование в Национальном автономном университете Мехико
Рассматривается история библиотечно-информационного образования в Мехико, дается характеристика программ подготовки студентов, магистрантов и аспирантов в области библиотечной науки и информационных исследований Национального Автономного Университета Мехико, приводятся особенности аккредитации образовательных программ в области библиотечно-информационной деятельности, анализируются вопросы сотрудничества в области этих программ.
Ключевые слова: библиотечно-информационное образование, библиотечно-информационное образование в Мексике, Национальный автономный университет Мехико
LIS education in Mexico
The beginning of Library and Information Science (LIS) education in Mexico dates back to the fourth decade of the twentieth century. Between the 40s and 50s were established the first Mexican library schools in the capital city. The Escuela Nacional de Biblioteconomia y Archivonomia [National School of Librarianship and Archival Studies] on 1945, and the Colegio de Biblioteconomia [College of Librarianship] on 1945 at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) [National Autonomous University of Mexico] on 1956. The establishment of these two first library schools in Mexico responded to the need to train professional personnel for the right functioning of libraries at that time, so these first programs focused on the acquisition of library knowledge and skills. These programs included in their names the Spanish term «biblioteconomia», similar to the English word «librarianship». However, years later, The UNAM Colegio de Bibioteconomia changed its name to Colegio de «Bibliotecologia» (Library Science).
Besides the two library schools mentioned above, there are at the present time other six schools or programs at undergraduate level in different Mexican universities, which were established along the time: Escuela de Ciencias de la Informacion [Information Sciences School] at the San Luis Potosi Autonomus University (1980);
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Licenciatura en Bibliotecologia y Ciencia de la Informacion [Library and Information Science Undergraduate Program] at the Nuevo Leon Autonomous University (1984); Licenciatura en Bibliotecologia y Gestion de la Informacion [Library Science and Information Management Undergraduate Program] at the Chiapas Autonomous University (1992); Licenciatura en Ciencias de la Informacion Documental [Documentary Information Sciences Undergraduate Program] at the Mexico State Autonomous University (1992); Licenciatura en Ciencias de la Informacion [Information Sciences Undergraduate Program] at the Chihuahua Autonomous University (2003), and Licenciatura en Bibliotecologia y Gestion del Conocimiento [Library Science and Knowledge Management Undergraduate Program] at the Guadalajara University 2006).
At this point it is important to mention that unlike LIS education in the United States, Canada, and other European countries, professional education of librarians in Mexico and Latin America is placed at the undergraduate level, which is called «licenciatura». A «licenciatura» is usually an academic degree awarded by a university or college that generally lasts four years, but it can ranges from three to five years, depending on the country. University students get a «licenciatura» in a specific field that enables them to work as professionals in their respective professional areas. In the case of LIS, a «licenciatura» allows a person to work as a librarian, carrying out professional practice, in public, academic and special libraries.
In addition to the above mentioned, there are four universities granting a LIS Master Degree: Maestha en Ciencias de la Informacion (Master in Information Sciences), Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, ITESM (1990); Maestria en Bibliotecologia (Master in Library Science), The College of Mexico (2004); Maestha en Gestion y Usos de la Informacion (Master in Information Management and Use) Autonomus Metropolitan University (1999); Maestha en Gestion de Servicios Informativos (Master in Information Services Management) Ciudad Juarez Autonomous University (2011); Additionally, the National Autonomous University of Mexico grants a Master (1960) and a Doctorate (1998) Degree in Library Science and Information Studies.
UNAM Undergraduate Program in Library Science and Information Studies
Like it was mentioned before, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) established in 1956 within the School of Philosophy and Literature, the current Colegio de Bibliotecologia (College of Library Science), which since 2002 offers the Licenciatura in Bibliotecologia y Estudios de la Informacion [Undergraduate Program in Library Science and Information Studies] The current curriculum of the College of Library Science was developed during the period 1998-2001 by a professor's committee, led by Felipe Martinez Arellano in his role of College Coordinator (Ramirez Velasquez and Figueroa Alcantara, 2009). This curriculum reflects the intention of forming a librarian able to know all kinds of resources, since antique documents until modern electronic resources, able to properly organize them, in order to provide efficient library and information
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services, using modern management techniques and current technology, as well as to be able to use applied research for solving problems in his/her professional practice. Therefore, the courses in this curriculum were grouped into six areas: Bibliographic and Information Resources; Bibliographic and Documentary Organization; Library Services, Information Services Management; Information Technology; and Research and Teaching in Library Science.
The number of full-time faculty members of the Colegio de Bibliotecologia is seven. Lecturer-faculty or other non full-time faculty is 771. However, they play an important role in the teaching efforts of the Colegio de Bibliotecologia. They are researchers from the UNAM Instituto de Investigaciones Bibliotecologicas y de la Informacion [Research Institute of Library Science and Information Studies], or they work in branch libraries of the UNAM Library System, which is integrated by more than 140 libraries. Therefore there is a close relationship between theory and practice. Taking into account the number of places that offers each year and the 4-year of its program duration, the approximate number of students is 3602. Finally, it is pertinent to mention that since 2009, the «Licenciatura» in Library Science and Information Studies is offered in distance mode, supported by on line education systems on the web, to contribute the training needs of librarians across the country.
Graduate Program in Library Science and Information Studies
This graduate program offered by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) is the oldest in the country, because as it was mentioned above, this was established in 1960.
In the 90s it was considered as necessary to fully transform this graduate program, because it no longer met the needs of the discipline and the demands of the labor market. Therefore, to a group of researchers and professors from the University Center for Library Science Research (CUIB) of UNAM was given the task of developing a new graduate program that would support the emergent demands and trends of the discipline. This new program, approved by the University Council of the UNAM in 1998, considered the need to systematically address all issues related to discipline by what was called Graduate Program in Library Science and Information Studies (Martinez Arellano and Rodriguez Gallardo, 2005). One of key features of this new graduate program was the inclusion of doctoral studies, in addition to those of the master.
UNAM has a peculiarity for the teaching and research functions. In each discipline there is a professional school and a research institute. Then, undergraduate programs are totally supported by the professional school, meanwhile the graduate programs have to be supported by a research institute and a professional school, in this case by the Institute of Research on Library Science and Information Studies, (formerly, University Center for Library Science Research) and the School of Philosophy and Literature, where the Colegio de Bibliotecologia is placed. Therefore, in this graduate program, researchers
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and professors of these both institutions participate like teachers in its diverse courses, as well as thesis advisors. Faculty of this program is integrated by 23 full-time researchers from this institute and four full-time professors from the Colegio de Bibliotececologia, as well as there is lecturer participation from other UNAM academic entities. The number of master and doctoral students in this program is 252. It is also important to point out this graduate program is the only offered in Spanish in Latin America, supported by the unique LIS research institute established in this region.
Moreover, it is also important to mention the Master program is taught in the classroom and in distance mode. Taking advantage of this latter modality, external branches have been established in diverse Mexican universities: Autonomous University of Yucatan, Autonomous University of San Luis Potosi, University of Guadalajara, and Autonomous University of Tabasco. This option aims to meet the demand for training human resources at a high level in the various states and prepare professionals than can implement in the future other master programs in their hometowns.
LIS education levels
The higher education system in Latin America and Mexico has three levels: undergraduate studies aimed at training professionals in various disciplines for professional practice, such as Engineering, Medicine, Law and Library Science; graduate studies at master level where professionals have the opportunity to specialize in a certain subject or aspect of their discipline; and postgraduate studies at the doctoral level where researchers and teachers are formed to contribute to the development of their discipline.
In this way, the undergraduate program in Library and Information Studies aims to form professionals able to efficiently work and to plan, organize and manage library and information services. The Master in Library Science and Information Studies has as its main objective to provide students with a broad and solid training in one of the LIS knowledge fields in order to develop in them a high capacity and specialization for the professional practice, as well as to initiate them in research and teaching Finally, the Doctoral Program in Library and Information Studies aims to provide students with a solid foundation for developing research in order to produces original knowledge. Therefore, doctoral students has as their main academic activity developing a research project in one of the fields included in this program, under the direction of three tutors integrating their doctoral committee.
The requirement for being accepted into the undergraduate program in Library Science and Information Studies is to have completed preparatory studies (equivalent to high school studies in other countries). In the graduate program, students that have concluded the «Licenciatura» in Library Science or in another disciplines would be accepted, approving previously requirements for admission. Students who come from other disciplines must take and previously approve as an admission requirement, the
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following undergraduate courses: Library Science Foundations, Document Organization Foundations, Information Services Foundations, Reference Services 1, Reference Services 2, and Collection Development.
Academic disciplines important today to modern LIS education
At the present time, Library Science is a discipline that has direct relationship with ICT disciplines. Certainly, it is important to adapt the programs and courses of LIS schools to the new environment of our society; however, we must not lose sight of the essential goals of our profession. Some Library Science schools and programs have included a large amount of courses related to ICTs, neglecting those related to essential and basic training of librarians, following only the professional trends related to technology use. This implies the need to define the field of study of Library and Information Science, as well as working in designing a core curriculum for librarians in our country, including the knowledge and basic skills that identify us globally as members of the same profession.
In addition, Library Science interacts with many other disciplines among which may be mentioned Administration, Law, Psychology Communication Pedagogy. However, it is important consider in this interaction the knowledge foundation of each one of them and not try to cover disciplinary fields that are not ours, but rather to assist in an interdisciplinary relationship, combining the knowledge foundation of our discipline with those from other diverse disciplines.
LIS education programs accreditation
The undergraduate program in Library and Information Studies is accredited since 2013 by the Council for Accreditation of Educational Programs in Humanities (Consejo para la Acreditacion de Programas Educativos en Humanidades, COAPEHUM). The aim of this organization is to evaluate and accredit educational programs in Humanities of Mexican higher education institutions through the recognition of its role in the formation of critical, creative, responsible and competent professionals to answer various challenges and their national and international quality. Accreditation by this organization means the public recognition received by an academic program of the Humanities as a result of an evaluation process, applying a set of criteria, indicators and standards of social relevance and quality, as well as an external peer evaluation. At the present time, 47 Mexican universities have accredited their programs in the Humanities area. http://coapehum. org/indexl. html.
Moreover, the graduate program in Library Science and Information Studies is accredited by the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia (CONACyT) (National Council for Science and Technology). This organism has as one of its functions to develop science and technology policies in Mexico and is responsible for the National Program for Graduate Quality (PNPC), which gives recognition to the quality of the different graduate programs offered by higher education and research centers in the country3.
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The recognition of the quality of the graduate programs offered by higher education and research institutions is conducted through a rigorous evaluation by academic peers, and is awarded to programs that show have fulfilled high standards of quality and relevance. This program provides the following levels of recognition. International Programs. Programs with international collaboration through agreements for student and teacher mobility, joint advising of theses, and research joint projects; Consolidated Programs. Programs that have a national recognition for the relevance and impact on the formation of high-level human resources in academic productivity and collaboration with other sectors of society; Developing Programs. Programs with a positive academic opinion supported in their improvement plan and feasible goals to achieve in a medium term. Programs of recent creation. Programs that meet the basic criteria and standards framework for graduate school. The Doctoral Program in Librarianship and Information Studies has been given the level of International Program, and to the Master Graduate Program the level of Consolidated Program. In addition to the recognition of its quality, to be in this program represents the opportunity to obtain federal funds for scholarships and academic activities of students
LIS education programs collaboration
As mentioned above, the National Autonomous University of Mexico boasts largest library system in the country and in any other Latin America university. This library system is integrated by 131 libraries which have the largest collection of the country, 6, 650, 123 volumes and 1,495, 518 titles. (UNAM, 2014). The fact that many professors of the undergraduate program in Library and Information Studies are working in this huge library system, means an opportunity of interaction between theory and practice. Also, the large number of libraries that have the UNAM allows to carry out professional practices and practicums in them
Also, the graduate program in Library Science and Information Studies has the support from the Institute of Research on Library Science and Information, and its researchers acting as teachers and advisors of graduate students. This research institute is unique in Latin America universities, since there is no other similar. Also within this graduate, according to the UNAM regulations there is the possibility that tutors or thesis advisors from other disciplines can participate in the program. That is, if a graduate student of this program wants to carry out a research on legal aspects of information, he/ she may request that a researcher of the Institute of Law Research at UNAM advise him/ her. In this way, any researcher from UNAM institutes can work with graduate students.
On the other hand, both the undergraduate and the graduate program maintain a close collaboration with other Latin America LIS schools. Additionally, these programs work with the two library associations in the country, the Mexican Librarians Association (AMBAC), and the Graduated Librarians College (CNB), being this last organization, which according to Mexican legislation, advises for the establishment or modification
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LIS. There is also an international participation of these programs in the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) activities.
On the other hand, both the undergraduate and the graduate program maintain a close collaboration with other Latin America LIS schools. Additionally, these programs work with the two librarian associations in the country, the Mexican Librarians Association (AMBAC), and the Graduated Librarians College (CNB), being this last organization, which according to Mexican legislation, advises for the establishment or modification of LIS curricula. There is also an international participation of these programs in the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) activities.
Otherissues
Like in other parts of the world, in Mexico there has been changes in the program names and content, incorporating the use of the terms "Information" or "Information Science." Certainly, changes in the names and program contents of LIS schools in Mexico have been according to the development of our discipline However, it has also been argued that use of "Information" within the Library Science school names and program contents has been only to improve the profession image, given to it a modernity vision
Moreover, some LIS schools and programs have included a large amount of courses related to ICTs, neglecting those related to essential and basic training of librarians, following only the professional trends related to technology use. Certainly, as it was mentioned earlier, it is important to adapt the programs and courses of LIS schools to the new environment of our society; however, we must not lose sight of the essential goals of our profession. This implies the need to define the field of study of Library Science and Information Science, as well as working in designing a core training for librarians in our country, including the knowledge and basic skills that identify globally as members of the same profession.
It is convenient to establish a core common curriculum for all Mexican LIS Schools, useful also for the Latin American ones. Establishment of a core curriculum, common for all LIS schools in our country, it is a necessary condition for the internationalization of library education, at local and global level. This will allow student exchange, so they can take courses in other schools or programs in the region or around the world, as well as that outstanding professors from various schools could give courses at other institutions, enriching the student training programs. A way to approach this participation is distance learning, which represents an opportunity that allow students virtual mobility, and the internationalization of library education. It is also vital international cooperative work, which would allow the generation of academic networks to consolidate projects aimed at the development of our profession at national, regional and international level and facilitate the interaction among teachers and students, and in this way to contribute to the overall LIS development. It is reiterative to note that ICT use in LIS education, now provide this alternative.
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Endnotes
1 Colegio de Bibliotecologfa. URL: http: // colegiodebibliotecologia. filos. unam. mx (дата обращения: 06.03.2015).
2 Sistema Integral de Administracion Escolar. URL: https: // dgae-siae. unam. mx (дата обращения: 06.03.2015).
3 CONACyT. URL: http: // conacyt. mx (дата обращения: 06.03.2015).
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