BSc Econ Single Honours Information and Library Studies

This course is professionally accredited by the Chartered Institute for Library and Information Professionals (CILIP).

The single honours course equips you with the skills and education necessary to meet the challenges faced by today's information profession. Graduates of the scheme often obtain management posts in the mainstream areas of the profession.

The joint honours programmes combine librarianship and information studies with the study of another subject, chosen from a wide range. This enables you to understand the nature of another discipline and the intrinsic importance of information.

The first year is intended as a foundation for the teaching of organisation and management of libraries and information sources, it also provides you with valuable skills in information seeking as well as other transferable skills.

The first year modules survey the world of information. They examine the producers and distributors of knowledge - authors/creators, publishers and the mass media - and information in all its forms and formats. The needs of the consumers of information, whether they are readers, listeners or viewers, are explored. You are introduced to a range of basic information sources; the ways in which information is recorded, indexed, and arranged; and to the technologies involved in storing and transmitting information in print, audiovisual and digital formats. The role of librarians and information centres as intermediaries in the communication of information is also explored.

Part Two (second and third years) covers the general principles of management and examines how these are applied to the organisation of libraries and information services as well as the design and use of systems for information storage and retrieval alongside information sources and mediating services. Study also includes the social aspects of information, such as social networks, freedom of information and censorship. A wide range of optional modules allows particular aspects of these topics to be developed further and related to contemporary library and information work.

This degree welcomes students from a wide variety of academic backgrounds