iSchools and Africa: Trends and Developments

Abstract

EDITOR'S SUMMARY

The movement from traditional library schools to iSchools reflects a revised approach toward librarianship and information technologies. For some institutions, embracing a more modern identity and disciplinary approach may be a matter of survival. An examination of library and information schools across Africa indicates that only one has formally adopted the iSchool perspective. Closer scrutiny of 10 other schools shows some shifts in curricular focus and positioning within institutions. Programs tend to be placed under departments of education, social sciences or computer science. The terms library and librarianship are giving way to knowledge and information management, especially at the graduate level. The variety of terminology and placement reflects ongoing philosophical and pedagogical shifts, though the iSchool emphasis on interdisciplinarity remains scarce.