The Robert Gordon University

Master in Information and Library Studies

The course will enable you to obtain a professional qualification accredited by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) and recognised by the profession worldwide.

Our Librarianship and Information Management courses have just been rated Top in the UK for Librarianship and Information Management in The Complete University Guide 2013 subject tables.

This course has been one of the enduring successes of Robert Gordon University, bringing together a mixture of theory and practice that replicates activities found in the workplace. It attaches strong importance to producing creative and reflective practitioners and prepares students for a wide range of employment opportunities, ranging from traditional librarianship to information management and research. To this end, a variety of research methods and techniques are taught and our students are equipped with a broad range of managerial, professional and technological knowledge and skills.

The MSc Library and Information Studies is available to study full-time or by distance learning. It also offers a four-week placement opportunity for full-time students.

Distance learning Study

Study is online through the University's virtual learning environment, CampusMoodle, which offers the opportunity to interact with tutors and fellow students from around the world. All the modules can be also taken on a free-standing basis through the Postgraduate Professional Studies Programme and may contribute to your own Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

Stage 1

• Information Studies
• Digital Age
• Cataloguing and Classification
• Knowledge Organisation

Exit Award: PgCert Information and Library Studies

Stage 2

• Managing Library Services
• Professional Fieldwork Placement
• Research Methods

Exit Award: PgDip Information and Library Studies

Stage 3

• Dissertation

Award: MSc Information and Library Studies

Dissertation In Semester 2, you will present a written research proposal for submission. This will normally form the basis for the Masters level dissertation. You will work independently but under tutorial supervision, to undertake the research and prepare the dissertation.

Placements for Distance Learners

Few distance-learners can consider a normal placement because they are usually in full-time employment and because a placement can be organised via the placement office only if the students can commit themselves to twenty working days or an equivalent. In these cases, the department organises (internal or external) virtual placement projects, which can be completed remotely. Examples of recent projects have included: •the ‘Improvement and Promotion of a library website to a Wider Audience Using Web 2.0', an e-learning project where the student acted as an eLearning ‘champion' encouraging peer participation and facilitating the flow of information between staff and students •the creation of a lesson on study skills on effective search strategies for students beginning A2 level courses and the compilation of a literature review in order to understand the key linkages between organisational learning and organisational change.

For distance learners already employed in the sector the approach is more flexible. These students are able to complete the coursework assignment for the module based on their own relevant employment and using their current (or recent) professional experience, but only if it is directly relevant to the subject discipline. This offers the student the opportunity to examine critically the day-to-day workings of their organisation and identify the different functions in the service relevant to their course of study. It also encourages them to identify and consider any practical problems that may arise in the execution of practical tasks and reflect/assess critically the value of their own contribution to the work of their organisation.

CILIP Accreditation

By completing the Masters degree, students attain a qualification that is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, an accreditation recognised by professional bodies around the world, including the American Library Association, the Canadian Library Association and the Australian Library and Information Association. Professional accreditation means that at the end of the Diploma or Masters stages you are a professionally qualified librarian and can apply for professional posts. It also means that you can then embark on the process of Chartership. For more information see CILIP's website

Career Opportunities

The information industry is expanding rapidly, providing a wide range of opportunities for graduates properly equipped with a broad range of managerial, professional and technological knowledge and skills. This course provides students with a blend of these skills. Libraries and information services, found in every type of organisation in the public and private sector, continue to be major employers for our students.

The job market continues to grow, with fluctuations in the demand for librarians in public and academic libraries paralleled by a continual expansion in the number of librarians and information scientists in specialised information services in both the public and privately funded sectors. Opportunities are also arising from developments in networking and multimedia information services within commercial and educational establishments. This course prepares the student to work in or enhance their career in all aspects of the information sector.

Here is what just a handful of our recent graduates are doing now:

• Manager Information Management & Delivery, Kerr-McGee North Sea (U.K.) Limited;
• Assistant Librarian, Trinity College Library, Dublin;
• Rare Books Curator, National Library of Scotland;
• Librarian, The English College, Dubai, United Arab Emirates;
• Radio Media Manager, BBC Scotland;
• Serials Librarian, Courtauld Institute of Art.

About the Department of Information Management

Information and its effective communication is a fundamental and vital activity within all areas of industry, commerce, government, education, and social life. Professionals working in this broad area provide an understanding of the ways in which information services can be used; and expertise in accessing the wide variety of information sources available; and require a firm grasp of the underlying theories and principles of management, information retrieval, and Information Technology.

The problems presented to decision makers by information overload have become increasingly significant. Selectivity and screening of information are seen as growing in importance in the fields of business management, healthcare, and public policy making. The management of the intellectual capital of the organisation has also become increasingly important. Both commercial and public organisations recognise the significance of knowledge management, enabling staff to become information literate and becoming effective learning organisations.

Information professionals provide essential expertise in our knowledge-based society. There is a growing demand for individuals with the specialised skills required to manage information effectively. The group’s courses are intended to prepare graduates for a career in a range of environments, in the commercial and public sectors. In an assessment of Information Management teaching undertaken by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, the teaching in this area was rated as excellent, with all aspects of the teaching being commended.