Library and information sciences

One calls information sciences and libraries (SIB) the whole of the To know S and Savoir-faire useful for the people charged to manage a Bibliothèque or a service of Information - Documentation.

Definition

The French expression information sciences and the libraries comes from the English expression library and information science (LILY) . In France, academic name is rather “communication and information sciences”, corresponding to that of the 71e section of the National council of the universities (CNU, cf). It is of a research field and study rather characterized by its object (information, its nature, its properties, its transfer) that by its method S, like are for example the Droit or the Philosophie. Approaches very different from this object indeed possible and are practiced. Beside theoretical concerns, the information sciences and communication (SIC) are also interested in the institutions and the practices of transmission of information. The “information sciences” seize these problems: the libraries, and in particular those which accompany the activities by study and research, are one of the institutions associated with this transfer. In a very general direction, one can thus consider that the information sciences include fields such as:

  • Biblio-economics (management of the libraries);

  • Bibliography (information retrieval);
  • cataloguing and Indexing (description of the collections);
  • Bibliology (knowledge of the book, the edition and the various types of documents).

However, there exists of the divergences on the nature and the limits of this scientific field. For example, the National center of the scientific research (CNRS) and the Conservatory national of arts and trades (CNAM) include the Informatique in the information sciences. One can also wonder whether linguistic engineering (computer-assisted translation, “voyellisation” of Arabic…) its place in the information sciences has. These difficulties of definition and delimitation are characteristic of a field of knowledge in the course of constitution. So a big part of the scientific production is centered on these questions. It at least seems to exist a strong distinction between the specialists in the Information and those of the Communication. Perhaps this scientific field it has to be divided into various fields.

Communication and information sciences (SIC)

In the Années 1970 appears in France the expression “information sciences”. It is in 1968, with the the United States, which it is developed when American Documentation Institute becomes the American Society for Information Science. How to define the information sciences? They have as an aim the study of the general properties of information (natural, genesis, effects); they line up in the sector of the Social sciences, principal means of access to a comprehension of social and Culture L and which sees collaborating between them of the disciplines such as the Psychologie, the Linguistique, the Sociologie, data processing, the Mathématiques, the Droit, the economy, the Philosophie, the Politique… the information sciences answer a requirement of knowing and communication born of the social life. Information can take various forms (Texte, Image, its), on varied media (printed papers form, Film S, discs, Cédérom S, files electronic,…). It integrates at the same time written processes, oral and visual processes. Information is transmitted between individuals, within the companies or of the companies. The information sciences recover all these cases of figures. Interdisciplinary social sciences from now on, the information sciences found their noble letters: formations and university degrees include this concept in their headings.

In France, the information sciences have an official designation, the information sciences and communication (SIC). Abroad, information and the communication are generally separate. At the origin of SIC, one can recall the part played by Robert Escarpit and Jean Meyriat, then other thinkers such Barthes or Greimas who, little by little were dissociated some. They are concretized by the installation of dies and diplomas specific to documentation as from the years 1960-1970: diplomas of the academic institutes of technology (HAD), control of sciences and technology (MST), then, later, of the increasingly diversified diplomas. Then creation comes from the French company of the communication and information sciences (SFSIC), body of reflection on the bases theoretical and scientific of these sciences, company now dynamic which has its own review (the letter of Inforcom), holds of annual conventions and collaborates with equivalent European companies. Many theses in information sciences are constant each year in the universities. However, the SFSIC is not the only representative authority. It is good to announce the many teacher-researchers who contribute to the development of this research field.

Teaching

France

In France, the SIB are taught on the level master by the 3Ecole Nationale Sup3erieure of the information sciences and the libraries (ENSSIB), located at Villeurbanne. Other formations, level license or HAD, are also organized by certain universities.

The material taught are the following ones:

  • libraries and information centers (standard of establishments, missions and functions, public policies, construction, finances, statistics and evaluation);
  • public and services (location and analyzes the public ones, Management services and human resources, cultural activity);
  • Collection S and documents (Indexing, cataloguing, Standard S, formats, classifications, information retrieval, documentary policies, History of the book and the media, Conservation and development of the old documents, economy of information, right of information);
  • Data-processing (data-processing general, computerized systems of management of library, numerical documents, Office automation Internet, ).

Quebec and Canada

With the Quebec, the SIB are taught by the École of biblio-economics and the information sciences (EBSI), which belong to the Université of Montreal and by the Université McGill (School off Library and Information Studies). In the remainder of Canada, the program of Library and Information Science is offered to Dalhousie University (Nova Scotia), in University off Alberta, University off British Columbia, University off Toronto and University off Ontario Western.

Switzerland

In Swiss, there exist two schools which teach the documentation and information sciences, one in the French-speaking part and the other in the Germanic part. The first is with Geneva and names the High school of management, die information and documentation. The second is with Coire and names Hochschule für technik und wirtschaft chur - Informationswissenschaft.

See too

External bond

  • Blog de Saamarande on documentation
  • High school of management of Geneva, die Information and documentation (HEG-ID)
  • 3Ecole Nationale Sup3erieure of sciences as of information and libraries (ENSSIB)
  • School of biblio-economics and information sciences (EBSI), University of Montreal
  • Site of Sciences and Communication and Information Technologies (STIC; university formation in Belgium)
  • School off Library and Information Studies, University McGill

  • ArchiveSIC, attic of texts on line on the communication and Information sciences (nearly 700 texts, 600 authors, 22 categories)

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