The Certificate in Basic Skills in Library/Information Studies is designed to train library assistants at sub-professional level for work in public, government, school and other libraries. This porgramme will be offered only through distance and flexible learning (DFL)
Admission Requirements:
- Persons are eligible to be admitted to study for the Certificate in Basic Skills in Library/Information Studies if they have:
- passed a Senate-recognised Form 7 examination or equivalent or
- admission with standing.
Programme Requirements:
- Consists of five courses. LSC11 must be taken first but may be taken concurrently with any of the other four courses.
Courses:
- LSC11 (Intro Library,Systems Services) - This course introduces students to the historical development of libraries, books and writing, the purposes and functions of a library, types of libraries and their services, library systems, and who does what work in libraries, as well as time management in relation to planning library work and study.
- LSC12 (Building and Maintaining the Collection I) - The course looks at issues relating to selection of library books, basic ordering and receipt procedures and acquisition tools for books and serials, processing, repairs and conservation of library materials, stocktaking and weeding.
- LSC13 (Organising the Collection) - This course prepares students with basic skills in cataloguing and classifying books, and assigning subject headings, in accordance with accepted standards. Standard filing rules will also be taught to a base level.
- LSC14 (User Services: Circulation and Library Activities) - The course trains students in the operations of circulation systems (manual and automated) and basic inter-Library loans. Library programming for adults and children will be covered, as will customer relations, storytelling and basic techniques for library displays.
- LSC15 (User Services: Information Services) - Students will learn how to find appropriate information in basic information sources. The presentation of information in the form of resources lists and vertical file material and basic techniques to disseminate information will be covered, as will basic bibliographic style.
Note: Please click on the course codes to access detailed information about the course from the USP database.
