The information professions in Malta : three decades of academic commitment

Abstract

The origins of what today is the Department of Library, Information and Archive Sciences within the Faculty of Media and Knowledge Sciences date to 17 December 1992 when Lillian Sciberras, at the time Deputy Librarian at the University Library, was appointed Lecturer in Library Studies. On appointment she became a member of the Centre for Communications Technology (CCT) and led the Division of Library and Information Studies within CCT for 14 years. The Division started offering Diploma courses in Library & Information Studies in 1993 which triggered nation-wide developments in terms of establishing various typologies of libraries such as academic, national, public, governmental and specialised ones. Most of the officials who now lead the sector in both government and private institutions in Malta received their undergraduate librarianship training in the Division of Library and Information Studies. The Division evolved into the Department of Library, Information and Archive Sciences when the Faculty of Media and Knowledge Sciences was established in 2011. As the Department expanded its operations it further strengthened networks with local and international stakeholders, especially national libraries and other universities specializing in librarianship. The Department has made significant inroads in carrying out its mission to advance and promote interdisciplinary research in the information fields, train students to face the challenges in these fields, and increase the accessibility, preservation, and dissemination of information.