Quality assurance in Library and Information Schools in Europe: major trends and issues

Abstract

<Paper presented during the conference BOBCATSSS 2006 30th January - 1st February 2006, Tallinn Estonia>. In Europe, the internationalisation process of higher education – driven by Bologna Process - have identified the objectives of improving quality assurance, transparency and recognition of qualifications. LIS guidelines for quality assurance and the recognition of professionals have been analised to discover a common definition of quality, of same purposes and of similar process. Could European LIS Schools collaborate toward a single accreditation system in Europe? The paper reports on the findings, limited to Europe, of an international survey, promoted and partly financed by IFLA Education and Training Section on quality assurance processes used in Library and Information Science (LIS) Schools. The survey has shown that, regardless of whether it concerns an institution or programme evaluation, assessment, audit or accreditation, there is a substantial convergence on: a common set of standards, a similar approach to evaluation process. It can be said also that quality assurance in LIS is more focused on resources and curriculum design than on learning outcomes and student evaluation. Conclusions will argue that further studies are required.