School of Information Studies at the University of the West Indies

School of Information Studies at the University of the West Indies
Name	School of Information Studies
Established	1970s
Type	Academic unit
Parent	University of the West Indies
City	Mona
Country	Jamaica

School of Information Studies at the University of the West Indies is an academic unit within the University of the West Indies system delivering programs in librarianship, information science, and records management. The school serves students across the Caribbean Community region with ties to professional bodies such as the Caribbean Library Association, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, and the Association for Information Science and Technology. Its remit includes undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, applied research, and regional capacity building with stakeholders like the Caribbean Development Bank, CARICOM Secretariat, and national archives such as the National Library of Jamaica.

History

The school traces origins to library training initiatives at the University College of the West Indies and early collaborations with the British Council, the Library Association (United Kingdom), and the Commonwealth Education Conference. Influences and visiting scholars included personnel from the Library of Congress, the British Library, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization who shaped curricula aligned with standards from the American Library Association and the International Council on Archives. Expansion episodes coincided with regional policy milestones such as the formation of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States and the establishment of the Caribbean Examinations Council, leading to new diplomas and master's programs responsive to archival needs exemplified by collections from the National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago and the Barbados Museum & Historical Society.

Academic Programs

Program offerings include undergraduate diplomas, a Bachelor of Arts with specialization in librarianship linked to the University of the West Indies Mona Campus, a Master of Library and Information Studies aligned with competencies promoted by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, and doctoral supervision interacting with institutes like the Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication and the Institute of Caribbean Studies. Courses integrate modules on cataloguing influenced by standards from the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, digital preservation using practices from the Open Archival Information System, and records management consistent with the International Organization for Standardization family including ISO 15489. Graduates have entered roles in institutions such as the University of the West Indies Library, the National Library of Jamaica, the Ministry of Culture (Jamaica), and regional bodies like the Caribbean Public Health Agency.

Research and Centres

Research priorities include digital humanities initiatives with partners such as the Caribbean Heritage Network, oral history projects collaborating with the Institute of Jamaica, and metadata research informed by the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative. The school hosts thematic centres and projects linked to the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre, memory institutions including the National Archives of Belize, and consortia like the Caribbean Knowledge and Learning Network. Scholarly output appears in journals such as the Caribbean Quarterly, the Information Development journal, and proceedings from conferences like the International Conference on Digital Preservation and the Conference of Caribbean Archivists.

Faculty and Administration

Faculty composition comprises lecturers, senior lecturers, and professors with professional affiliations to organizations like the Association of Caribbean University, Research and Institutional Libraries, the American Society for Information Science and Technology, and the Royal Historical Society. Administrative leadership liaises with the UWI Vice-Chancellor office and academic boards similar to governance models at the University of the West Indies Mona Campus. Visiting scholars and adjuncts have included experts formerly associated with the Library of Congress, the British Library, the National Archives of the United States, and the Smithsonian Institution.

Student Life and Organizations

Students participate in associations such as the UWI Students' Guild, subject-specific groups connected to the Caribbean Library Association Student Chapter, and volunteer programs with the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission and the Red Cross Caribbean Cluster. Extracurricular opportunities include internships at the National Gallery of Jamaica, practicum placements with the Caribbean Public Health Agency, and exchange visits to institutions like the University of Toronto Faculty of Information, the University of Pittsburgh School of Information Sciences, and the University College London Department of Information Studies.

Facilities and Resources

Teaching and research are supported by the Alma Jordan Library holdings, special collections including Caribbean newspapers from the British Library Newspaper Archive, digital repositories compatible with DSpace implementations, and lab suites for digitization following protocols from the Library of Congress National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program. The school provides access to resources licensed through consortia including the Caribbean Knowledge and Learning Network and database subscriptions similar to those negotiated by the Association of Commonwealth Universities.

Partnerships and Outreach

Regional and international partnerships include collaborative programs with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), interlibrary loan networks with the OCLC WorldShare, capacity-building workshops co-sponsored with the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, and project funding from agencies such as the Caribbean Development Bank, the European Union Caribbean Investment Facility, and bilateral partners including the Government of Canada cultural programs. Outreach activities encompass mobile library initiatives in partnership with the United Nations Children's Fund, digitization projects with the John Carter Brown Library, and archival conservation training supported by the Getty Foundation.

Category:University of the West Indies Category:Library and information science schools