This article presents a theoretical investigation of the concept of 'subject' or 'subject matter' in library and information science. Most conceptions of 'subject' in the literature are not explicit but implicit. Various indexing and classification theories. including automatic indexing and citation indexing, have their own more or less implicit concepts of subject. This fact puts the emphasis on making the implicit theories of 'subject matter' explicit as the lirst step. A very close connection exists between what subjects are. and how we are to know them. Those researchersw ho place the subjects in the minds of the users have a conception of'subject' different to that possessed by those who regard the subject as a fixed property of the documents. The key to the definition of the concept of 'subject' lies in the epistemological investigation of how we are going to know what we need to know about documents in order to describe them in a way which facilitates information retrieval. The second step therefore is an analysis ol the implicit epistemological conceptions in the major existing conceptions of 'subject'. The different conceptions of 'subject' can therefore be classified into epistemological positions. e.g. 'subjective idealism' (or the empiric/positivistic viewpoint), "objective idealism'(the rationalistic viewpoint),'pragmatism' and 'materialism/realism'. The third and final step is to propose a new theory of subject matter based on an explicit theory of knowledge. In this article this is done from the point of view ol a realistic/materialistic epistemology'. From this standpoint the subject of a document is defined as the epistemologicapl otentials of that document.

Focus is on curriculum development for Knowledge Organization (a core area, a problem area) using Learning Communities; rather than LIS education continuing to focus on Information Technology. / This article reviews the state of education in digital libraries and curriculum planning documents from professional associations in two areas: Library and Information Science; and Computing. It examines suggestions for integration and interdisciplinarity in education for digital libraries curricula using definitions of a discipline, interdisciplinarity, and the transdisciplinary structure of a university in order to discover how such integration may be successfully accomplished. A plan to use learning communities and develop an interdisciplinary curriculum for Knowledge Organization is briefly discussed.

Presents shortly 11 specific approaches to domain analysis, which is claimed together define the specific competencies of information specialists. The approaches are 1. Producing and evaluating literature guides and subject gateways, 2. Producing and evaluating special classifications and thesauri, 3. Research on and competencies in indexing and retrieving information specialties, 4. Knowledge about empirical user studies in subject areas, 5. Producing and interpreting bibliometrical studies, 6. Historical studies of information structures and services in domains, 7. Studies of documents and genres in knowledge domains, 8. Epistemological and critical studies of different paradigms, assumptions, and interests in domains, 9. Knowledge about terminological studies, LSP (Languages for Special Purposes), and discourse analysis in knowledge fields, 10. Knowledge about and studies of structures and institutions in scientific and professional communication in a domain, 11. Knowledge about methods and results from domain analytic studies about professional cognition, knowledge representation in computer science and artificial intelligence.

A presentation at the 2005 ALISE Conference, Session 5.1, titled Collaborative Projects between LIS Schools in Different Countries (12 slides). It describes how the LIS program at Simmons has contributed to the development of LIS education and library profession in Southeast Asia (including China). The history and current status of the relationship between Simmons LIS program and Southeast Asian library schools/libraries is introduced; and, this presentation outlines the major milestones as well as some important projects that Simmons has conducted in helping library professionals and educators of Southeast Asian countries (especially Vietnam) set up their own systems. It also pinpoints a great potential for the development of the relationship.

This article argues the improper of terming "elite" in the evaluation of LIS programs by Herubel's research. It disagrees with Herubel about her definition and analytical strategies.

This is a juried paper presentation (of 24 slides) in Session 6.4, Reports of Current Research (Juried Papers) on Thursday, Jan. 13 at the 2005 ALISE Conference. Graduate library and information science (LIS) programs continue to evaluate their curriculums, goals and objectives, as trends in education shift toward a global environment focused on information science, technology, and distance learning. For the past four years, the School of Library and Information Sciences at the University of North Texas (SLIS) conducted an End of Program Questionnaire of graduating masterâ s students. This study focuses on student evaluation and satisfaction with the SLIS masterâ s program and the ways of preparing them for the changing paradigm of the global library and information science profession. Student satisfaction is measured in five key areas: 1) Program background information, 2) Masterâ s program goals and objectives, 3) Curriculum, 4) Physical resources and facilities, and 5) Faculty and advising. The studentsâ comments and answers reflect high satisfaction and confirm the schoolâ s effort to meet the objectives and goals of the program. Interesting and positive results in studentsâ answers along with discrepancies among studentsâ comments are carefully analyzed and discussed by the school faculty and staff. The results are compared to issues identified in the global environment and appropriate suggestions are made for meeting flexible curricula evaluations.

This study replicated Leif Kajberg’s Survey of Internationalization Activities in European Library and Information Science Schools with regards to Library and Information Science Education in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Kajberg wrote that internationalization activities in European LIS Schools reflect different national traditions, institutional histories and missions. The purpose of this survey was to discover the different paths toward internationalisation that institutions of Higher Education have taken in LIS Schools in Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and Thailand using the same types of variables which Kajberg used. Findings would assist in developing a theoretical understanding and a knowledge base regarding the forces of international co-operation relevant for higher education institutions at 70 universities concentrating on the LIS discipline. The following issues are examined: (1) Do international issues and priorities have a place on the educational and research agenda of the schools? (2) To what extent are international LIS issues reflected in the schools’ curricula? (3) What is the number of international-degree students enrolled? (4) Do schools have persons with an international background on their academic staff? (5) Are cross-country links developed with partner institutions abroad? These questions were considered representative of internationalization activities. As with Kajberg’s survey, the questionnaire designed for the study included a mix of close-ended questions (yesno model) and questions of the semi-open and open-ended type. The close-ended questions were formulated to elicit general information on LIS schools’ actual involvement in the various types of internationalisation processes and activities and gauge the level of cooperation. Permission to conduct the study was granted by the Institutional Review Board, Human Subjects Committee of the University of Southern Mississippi. Responses were held confidential.

This is a presentation (of 11 slides) on Tuesday January 11, 2005 in the session sponsored by the Curriculum SIG titled "Preparing Students for the International Information Society: Studying the Global Context in LIS" at the 2005 ALISE Conference, Boston, MA. The curricula of two courses offered at the School of Information Sciences, University of Tennessee are discussed: 1) The Information Society and 2) International Information Policy. The silence on issues of internationalism and "others" as evidenced by an informal content analysis of the Proceedings of the 67th Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIST 2004 Conference) is also briefly explored.

This article is an expansion of another research of the author that was published one year ago in Library Quarterly. It explores new statistical methods to predict whether or not a school would be ranked. By "ranking", the author refers to having a top-quality master's program or having faculty who contribute significantly to the advancement of the professional.

Library classification in the Croatian library school at the Department of Information Sciences, University of Zagreb has an important place in the department's curriculum. This is due to the fact that classification is the most important indexing language in Croatian libraries, documentation centres and services and its role has not been undermined by library automation is the case elsewhere. The course Classification and Classification Systems has undergone many changes since the school was established in 1976. One of the most important objectives of the course, besides introducing classification as a tool, is to teach about content analysis and classification as a process. Another important goal of the course is to teach students how to adapt and use classification for different purposes and in different environments. The current syllabus embraces the use of classification in information organisation and presentation in different kinds of collection from book and non-book materials to information resources on the Internet and even more importantly, the course covers the application of classification in information retrieval and discovery. It is the intention of the course to contribute to the education of librarians and will enable their skills to be applied in the wider area of the information profession.