Studies

The department is the oldest and largest department of information studies (IS) in Finland. The chair and the Department were established within the Faculty of Social Sciences in 1971 as the first academic unit within library and information science in ScandinaviaIn 2001, the Department became part of the new Faculty of Information Sciences. The department is at present the leading graduate school for IS in Finland and has the most advanced and comprehensive degree programme in IS. About half of the annual graduates in library and information services in Finland graduate from the University of Tampere. The number of staff varies between 30-35 persons.

The aspects of information studies particularly emphasized in the curriculum are information retrieval, information seeking and information & records management. Information studies as a discipline addresses the information flow between human generators and human users. It seeks to conceptualize and understand the information environments, the information needs of individuals and groups, and the organisation of information resources. The systems of organising information include e.g. libraries, archives, information services, portals and databases.

The department has joined the network of European library and information science educational units (BOBCATSSS) and is developing the research and education co-operation based on this framework. The continuation of sustained co-operation in the Nordic NORDPLUS programme is emphasized. The department has ERASMUS student exchange contracts and with University of Wales, Université Rene Descartes (ParisV), Université Bretagne Sud, Universität Hildesheim, Fachhochschule Potsdam, Universidade do Porto, Universidad de Granada, Hacettepe University (Ankara, Turkey) and Tallinna Ûlikool (Viro). Moreover, the link already established to other institutions, (i.e. in Sheffield and Copenhagenare being further strengthened.