History of the Department

Teaching of librarianship began at the Faculty of Arts of Comenius University in September 1951 as a two-year programme at the Department of Slovak Language. One year later the Department of Bibliology and Journalism was established. The independent department was founded in 1960 and its first leader was associated professor Štefan Pasiar. In 1967 the department was renamed to Department of Bibliology and Scientific Information, in 1991 to Department of Librarianship and Scientific Information. Since 1999 the name of the department is Department of Library and Information Science.  

Department of Library and Information Science was since its foundation till 2002 the only one university department educating librarians and information professionals in Slovakia.  

In the course of the past 50 years approximately 1400 educated library and information specialists have graduated from the Department.  

Department of Library and Information Science published since 1974 the year book Informatika (Informatics), since 1998 Knižničná a informačná veda (Library and Information Science).  

At present the Department grants degrees in Library and Information Science, namely Bachelor degree (Bc.), Master degree (Mgr.), academic degree (PhDr.) and research degree (PhD.).  

Members of the Department are involved in the national and international research projects, deliver presentations and lectures at scientific conferences and professional events, publish textbooks, monographs, papers and articles in journals and proceedings.  

Current research topics of interest include especially: new paradigm of information science, information systems and internet, human issues of library and information processes, computer-mediated communication, cultural memory, knowledge management, knowledge organization, book history, interactions of man and information environment, etc.