New Directions in Education for LIS: Knowledge Management Programs at RMIT

Abstract

(LIS = Library and Information Services). The Department of Information Management and Library Studies (DIMALS) in the School of Business Information Technology at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia, has undergone fundamental changes in mission and objectives since 1994. Faced with falling demand for its programs, growing competition from non-LIS departments, and changes both to the corporate strategy of the university and to federal government policies, the department had to take urgent and, at times, drastic action. The response entailed a business strategy directed at creating new products for new markets, notably in the field of knowledge management. In addition to mastering new and interdisciplinary subject areas, this required the development of a facility for the flexible delivery of courses in distance mode. This has led to design of the first knowledge management program in Australia, with a consequent shift in the job market for graduates and in the composition of the student body. Other outcomes include an enhanced role for the department within the university and the creation of new revenue streams.