The Status of Knowledge Organization in Library and Information Science Master's Programs

The content of master's programs accredited by the American Library Association was examined to assess the status of knowledge organization (KO) as a subject in current training. Data collected show that KO remains very visible in a majority of programs, mainly in the form of required and electives courses focusing on descriptive cataloging, classification, and metadata. Observed tendencies include, however, the recent elimination of the required KO course in several programs, the reality that one third of KO electives listed in course catalogs have not been scheduled in the past three years, and the fact that two-thirds of those teaching KO specialize in other areas of information science.

Automated summary

The study found that knowledge organization (KO) remains a prominent subject in many master's programs accredited by the American Library Association, but there have been recent trends of required KO courses being eliminated, some KO electives not being scheduled, and the majority of KO instructors specializing in other areas of information science.