Open Polytechnic library degree pathway to professional registration

Posted on 3 March 2020

Library employees who want to take their careers to the next level and gain professional registration will now find the process easier when they complete an information and library studies undergraduate degree with the Open Polytechnic.

The Open Polytechnic is the only provider of undergraduate library qualifications in New Zealand, offering information and library studies majors in both their Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Applied Science degrees.

Graduates of the programmes are eligible to apply for professional registration with the Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa (LIANZA), giving them an added edge in the competitive library employment market.

“Our degrees have always been recognised as a pathway to professional registration with LIANZA, and some recent revisions we’ve made to our body of knowledge requirements for our learners has made the process even easier”, says Dr Raymond Young, Dean of the School of Information and Social Sciences, which manages the programmes at the Open Polytechnic.

Over a thousand students a year enrol in the Open Polytechnic’s nationally recognised and respected library qualifications.

”As a distance learning provider, our flexible style of learning delivery means that students can work towards their library qualification part-time while working in the industry applying the theory directly to their day-to-day jobs. Our high levels of course completions reflects just how engaging and applicable our courses are to library professionals”, says Dr Young.

“We actively promote LIANZA’s professional registration scheme to our graduates as we believe it offers a valuable opportunity for them to continue their professional development and add to their skill base as they progress in their careers.”

For those who are unsure whether they are ready to undertake an undergraduate degree, the Open Polytechnic is also the only provider in New Zealand to offer diploma level library qualifications, allowing students to begin their studies at a lower level before staircasing into the degree programme and then onto the professional registration process.