Bachelor of Library and Information Studies
Our Bachelor of Library and Information Studies (BLIS) will prepare you for a career in library, archives, information or record management.
Availability
Our distance learning courses are offered throughout the year to help you fit study around your work and life commitments.
Courses are offered up to 12 times per year depending on demand and availability of academic staff.
Exact start dates are in the course information pages and in our Enrolment dates page:
Cost
- Course costs can be found on all course pages. The fees may increase annually.
- Qualification cost – to give you an idea of how much a qualification may cost in total over the duration of your studies, an approximate cost is provided for many of our qualifications. This is based on the required number of courses to complete the qualification and the average cost of those courses. It does not include annual administration fees, text books and course materials or external exam fees, and is subject to annual course fee increases.
Credits
Courses are assigned credits depending on how much time and effort is needed to complete their learning outcomes. In general, each credit represents approximately 10 hours of study time.
Delivery method
- Online – The course materials for online courses are delivered in an online format and all assignments are submitted online.
- Mixed – These courses are delivered using a mix of online and paper based course materials. This may include receiving paper course materials, submitting assignments online, or being required to participate in online forums and learning activities.
- Print Only - The course will be delivered using paper based courses materials, and assignments may need to be submitted in hard copy rather than online. This will depend on the course.
Whether courses are delivered online, on paper or a mixture of both, there may also be components such as workshops, noho marae, work experience and practicum to participate in. To find out what your course involves check the course information page.
EFTS
EFTS stands for equivalent full-time student. An EFTS is the study time required for each course and is used by the Tertiary Education Commission to decide if a course is part-time or full-time.
One year of full-time study is generally between 0.8 and 1.2 EFTS.
Level
You can tell how hard a course or qualification is by the level it is set at:
- Levels 1-4 are about the same as secondary school and basic trades training.
- Levels 5-7 are the same as university study.
Prerequisites
- Prerequisites are courses that must be completed before another course can be studied.
- Co-requisites are courses that can be studied at the same time as another course.
If a course has a specific prerequisite or co-requisite course, it will be listed on the course page under the title 'Prerequisites'. If no courses are listed, check the entry and other requirements under the qualification you are studying for. Some courses require you to have studied at a particular level prior to enrolling.
Student loans
Not all qualifications or students are eligible for student loans. You will need to meet criteria such as studying a minimum number of credits over a specific study period. It is up to you to apply for a student loan via StudyLink - Open Polytechnic does not do this for you.
Information about student loans and eligibility
Teaching weeks
Teaching weeks is the number of weeks that we teach a course. This differs from the enrolment period, which is based on the course start and end dates.
For example, a 20-week enrolment period will have 16 teaching weeks, followed by four weeks to accommodate marking, any extensions and reassessments, or exams.
Workload
The workload estimate given on a course page is calculated like this:
Number of credits x 10, divided by the number of teaching weeks for the course. The hours will be rounded up to nearest whole number.
Please note, this is a guide only. You may need more or less time for study, and you may also need to do more hours during assessment due dates or exams times.
-
Level7
-
Credits360
-
Cost$14,274 NZ Domestic
Not including any course materials or external exam fees.
-
Student loan
Available.
When you graduate from this qualification you will be a confident, culturally competent, and collaborative practitioner.
You will be able to empower and inspire people, communities and organisations to reach their potential. You will provide access to information and knowledge resources. You will also gain knowledge to apply evidence-based practice to the collection, organisation and management of physical and digital media.
Bachelor of Library and Information Studies FAQs
Career opportunities
This qualification will ready you to work in a range of roles, including:
- librarian, such as reference, heritage resources, children and teens, digital services
- records manager
- information manager
- archivist.
What you will learn
When you achieve this qualification, you will be able to
- provide culturally responsive library and information services and collections, recognising and applying the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, understanding Te Ao Māori and other indigenous knowledge paradigms
- provide culturally relevant library and information services and collections to enhance the lives of Pasifika and other cultural groups in New Zealand
- analyse individual, organisational and community needs to design and deliver appropriate library and information services
- provide access to information in support of life-long learning
- facilitate the creation, organisation and dissemination of new knowledge
- search for, critically evaluate, contextualise and use information in diverse formats and locations
- develop leadership and management strategies to advocate for and promote ethical and effective evidence-based information solutions within communities and organisations, for open, equitable access to information.
Practical learning activities
Some courses in the BLIS programme include supervised practice learning activities. These will take place within an organisation or community setting. The courses are:
- LIS504: Te Ao Māori in the Information Environment. This course includes attendance at a noho marae (or an alternative learning activity). Until further notice an alternative learning activity will be used.
- LIS604 Cultural Competencies in the Information Environment. This course includes a practice learning activity.
- LIS704: Library and Information Service Professional Practice. For this course you will undertake a period of workplace practice of up to 100 hours. This can be done in your current workplace or another suitable Library and Information Services context.
Credit recognition
If you have already completed some of our Information and Library Studies courses you can cross credit the courses listed below to the Bachelor of Library and Information Studies:
- 71255 is equivalent to LIS608 Principles of Information Management
- 72142 is equivalent to LIS502 Navigating and Using Information
- 72170 is equivalent to LIS501 The Information Environment
- 72171 is equivalent to LIS506 Collection Management in Libraries
- 72175 is equivalent to LIS507 Principles of Record Management
- 72251 is equivalent to LIS604 Cultural Competencies in the Information Environment
- 72270 is equivalent to LIS603 Knowledge Organisation Systems
- 72271 is equivalent to LIS601 Empowering People and Communities
- 72272 is equivalent to LIS611 Cataloguing and Classification
- 72274 is equivalent to LIS610 Archives Management
- 72275 is equivalent to LIS609 Digital Asset Management
- 72276 is equivalent to LIS606 Reader Development
- 72277 is equivalent to LIS607 Services and Collections for Children and Teens
- 72370 is equivalent to LIS701 Critical Perspectives for Library and Information Professionals
- 72371 is equivalent to LIS702 Strategy and Planning in Information Organisations.
Study pathways
We offer a New Zealand Diploma in Library and Information Studies (Level 5), which will lead to this degree.
Learn more about the New Zealand Diploma in Library and Information Studies (Level 5)
You can also gain specialist skills by studying:
New Zealand Certificate in Library and Information Services for Children and Teens (Level 6)
New Zealand Diploma in Records and Information Management (Level 6)
Graduate Certificate in Library and Information Leadership
Maximum Programme Completion Time
To be awarded the qualification, the programme must be completed in no more than 9 years of first enrolment, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
Availability
Our distance learning courses are offered throughout the year to help you fit study around your work and life commitments.
Courses are offered up to 12 times per year depending on demand and availability of academic staff.
Exact start dates are in the course information pages and in our Enrolment dates page:
Cost
- Course costs can be found on all course pages. The fees may increase annually.
- Qualification cost – to give you an idea of how much a qualification may cost in total over the duration of your studies, an approximate cost is provided for many of our qualifications. This is based on the required number of courses to complete the qualification and the average cost of those courses. It does not include annual administration fees, text books and course materials or external exam fees, and is subject to annual course fee increases.
Credits
Courses are assigned credits depending on how much time and effort is needed to complete their learning outcomes. In general, each credit represents approximately 10 hours of study time.
Delivery method
- Online – The course materials for online courses are delivered in an online format and all assignments are submitted online.
- Mixed – These courses are delivered using a mix of online and paper based course materials. This may include receiving paper course materials, submitting assignments online, or being required to participate in online forums and learning activities.
- Print Only - The course will be delivered using paper based courses materials, and assignments may need to be submitted in hard copy rather than online. This will depend on the course.
Whether courses are delivered online, on paper or a mixture of both, there may also be components such as workshops, noho marae, work experience and practicum to participate in. To find out what your course involves check the course information page.
EFTS
EFTS stands for equivalent full-time student. An EFTS is the study time required for each course and is used by the Tertiary Education Commission to decide if a course is part-time or full-time.
One year of full-time study is generally between 0.8 and 1.2 EFTS.
Level
You can tell how hard a course or qualification is by the level it is set at:
- Levels 1-4 are about the same as secondary school and basic trades training.
- Levels 5-7 are the same as university study.
Prerequisites
- Prerequisites are courses that must be completed before another course can be studied.
- Co-requisites are courses that can be studied at the same time as another course.
If a course has a specific prerequisite or co-requisite course, it will be listed on the course page under the title 'Prerequisites'. If no courses are listed, check the entry and other requirements under the qualification you are studying for. Some courses require you to have studied at a particular level prior to enrolling.
Student loans
Not all qualifications or students are eligible for student loans. You will need to meet criteria such as studying a minimum number of credits over a specific study period. It is up to you to apply for a student loan via StudyLink - Open Polytechnic does not do this for you.
Information about student loans and eligibility
Teaching weeks
Teaching weeks is the number of weeks that we teach a course. This differs from the enrolment period, which is based on the course start and end dates.
For example, a 20-week enrolment period will have 16 teaching weeks, followed by four weeks to accommodate marking, any extensions and reassessments, or exams.
Workload
The workload estimate given on a course page is calculated like this:
Number of credits x 10, divided by the number of teaching weeks for the course. The hours will be rounded up to nearest whole number.
Please note, this is a guide only. You may need more or less time for study, and you may also need to do more hours during assessment due dates or exams times.
-
Level7
-
Credits360
-
Cost$14,274 NZ Domestic
Not including any course materials or external exam fees.
-
Student loan
Available.
-
Factsheet (PDF) Bachelor Of Library And Information Studies (670 KB pdf)
-
Study plan (PDF)
Bachelor of Library and Information Studies Study Plan (PDF)
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Bachelor of Library and Information Studies
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