What did you do after you got

your bachelor`s degree?

What did you do after you got

your bachelor`s degree?

Was or is your job linked to

the library sector?

Was or is your job linked to

the library sector?

The salary of employees working in the

sector of library science. (Total revenue after tax.)

The salary of employees working in the

sector of library science. (Total revenue after tax.)

Do you consider your salary to be

satisfactory? (Only the answers of the employees working in

the library sector full time job.)

Do you consider your salary to be

satisfactory? (Only the answers of the employees working in the library sector.)

With my education, I can get a job not only

in a library.

With my education, I can get a job not only

in a library.

Librarian - Information specialist is a

perspective profession.

Librarian - Information specialist is a

perspective profession.

INTRODUCTION

This research reflects results about the career possibilities and work opportunities for students who have graduated from the Information Management (IM) bachelor programme and the choices they have made. The conducted research was based on comparision of the opinions both of graduates of the former bachelor programme „Library Science and Information” (LI) and the present bachelor programme „Information Management” (IM). The methods used: Questionnaire: Questionnaire; respondents - graduates from the IM bachelor programme – 46 (68%);Questionnaire; respondents - graduates from the

bachelor programme „Library Science and Information” – 114 (52%); (research done by K.Mavrina, 2013); Comparison of results of both the questionnaires.

Interviews with Baiba Holma, associate profesor, the head of the Department of Information and Library Studies of the University of Latvia, director of the bachelor programme „Information Management” and with Iveta Gudakovska, director, the Library of the University of Latvia.

INTERVIEW

with Iveta Gudakovska, director of the Library of the University of Latvia.

Up to now, I have not noticed a great difference between the graduates of the LI programme and the graduates of the IM programme, as the people who have graduated from the IM programme are just beginning their work at the Library of the University of Latvia. Students are different - the curriculum is not always completely mastered and it is not always adequately used at work.

Theoretically, graduates of the IM programme should have more work possibilities in the job market if compared with graduates of the LI programme, but in practice it might not be that way. It relies greatly on the amount of knowledge the potiential employer has on the study programme and on the way graduates demonstrate their skills.

CONCLUSIONS

The number of graduates from the IM bachelor programme, who continue to study in the IM master's programme, is 15% bigger than that from the LI bachelor programme. It can be concluded that more recent graduates from the IM programme chose to continue their studies than those from the LI programme.

From 56% respondents who do not work in the field, it is possible to conclude the main reason why graduates did not choose to continue their studies in the same field: they have been offered a better job or they were not satisfied with the low income in the field.

Both the interviewed field experts agree that the information managment field is rapidly evolving, thus creating new opportunities in the electronic environment.

The graduates who made the survey also consider their profession perspetive and long-range.

INTERVIEW

with Baiba Holma, associate profesor, the head of the Department of Information

and Library Studies of the University of Latvia, director of the bachelor

programme „Information Management”.

IM programme was created improving LI programme and supplementing it with courses on records and information management.

IM is based on studies of technologies and the electronic environment. Different kinds of literature studies are no longer included in this programme.

Nowadays, many novelties have appeared that ensure possibilities of achieving the same goals with new methods.

Electronic environment, which goes on improving and evolving, is dominant. The information field is integrating within other fields, especially social media

and publishing, aggregating, managing information in the electronic environment.

by Lelde Petrovska and Toms Buņķis, University of Latvia

Photo of National Library of Latvia by Artūrs Sokolovs

Graduates

2010—2013

Graduates

before 2010

48%

24%

22%

6%

Started working/ continued to work

Continued my studies in the Library Science andInformation program to get my master's degreeContinued my studies in another program to getanother master's degreeDidn`t work/ didn`t study

74%

26%

Yes No

72%

28%

Yes No

<285 € 285-425 €

425-570 €

570-710 €

>710 € Noanswer

0

55%

30%

05%

10%

Graduates of the bachelor programme “Information Management”: job market and satisfaction

(Case of Latvia)

Completelyagree

Agree Disagree Completelydisagree

Don`tknow/ noanswer

26%

48%

4%7%

15%

48%

30%

7%

9% 6%

Started working/ continued to work

Continued my studies in LI program to get my master`s degree.

Continued my studies in another program to get another master`s degree.

Continued my studies in LI program to get my master`s degree + startedworking/ continued to workOther

60% 20%

20%

Yes No Don`t know/ no answer

Completelyagree

Agree Disagree Completelydisagree

Don`t know/No answer

12%

50%

21%

6% 11%

Completelyagree

Agree Disagree Completelydisagree

Don`tknow/ noanswer

17%

50%

11%

4%

17%

Completelyagree

Agree Disagree Completelydisagree

Don`tknow/Noanswer

12%

53%

20%

4% 11%

<285 € 285-425 €

425-570 €

570-710 €

>710 €

7%

34%

41%

9% 9%

33%

57%

10%

Yes No Don`t know/ no answer