Scientific and pedagogical focus of the department

Since its conception in 1950s the department was focused on preparation of information specialists for libraries and a bit later also for the network of scientific-technical information.

The department is one of the most important institutions providing theoretical and methodological reflection of library and information practises in Slovakia. Traditionally the dominant themes were processing and preservation of historical library funds, public libraries and bibliography, working with kids and youth, automated library and information systems.

In 1970s and 1980s the department was involved in several important research projects in the area of libraries and system of scientific-technical and economic information (for example Integrated library-information system on the basis of electronisation - IKIS).

Since the beginning of 1990s, due to rapid development of public communication networks, research and education in library and information science is focused more on social and technological-organisational aspects of information activity independent of any particular institution. Focus is on such topics as social and literature-communication, mass communication, information organisation and retrieval, information behaviour of information users and producers, traditional and external web information resources, information architecture, ethical and legal aspects of information use.

After 1989 the department was involved in several research projects supported by domestic grant agencies VEGA, KEGA as well as by faculty resources. We can mention especially the projects:

VEGA 1-4004-97 Systems of knowledge organisation, its structure and impact on effectivity of information providing in particular scientific disciplines
VEGA 1/5259/98 New paradigm of library and information science and the role of libraries in information society in multicultural central Europe
VEGA 1/7296/20 Management of terminological data and possiblities of applicability in particular areas of knowledge and practise
VEGA 1/9236/02 Interaction of man and information environment in information society
VEGA 1/2481/05 Information use by information behavior in education and science
KEGA 3/3059/05 Interactive learning texts for the integrated subject Information systems in science, research and education.

KEGA 3/7275/09 INWENT - Information studies in the era of web 2.0 and new technologies
VEGA 1/0429/10 Academic information environment - modelling from the viewpoint of information ecology
APVV-0208-10 TRA-DICE - Cognitive travelling through digital world of web and libraries with the support of personalized services and social media
KEGA 133UK-4/2013 MIKS - Media and information competencies for knowledge society
VEGA 1/0066/15 Modelling information environment of digital science
APVV 0508-15 HIBER - Human Information Behavior in the Electronic Environment

Since the beginning of 1990s the department has had many international contacts. It became member of EUCLID (European Association for Library & Information Education and Research), department staff is cooperating with various worldwide organisations and conferences (Global Alliance for Bridging Digital Divide, ECDL), international projects (CECUP, CELIP), international magazines (Information Research, Mousaion), international competitions (World Summit Award). Department organized several international conferences (BOBCATSSS 1999, Information Behavior in Digital Libraries 2003, Information Use in Information Society 2006). Among the international scientific-research projects were projects like DELOS - Network of Excellence on Digital Libraries (Extension to CEE) IST-1999-12262, sub-program EuCoNet within the program of Socrates II – Grundvig focused on education of adults towards the internet usage for obtaining information and for further education and program CEC Project eLiLL - eLearning in Later Life.