The Information Environment

LIS501

This course will enable you to understand the variety of organisations that create, record, store and provide access to information, and the changing role they play in Aotearoa New Zealand and the global society.

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:

Enrolment dates

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

StudyLink website

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.

Level
5
Credits
20
Cost

$840 NZ Domestic

$2,130 NZ International
EFTS
0.1667
Delivery type

Online only
Teaching weeks 16 weeks
Workload Approximately 13 hours per week
Prerequisites Check entry and other requirements under the qualification you are studying

This includes the types and diversity of libraries, archives, records and information centres and museums, and the types and diversity of information professionals and professional associations working in them.

This course also outlines both the history and the future of library and information organisations and the foundational beliefs and values that frame practice, including a commitment to the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

For more information watch the course introduction video below.

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to

Describe the concepts of information and the issues surrounding information in society in Aoteaora New Zealand, and globally.
Explain, compare and contrast the roles of information organisations (such as libraries, archives and records centres), and of information professionals (such as librarians, archivists and records managers).
Discuss and recognise the way professional ethics, values and foundational principles influences how library and information organisations and professionals function in society.

Course content

What is information?

Defining and identifying ‘information’
The information society
Who creates information?

Library and information organisations in society

The development of libraries, archives and recordkeeping through time, globally
The development of libraries, archives and recordkeeping in Aotearoa New Zealand
Different types of libraries and library services (including public libraries, school libraries and children’s services in public libraries, tertiary libraries, special libraries, national libraries)
Different types of archives, records and information services (including national archives, collecting and in-house archives, community archives, records centres and museums)

Library and Information organisations and professionals in society, in local, national and global contexts

Operating in a bicultural environment
Te Tiriti o Waitangi
Operating in a culturally diverse context
Operating within legal, economic and political contexts
Operating within an evolving technological context
Professional Associations
Professionalism, codes of conduct and ethics
Continuing professional development and transferable skills
Future directions: challenges and opportunities

Assessment

100% internally assessed

Textbooks

No textbooks are required for this course

Computer and internet requirements

To complete this course you will need access to a laptop or desktop computer, reliable broadband internet connection and a data plan able to support online learning such as streaming of videos (including YouTube), downloading content, and writing and submitting online assessments. If you are unsure if your current computer or internet access allows you to complete your online learning with us, please contact us before applying to enrol.

Learn more about our online learning and study tools.

How to enrol

Before enrolling in this course you need to:

choose the qualification you will study the course under
check the order that courses in the qualification should be studied in the Qualification Structure table. This is in the Choose courses and apply tab on the qualification page.

Work towards

You can do this course as part of these qualifications:

Diploma

New Zealand Diploma in Library and Information Studies (Level 5) (NZ3466)

Bachelor's Degree

Bachelor of Library and Information Studies (OP7040)

Course availability over the next 12 months

2025

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