COURSE CURRICULUM

Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Library and Information Technology diploma is a two-year program designed to prepare students for careers supporting librarians or independently managing small libraries, combining theoretical knowledge with practical, hands-on experience. In Semester 1, students develop foundational skills in interpersonal communications, critical reading and writing, library orientation, borrower and reader services, resource searching, acquisitions, and collections development, alongside site visits and cultural studies. Semester 2 builds on these skills with applied communications, advanced Microsoft Word and Excel, library marketing and public relations, introduction to reference services and archives, cataloguing, and literature studies, including young adult literature. Semester 3 provides the first work experience practicum, allowing students to apply classroom knowledge in a professional library setting. Semester 4 emphasizes subject cataloguing, information architecture, advanced resource searching, library leadership, programming, Canadian government studies, Indigenous studies, and children’s materials. Semester 5 introduces records management, storytelling, serials and multimedia cataloguing, library trends and technology, advanced resource searching, world history, and a capstone project that integrates learning across the program. Semester 6 concludes with a second work experience practicum, giving students further practical exposure. Throughout the program, students gain expertise in acquisitions, circulation, archives, reference research, cataloguing, digital and traditional library management, and public engagement, leaving graduates equipped with the technical knowledge, practical experience, and professional skills necessary to thrive in modern library and information environments.