The Simmons College Vietnamese Scholar-Librarian Program: A Model for Collaborative International LIS Education

Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science has been educating Vietnamese librarians since 1993. Students in this master's program complete coursework at the Boston campus of Simmons College and in Vietnam; this unique approach is creating a strong network of Vietnamese librarians, many of whom have emerged as leaders in the field. Recent accomplishments of Simmons's graduates include founding the Vietnamese Library Association and contributing to the Vietnamese translation of the Dewey Decimal Classification system. This article details the history and development of the Vietnamese Scholar-Librarian Program. Introduction1 The Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) Vietnamese Scholar-Librarian Program is a model for training international librarians who lack local access to modern library and information science (LIS) education. The program is designed to provide participants with the credentials and knowledge to become leaders and to focus national attention on libraries. In the initial proof-of-concept phase, between 1993 and 1996, the Harvard-Yenching Institute and the Simmons College GSLIS devised and implemented a program to educate 18 Vietnamese librarians, each of whom earned a master of library and information science degree. Previous efforts to train Vietnamese librarians by international organizations have primarily consisted of workshops in Vietnam.2 These types of programs are well-intentioned but temporary in nature and far from comprehensive. To pursue advanced training, students have to travel to Europe or the United States, where LIS programs do not necessarily address the specific issues of Vietnamese libraries. The Vietnamese Scholar-Librarian program resolves these concerns by holding classes in Boston and in Vietnam; this structures allows students to study modern library practices and explore practical applications to Vietnamese libraries. The program has continually evolved in response to participant feedback, the recommendations of the coordinators, and changing funding sources. The success of the initiative heralds a new phase of collaborative international training in librarianship. The State of Vietnamese LIS Education at the Outset of the Project Library science education has been available in Vietnam since 1959 and is presently being offered as a bachelor's program at four institutions.3 According to Simmons professor Dr. Patricia Oyler, low salaries make library science an unpopular choice; many students select it because they are unqualified to enter programs for more lucrative fields. There is a master's program, but it is only offered to those who already have an undergraduate degree in library science. Individuals who seek out librarianship as a second career, even those who express considerable interest, are unable to achieve their ambitions unless they are able to leave their jobs and pay for a second bachelor's degree. The system of education has been one of memorization and recitation, with little focus on analytical thinking. In a 1998 article, Tran Lan Anh describes the bachelor's program as being based primarily on the Soviet system of librarianship, with obsolete texts and resources. A 1991 revitalization effort brought about new courses, including "Information Retrieval and Distribution," "Introduction to Informatics," and "Automation of Library Activities," although Anh writes that the courses were "new in name only, with generally outdated content."4 At the time the article was published, the majority of the faculty had out-of-date training, with little opportunity for professional development. Inadequate funding and a dearth of detailed knowledge of modern library trends have hindered efforts to revamp the curriculum. History of the Simmons and Harvard-Yenching Program The Harvard-Yenching Institute began sponsoring Vietnamese faculty to earn master's and doctoral degrees in the United States in 1989. …