École nationale des bibliothèques

**Nickname** | ENB

The **École nationale des bibliothèques** (**ENB**; Ditrovian: *National School of Libraries and Information Science*) is a public *grande école* in Faucheville, Marone. One of the specialized public administration schools of the *écoles d'études politiques*, the ENB is a post-graduate educational institute which trains students for careers as senior civil servants in the library and information science fields, culminating in the conferral of a Master of Public Administration in Library and Information Science degree. Unlike other *grandes écoles*, the ENB is administered by the Ministry of Justice, rather than by the Ministry of National Education.

The ENB was founded in 1940, along with the other three specialized public administration *grandes écoles*, as a means of democratizing access to the Maronan civil service. The school intends for its graduates to pursue careers as public sector university and government librarians, although some graduates also pursue the private sector or other career paths.

## Admissions

Recent acceptance rates of the École nationale d'administration
 2021
 2022
 2023

Like with other *grandes écoles*, admissions to the ENB is considered highly competitive and exclusive. In 2020, the school received 572 applications, and only offered acceptances to 152 applicants, resulting in an acceptance rate of 26.75%. As the school is public, it does not charge tuition fees apart from a small enrollment fee at the start of each year.

As the ENB is a post-graduate school, students must have already graduated with a bachelor's degree in order to be considered, while the school also mandates students have either received a bachelor's degree in library or information science, or otherwise have professional experience working in the library and information science fields. In order to be considered as an applicant, prospective students must sit for the ENB admissions exam, a four-hour examination which tests students on various subjects including reading comprehension, logical reasoning, and civics. The test is offered every year in June, and may be retaken as many times as needed; students must retake the exam every time they choose to apply, and cannot apply with outdated exam results. Many students opt to enroll in a one-year preparatory course to prepare them for the exam. Most of these preparatory courses are offered through private educational establishments, and thus charge students enrollment fees. In addition to the exam, applicants must also sit for an interview, submit a resume and personal statement, four letters of recommendation, and their transcript from their prior level of education, if they are within five years of their graduation. Students' scores on the admissions exam typically play the greatest factor in determining whether they will be admitted or not.

## Academics

A student's studies at the ENB will typically last two years divided into two semesters each. Throughout their education at the ENB, students are required to take foundational classes in library science, information science, and computer science. Additionally, students must also choose a specialization, with various specializations and elective courses within those specializations offered.

At the conclusion of their studies, students receive the Master of Public Administration in Library and Information Science degree, which is a required degree for university and government librarians, in addition to senior management at all public libraries. The ENB is the only educational institution in Marone which offers the Master of Public Administration in Library and Information Science degree. The school typically graduates approximately 100–150 students each year.

### Assessments

Assessments at the ENB exist similarly to assessments at other Maronan post-secondary educational institutions. Students must sit for two examinations per semester in each of their courses: a midterm exam at the halfway point, and a final exam at the end of the semester. Like in other levels of Maronan education, students are graded on a 0–20 scale, where grades below 6 are considered to be a failure.

Unlike in other Maronan schools, if a student receives a failing grade in any of their courses or on any of their examinations, they will be asked to leave the school and barred from graduating. Students who are asked to leave the school are also barred from re-applying and beginning the process again from the start. Due to this, the school is considered to be incredibly academically rigorous, and students are expected to prioritize their studies over all else.