Cross‐country partnerships in European library and information science: education at the crossroads

Formal and informal links between LIS schools in Europe exist. The EU’s SOCRATES programme, the NORDPLUS scheme, and professional bodies offer frameworks for communication as well as European LIS education projects and networking activities. Besides increased communication and networking efforts there are few results, some progress can be noted, but visible effects of partnerships and networking in the LIS academic community are difficult to identify. The Bologna Declaration also has implications for the European LIS academic world. Consideration is given to how the recommendations of the declaration can be fleshed out in a LIS educational context. However, progress within the LIS educational community in terms of co‐operation and co‐ordinated curriculum development appears meagre. Active co‐operation and networking efforts within the European LIS education world must be initiated.