The School of Library and Information Science at Kent State University announces a new study abroad course exploring the fascinating world of international children’s literature and librarianship – in DENMARK!
From its notoriety as home of the Vikings, to its current status as home of the happiest people in the world, Denmark is famous for Hamlet, Søren Kierkegaard, Danish pastry, and leaders in architecture and design like Arne Jacobsen, Jørn Utsen, Georg Jensen, Bang & Olufsen, and Bjarne Ingels. But Denmark also has a long and solid tradition of cultural production for young people — just think of Hans Christian Andersen, Tivoli Gardens and Legoland.
[Denmark] In this academically rigorous course on international cultural production for children, Denmark will serve as a case study for such, providing students with hands-on perspectives on international children’s literature, librarianship, museums, and a view on how different cultures construct “childhood.”
The course is hybrid, combining online course delivery with face-to-face class time in Denmark. Some questions this class will address include: What does it mean to be a child in other countries compared to the United States, and as a result, what sorts of issues face professionals working in cultural production for young people—from museums and libraries, to media industries such as publishing and film? How do those issues compare to ones faced by professionals in the United States? What is similar? What is different? What can
we learn from another culture, and how will our new knowledge translate into ideas for practice in the U.S.?
Tours and seminars in Denmark will include the Royal Library School, the International Animation Workshop, Rosinante Publishers and an independent children’s bookseller, visit to Helsingør (Hamlet’s castle) and the ministry of culture, and tours of a selection of Danish children’s libraries. Students will also visit Tivoli gardens, possibly take a ferry to Sweden, and visit several museums.
The course will be led by SLIS Assistant Professor Marianne Martens, Ph.D. Prior to entering academe, Martens worked in international children’s publishing and librarianship for more than a dozen years. She received a master’s in library and information science from the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois and a doctorate in 2012 from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.
“While most of the class will be online, we will meet for seven to 10 days in Denmark,” Martens said. “Some of the activities will include visiting the Royal Library School and a range of libraries, a publishing company where we’ll meet Danish authors and illustrators, and an animation school, where we’ll learn about transmedia storytelling. As a case study within the vast field of international children’s literature and librarianship, because of its child-centric culture, Denmark presents interesting and rich points of comparison with the United States.” Martens is originally from Denmark; she attended elementary schools and high schools in Switzerland, Scotland, Denmark and the United States.
Additional Details:
Hybrid course: Combines online course delivery with face-to-face class time in Denmark. Three credit hours.
Offered: Summer 2014 (approximate dates in Denmark are June 4 to 15).
Estimated costs:
Program fees (including lodging, venue admission, internal travel, and a cell phone with minutes): $2,300
Travel to and from Denmark from Ohio (less from East Coast): Approximately $1,500
Total estimate = $3,800 PLUS tuition
Tuition (3-credits, graduate level, based on Academic Year 2013-2014 - may change slightly): In State: $1,425, out-of–state: $2,451.
Not included: food and incidentals. (Approximately $60 per day for food should be adequate.)
The School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) at Kent State University has the only American Library Association-accredited Master of Library and Information Science (M.L.I.S.) degree program in Ohio, offering courses in Kent, Columbus (State Library of Ohio) and through a fully online option. SLIS also offers a Master of Science in Information Architecture and Knowledge Management and participates in an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in the College of Communication and Information. The school is recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of the nation’s top 20 LIS graduate programs, with a youth librarianship program that is ranked 10th. It is one of the largest programs in the country, with more than 600 students enrolled. For more information, visit www.kent.edu/slis.