MA Library and Archive Studies

The MA in Library and Archive Studies is taught in collaboration with The University of Manchester Library (UML). This is major multi-site research library with National Research Library status. It includes the stunning John Rylands Research Institute and Library with its world-leading collections of archives and rare books and cutting-edge digital practices. The Library has close links to research and teaching through the John Rylands Research Institute and Library and the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures. These relationships give students on the MA in Library and Archive Studies the opportunity to engage with a wealth of academic specialisms closely linked to Library and Archive Studies, in addition to benefitting from broad-ranging core courses centred on working with special collections.This MA focuses on contemporary practices in collection-led librarianship and archival studies. It provides unique curriculum-based access to world leading special collections and comparative cultural institutions alongside a strong professional practice element in collaboration with UML staff. Course delivery includes core courses in librarianship and archive studies, optional work placements in a variety of library and collections-based fields and linked dissertations. In addition, students are offered a choice of optional courses in a variety of specialist topics linked to digital practices, archives management, rare books curation, conservation, exhibition design and the social and inter-community impact of research libraries, as well as units linked to a variety of research specialisms within the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures such as in book history and palaeography.

We normally expect students to have a First or Upper Second class honours degree (or its overseas equivalent) or at least one years’ experience in a research focused archive or library setting