Abstract:
This paper attempts to provide a brief description of the history of Ethiopia, its language, script and libraries during the past 2000 years. Only church and monastery libraries and some personal royal collections were identified during this period. Among personal royal collections, Emperor Tewodros Magdala Library is the most important and famous library. Now-a-days Ethiopia has the fastest growing economy in Africa with gross domestic product (GDP) growth rates averaging 10 percent over the past decade. Between 2004 and 2017, GDP per capita grew more than fivefold. Ethiopian education system expanded rapidly in the decades after the overthrow of the Derg in 1991. The higher education sector, has come a long way since its humble beginning. The history of Library and Information Science (LIS) education in Ethiopia, has been traced since its inception in 1959. LIS professionals and educators in developing countries have a keen awareness of the problems besetting the profession. In this paper an attempt has been made to know about hierarchical development of Library and information education since 1959. In this modern information era, there is need and awareness to know about information and information centers especially in the process of research, initiation from all sides including government of Federal Republic of Ethiopia. Case studies of different universities, departments of Library and Information Science have taken and discussed about their development since their inception. Application of new technologies in relation to these departments, their organization and administration, staff pattern, course and curriculum structure, implementation steps have suggested.
