湘潭大學圖書館1977年面向湘潭市圖書情報機構創辦專職培訓班,1978年與湖南大學圖書館合作開展圖書館學本科教育。1980年湘潭大學受湖南省文化局委托,開設兩年制圖書館學專業大專訓練班,并于當年春季正式招收73名在職干部。1983年湘潭大學籌備成立圖書館學系,相繼于1984年、1985年招收全日制專科生與本科生。1982年開展全省檔案培訓的檔案學專業,1987年從歷史系轉入圖書情報系(籌)。1993年圖書情報系更名信息管理系,1998年成立以圖書情報與檔案管理一級學科為基礎的管理學院(2007年改稱公共管理學院)。湘潭大學業已建立的圖書情報與檔案管理學科群,是全國創辦較早、湖南省唯一且學科建制完整的一級學科。

Xiangtan University Library held a business training class for the library and information institutions in Xiangtan city in 1977. It also founded an undergraduate library science program in cooperation with the Hunan University Library in 1978. Commissioned by the Hunan Provincial Department of Culture,Xiangtan University started to offer a 2-year college training course for library science in 1980. 73 in-service library staff were officially recruited in the spring of this year. The Xiangtan University made preparation for the establishment of a Department of Library Science in 1983. Full-time junior college students and undergraduate students were recruited in 1984 and 1985 respectively. On the other hand,the History Department had been providing archival training from 1982.In 1987, the archives science was transferred to the Library and Information Department. The Library and Information Department was renamed to the Department of Information Management in 1993. Then, the Management School was established in 1998 covering library science,information science,archives science,etc.Subsequently, the Management School was renamed to the School of Public Administration in 2007. Xiangtan University not only established the library, information and archives management programs early,but also it is the only institution that can provide comprehensive courses on these first-level subjects in Hunan Province today.