Education for a professional workforce in university libraries: challenges and developments in the UK

Professor Graham Matthews, Head of Discipline, Information Management, School of Business and

Economics, Loughborough University, England

XI International Conference on University Libraries,

Current status and trends,

6th – 8th November, UNAM, Mexico City

Session: Training and professionalization of human resources

1 mile (1.5 km) from junction 23 of the M1 motorway

close to Leicester, Nottingham & Derby

8 miles (13 km) from East Midlands International Airport with major European cities like Paris and Amsterdam

around 1 hour’s flight away 1 ½ hours by train from London, 2 hours from Leeds

and Manchester 3 hours from Newcastle and Bristol, and 5 hours

from Edinburgh

Where is Loughborough ?

Loughborough University

Loughborough University – aerial view© Loughborough University

Pilkington Library, Summer 2012

Loughborough University

School of Business and Economics – aerial view© Loughborough University

Training and professionalisation of human resources

Addressing the topic of this session is vital to success in this dynamic, global environment. People are a key asset

University libraries. Three (traditional) main roles:

Support research Support learning and teaching Scholarly resource

Impact of recent and future developments on these? Implications for education and CPD? Threats to ‘professional’ perception / status?

Training and professionalisation of human resources

Impact of technology

‘Libraries are at a turning point. As technology rapidly transforms the way we access information, and resources are increasingly available online and in digital formats, the established role of the library as a physical space housing racks of books is looking increasingly out of step with the needs of students and researchers’ (JISC, 2009)

Future looking – emerging technologies

In 2010, I listed:

blogs, wikis, RSS feeds and aggregators, podcasts, vodcasts, web conferencing, instant messaging, twitter, e-book and e-journal access, RFID issue and return of items, wi-fi, mashups, tagging, semantic web, use of Flickr, Facebook, virtual reference services, and cloud computing

Now I would add others:

Open access

Institutional repositories

MOOCs

Emerging technologies – issues and challenges

In 2010, I noted issues and challenges related to these technological advances:

Issues IT developments and services outside the library Mobile technologies E-learning; information and e-literacy

Challenges for Management Institutional priorities E-resource management Digital preservation Changes in use of space Staff attitudes to change

Emerging technologies – issues and challenges

Other challenges for management include Leadership > succession planning Converged services Shared services

Current jobs advertised suggest others

Data librarian

Online content manager / website editor

Enterprise architecture librarian

Research associate in big social data

Online information manager

Information and content developer

Digital curator

Research librarian and data specialist

E-resources manager

Research data manager and

National Library of Scotland recruits 'Wikipedian‘, BBC News Scotland, 24th April 2013 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-22264118

NMC Horizon Report – technologies to watch

2010

Mobile computing Open content Second adoption horizon –

electronic books Simple augmented reality Gesture based computing Visual data analysis From: Johnson, L., Levine, A., Smith, R., &

Stone, S. (2010). The 2010 Horizon Report. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.

http://wp.nmc.org/horizon2010/

Massively open online courses (MOOCs)

Tablet computing Games and gamification Learning analytics 3D printing Wearable technology From: Johnson, L., Adams Becker, S.,

Cummins, M., Estrada, V., Freeman, A., and Ludgate, H. (2013). NMC Horizon Report: 2013,Higher Education Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium. http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2013-horizon-report-HE.pdf

2013

Future looking – we live in a digital world

Qmee, 2013 http://blog.qmee.com/qmee-online-in-60-seconds/

Training and professionalisation of human resourcess

BUT IMPORTANTLY THERE ARE OTHER FACTORS, TOO, - it’s not just about IT Such as:

changes in student population and student expectations (increase in fees)

innovations in learning and teaching recession/financial constraints need for more

efficient and ‘greener’ buildings and services, and the use of space

Libraries of the future – role of educators

Future academic libraries - UK

Libraries of the Future (LotF) project (http://www.futurelibraries.info/content/page/scenarios-2050-0)

Shaping the future

Shaping the future

© Copyright Alan Findlay

Shaping the future - Public libraries, too

And public libraries The Arts Council. Envisioning the library of the future

a major research project undertaken by the Arts Council in 2012/13 that will help us to understand the future for libraries, and how we can enable them to develop.

http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/what-we-do/supporting-libraries/library-of-the-future/

Shaping the future

What do we need to do to educate and train the workforce?

We need even closer collaboration between university departments, employers and students / graduates

Programme content – what? Who determines? Research and enterprise feed into teaching – and workplace requirements

Mechanisms for speedy programme development and approval – without loss of quality

Continuing professional development needs now to be continuous.

Programme delivery must be flexible – when, where, how do students, employers want it? Cost/fees?

Implications for education and training - profession

Professional associations have a role too.

How can this be achieved nationally and internationally?

Professional body - CILIP

Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) Professional knowledge and skills basehttp://www.cilip.org.uk/sites/default/files/documents/Your%20Professional%20Knowledge%20and%20Skills%20Base%20brochure.pdf

Some of the ways it can be used include: for skills analysis, staff training and development plans to develop ideas for training courses and Continuing Professional

Development opportunities. as part of CILIP’s Framework of Qualifications used to assess which

academic and vocational qualifications are directly relevant to the profession.

But, CILIP membership dropping – 13,690, 2013 (over 22,000, 2005)

CILIP Academic and Research Libraries Group

Professional body - CILIP

But, CILIP membership is dropping – 13,690, 2013 (over 22,000, 2005)

CILIP Academic and Research Libraries Group

CILIP has organised an Information Management Summit – took place on 31st October, 2013

Other professional groups - university libraries

SCONUL - Society of College, National and University Libraries

RLUK – Research Libraries UK

LIBER – Ligue des Bibliothèques Européennes de Recherche (Association of European Research Libraries)

Implications for education and training - globalisation

The European Library [Portal]. Connecting knowledge http://www.theeuropeanlibrary.org/tel4/

Designed to meet the needs of the research community worldwide, our online portal offers quick and easy access to the collections of the 48 National Libraries of Europe and leading European Research Libraries.

Users can cross-search and reuse over 18,753,922 digital items and 119,625,291 bibliographic records

Implications for education and training - globalisation

The Bologna Declaration of 1999 is the basis for continuing reforms in higher education intended to support international mobility in employment within the European Union.

Johnson, I M (2013) The impact on education for librarianship and information studies of the Bologna process and related European Commission programmes – and some outstanding issues in Europe and beyond, Education for Information, 30(1/2), 63-92.

BAILER

Bailer – British Association for Information and Library Education and Research

http://www.bailer.ac.uk/

Professional body IFLA - globalisation

International Federation of Library Associations IFLA Section on Education and Training Guidelines for Professional Library/Information

Educational Programs – 2012 by Kerry Smith, Gillian Hallam and S.B. Ghosh on behalf of IFLA SET

http://www.cilip.org.uk/sites/default/files/documents/Your%20Professional%20Knowledge%20and%20Skills%20Base%20brochure.pdf

Professional body IFLA - globalisation

IFLA Section on Education and Training LIS Education in Developing Countries (SIG) Education divide? Digital divide?

Issues – recent and ongoing

Profession – unique skills / knowledge base? Competition from others especially as Google

generation come of age Fragmentation of the traditional information and

library environment Keeping our identity – are we? Information management Practice / education? In line? Job market Need more research

Implications for education and training – research needed

… paper has attempted to build on the growing, but underdeveloped area of identity in IS research. Specifically we examined how information managers are interpreting their role in the changing information landscape and the impact on their professional identity … we identified the critical need to examine the professional identities of information managers and proposed an analytical framework that provides an integrated approach for progressing the study of identity in IS research. (Hardy, C A and Williams, S p, 2012)

Tipping Point ?

Recession Competition Opportunities – new roles Training on offer- see conferences, workshops

Opportunities

Department for Business, Innovation & Skills and The Shareholder Executive. Information economy strategy, June 2013 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/information-economy-strategy

This strategy sets out a plan for government and industry to continue to work together to promote the success of the UK information economy sector. Its main themes are:

a strong, innovative information economy sector exporting UK excellence to the world

UK businesses across the economy making smart use of information technology and data

ensuring citizens benefit from the digital age underpinning the information economy in the UK

And, finally

Thank you for your attention

References

Ashcroft, L (2008) Predictions for the future world of work: challenges for information professionals, in 17th annual BOBCATSSS symposium (Bobcatsss 2009), Porto (Portugal), 28-30 January 2009. (Unpublished) [Conference Paper] http://eprints.rclis.org/12924

Broady-Preston, J (2008) Librarianship a profession for the future or a future profession? A personal review. Presentation to: The keys to time: workforce development in the 21st century, CDG National Conference 2008, Cardiff City Hall, 28th April 2008

http://www.slideshare.net/CareerDevelopmentGroup/librarianship-a-profession-for-the-future-or-a-future-profession

/

Curtis & Cartwright Consulting Ltd. Libraries of the Future. British Library/JISC/RIN/RLUK/SCONUL Libraries of the Future study (September 2009 – April 2011). http://www.futurelibraries.info/content/

References

Gorman, M (2013) The Prince’s dream, New Review of Academic Librarianship, 18(2), 114-126

Hardy, C A and Williams, S P (2012) Thinking about identities of information professionals : exploring the concept of intersectionality, ECIS (European Conference on Information Systems) 2012, ESADE Business School, Barcelona http://bas.uni-koblenz.de/bas/publications_light.nsf/5dc05d9370390c8bc12573590053bc60/2b9f3917db37e32bc1257a2900327ba9/$FILE/ECIS%202012%20Hardy%20and%20Williams.pdf

Hurst, S (2013) Current trends in UK university libraries, New Library World,114(9/10), 398-407

JISC. Libraries of the Future. 2009. JISC (Joint Information Systems Committee)

http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/publications/lotfbrochure.pdf

Johnson, I M (2013) The impact on education for librarianship and information studies of the Bologna process and related European Commission programmes – and some outstanding issues in Europe and beyond, Education for Information, 30(1/2), 63-92

References

Johnson, L., Adams Becker, S., Cummins, M., Estrada, V., Freeman, A., and

Ludgate, H. (2013) NMC Horizon Report: 2013 Higher Education Edition.

Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium. http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2013-horizon-report-HE.pdf

Matthews, G. Emerging technologies and their impact on the physical library and information services in, Kataria, Sanjay, Anbu K, John Paul, Ram, Shri (eds), Emerging Technologies and Changing Dimensions of Libraries and Information Services, 2nd International Symposium on Emerging Trends and Technologies in Libraries and Information Services, Waknaghat (HP), India, 3-5 June 2010, Jaypee University of Information Technology]. New Delhi, KBD Publication, 2010,1-6

Qmee (2013) What happens online in 60 seconds? [Infographic] http://blog.qmee.com/qmee-online-in-60-seconds/