library education: the future is now
TRANSCRIPT
Library education: the future is now!
Associate Professor Helen PartridgeCoordinator, Master of Information Management
Queensland University of Technology
Today…• Library and information science (LIS) profession in
Australia • The emergence of library 2.0 and librarian 2.0• Current state of LIS education• ALTC Fellowship exploring LIS education 2.0• Public libraries and LIS education
Be warned…there will be more questions than answers!
So you think you might like to be a librarian.
Lets take a moment to learn a little more about this career
choice.
Available from YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smrrZpbvI20
The LIS Sector in Australia• National library and 8 State and Territory Libraries• 1800 public libraries• 38 university libraries and 70 TAFE libraries• 1100 special libraries• 9500 school libraries
The LIS Workforce
Australia: 10.65 million employees
LIS sector: 29,100 library workers12,300 are librarians8,000 library technicians 8,800 library assistants
Librarians
65% are 45 or older [compared to 36% in the total workforce]
88% are 35 or more [58%]
12% are under 35 [42%]
Median age: 47
Some international LIS studies on workforce and industry
• The 8Rs Study (Canada)Canadian Library Human Resource Study
• Recruit, retain and lead (public libraries)University of Sheffield (UK)
• Learning for change: workforce development strategy Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (UK)
• A national study on the future of librarians in the workforce Institute of Museums & Library Services (IMLS) (USA)
• Other studies: eg ACRL, Colorado Association of Libraries
Some Australian studies
• Libraries of the Australian Technology Network (LATN)– Workforce and succession planning
• State Library of Victoria– Workforce sustainability and leadership project
• Collections Council of Australia– Conservation survey 2006 (human & financial
resources)• Gillian Hallam’s neXus project
– Two stages: stage 1 online survey of individual LIS professionals and stage 2 investigates workforce policies and practices in LIS institutions.
Skill and Knowledge
1. Information and society2. Ethics & legal Responsibility3. Management 4. Information organisation5. Information services6. Collection management & development7. Information resources and retrieval8. Information literacy instruction9. Information management 10. Information systems for LIS professionals11. Web content management12. Career planning skills13. Records management and archives14. Research
1. Information Literacy2. Lifelong Learning3. Teamwork4. Communication5. Ethics and Social
Responsibility6. Project Management 7. Critical Thinking8. Problem Solving9. Business Acumen10. Self Management
Partridge, H. & Hallam, G. (2004) The double helix: a personal account of the discovery of the structure of [the information
professional’s] DNA. Paper presented at Challenging Ideas, ALIA 2004 Biennial Conference, Gold Coast, Australia, September 2004.
Some Common Issues• What is library and information science?• Ageing and the retirement of senior LIS professionals• Flattening (declining?) number of LIS graduates• Increased competition from other career sectors• Less than competitive salaries• Lingering negative image of the profession• Growing anecdotal evidence about the difficulties
recruiting staff with the right specialist skills.• Skills requirement for the future workforce• What job opportunities will exist for future librarians?
“one message is clear however and applies to all staff at all levels and across the spectrum of responsibilities – whilst some staff may need a portfolio of skills, including high level IT skills, to meet the requirements of their particular function, all staff, working in today’s electronic library environment, must be comfortable working with IT” (Garrod and Sidgreaves, 1998)
Web 2.0 is changing the
nature of librarians and the
role of library and information
science professionals.
Lets consider...
Available from Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4CV05HyAbM
Library 2.0
library 2.0 has forever changed the ‘library brand’…libraries are no longer about book or event information, instead libraries are about “facilitating people to participate, interact and create, to provide the means for that to happen” (Mackenzie, 2007)
“it is essential that we start preparing to become librarian 2.0 now” (Abram, 2005)
Available from http://www.flixster.com
“in my time in library school so far we haven’t talked about web 2.0 or about library 2.0 in any specific capacity. We have used some web 2.0 technologies. I can’t say that the faculty know about these technologies or not” (Macaulay, 2007)
LIS Education in Australia
In 2005 there were:– 1539 students enrolled in postgraduate– 811 in undergraduate– 2028 in TAFE
The ‘issue’ of LIS education• “a crisis in library education” (Gorman, 2004)
• “something’s amiss with university based education for librarianship” (Harvey, 2001)
• “a fresh approach needs to be taken considering the education and development of the new information professional” (Myburgh, 2003)
• “many librarians have little firsthand experience with library education after they graduate” (Moran, 2001)
• “LIS educators can be totally out of touch with current industry practice” (Hallam, 2007)
LIS Education• Course recognition • Employment landscape • Entry into the profession via both TAFE (para
professional) and university (professional)• University qualifications can be obtained at several
levels: bachelor, graduate diploma and master degrees• LIS education is located in a broad range of faculties and
departments• 9 institutions offer ALIA recognised LIS degrees • Number of LIS academics is decreasing and ‘greying’
Library and information science education 2.0: guiding principles and models of best practice
Associate Fellowship 2008
Three observations1. Library 2.0 has changed the way
that libraries and library and information professionals do business
2. The skill and knowledge required by the library and information professional for success in the age of web 2.0 has changed (and continues to change)
3. The learning experiences of library and information students continues to be framed in disciplinary traditions that do not reflet the needs of contemporary work environment.
Aims• To establish Guiding Principles for Library
and Information Science Education 2.0– By:
• Identifying the current and anticipated skills and knowledge required by successful library and information professionals in the age of web 2.0 (and beyond)
• Establishing the current state of library and information education in Australia in supporting the development of the ‘web 2.0 professional’
• Identify models of best practice in library and information education
Activities1 September 2008 – 31 August 2009
• Stage 1: Rich picture of the skills and knowledge required by LIS professional in the web 2.0 (and beyond) age will be established.
• An audit of current LIS education in Australia and the development of case studies to showcase models of best practice.
• Guiding Principles for Library and Information Science Education 2.0 will be developed.
The Project Team• Me• Research Assistant, Julie Lee• Reference Group• Program Evaluator, Margaret
Buckridge, Griffith University• ……you!
Desired Outcomes• Curriculum renewal in LIS professional education
• Help to ensure LIS education in Australia continues to meet the changing skill and knowledge requirements of the profession is supports
• Vehicle through which LIS professionals and LIS educators may find opportunities for greater collaboration and more open communication
• LIS discipline become a role model for other disciplines STAY TUNED! A blog will be released in the next 6 weeks, with the opportunity for you to share your thoughts on librarian 2.0 and library education 2.0.
Library Education: The Future is Now!
LIS Educators
LIS Employers
LIS ProfessionalsLIS Professional
Associations
And for public libraries specifically?
• What is public library 2.0? Does it differ to special library 2.0? Academic library 2.0?
• What should the future public library workforce look like? Skills? Knowledge?
• What about non library roles? What non library skill and knowledge is needed?
• How can LIS education serve the public library more effectively?
• What skills and knowledge is required for entry level qualifications? Mid career qualifications?
• ………?
Questions, comments,
discussion?
Dr Helen Partridge
(07) 3138 9047