MLIS AUSTRALIA @ ABU DHABI LIBRARIANS NETWORK FORUM
1. MLIS in Australia
Dr. Janet Martin
Back to School Forum - ABCs of MLIS
Qualifications: A Global Perspective
January, 2014.
2.
3. 1. How do LIS programs prepare
graduates for the changing demands
of the industry/workforce?
“Everything sort of looks
the same,
but everything has changed.”
Michelle Rabinowitz, a producer at MTV News (from OCLC)
4. A summary of the international
Library Environment
ALA, ACRL
OCLC Research
JISC (UK)
PEW Research Center (US)
RLUK
EDUCAUSE (ECAR Reports)
... and numerous conferences, including LIDA
5. A summary of the international
library environment
* Changes to information
* Changes to general characteristics of
younger scholars
* Characteristics of researchers as they
affect library services
6. A summary of the international discussion
on
library education and the role of librarians
ALA 2008 Standards (being revised)
SLA 2003 Competencies for Information
Professionals
Librarian 2.0 competencies –
many articles/authors
7. A summary of the international discussion
on
library education and the role of librarians
Archivist
Curator
Records manager
Librarian
Data researcher/
data manager
Research officer
Information consultant/
information manager
Knowledge broker
Library educator
Web manager
Program manager
Metadata manager/
metadata professional
Systems librarian
Information architect
8. A summary of the international discussion
on
library education and the role of librarians
• Managers of information, organizations,
resources, services
• Appliers of information tools and technologies.
• Skillful in project management, marketing,
research, teaching
• User focused
• Personal competencies (communication skills,
teamwork, collaboration, problem solving)
9. A summary of the international discussion
on
library education and the role of librarians
“Library 2.0 requires an LIS
professional that is better equipped
and [more] broadly educated than one
just ten years ago.”
Feng, n.d., Special Libraries Association (SLA)
10. A summary of the international discussion
on
library education and the role of librarians
“[IFLA, 2000] point out that in the
past educational programs have focused on
physical collections and other physical
materials. Today, the emphasis is on the
individual practitioner and on information
provision in a variety of contexts.”
Gerolimos (2009)
11. 2.
Characteristics of the program
that make it unique. What are focus
areas of the programs?
Framework for the Education of
Information Professionals In
Australia
Developed from an Australia-wide research project
undertaken 2010-2012. Partridge et al (2011)
12.
13. 3.
How has the program evolved
since the early days ( 70s or 80s)
3.1 Program evolution
Multiple qualification pathways:
Professional qualifications are obtained from
higher education: Bachelor, Graduate Diploma, or
Masters level
Paraprofessional qualifications obtained from the
Vocational Education and Training sector (VET).
3.2 Program length and Costs
14.
15. 5.
Why is the degree necessary or
important to the region?
5.1 Accreditation
Need for parity of qualification to support
international mobility.
Increasing interest in international LIS collaboration.
5.2 Role of Professional Associations
Issues of standards and quality for the curriculum
across courses and states
Changing nature of the profession broadens the
professional associations involved.
16. References – LIS in Australia
Dr. Janet Martin January 2014.
Abels, E., Jones, R., Latham, J., Magnoni, D., & Gard Marshall, J. (2003). Competencies for information professionals of the 21st
century: Revised edition, June 2003 (pp. 1-17). Virginia, USA: Special Libraries Association.
Association of College and Research Libraries. (2006). Changing roles of academic and research libraries Retrieved 27 February,
2013, from http://www.ala.org/acrl/issues/value/changingroles
Auckland, M. (2012). Re-skilling for research. London: Research Libraries UK (RLUK).
Connaway, L., Dickey, T., & OCLC Research. (2010). The digital information seeker: Report of the findings from selected OCLC, RIN,
and JISC user behaviour projects. Bristol, UK: JISC.
Dahlstrom, E., deBoor, T., Grunwald, P., & Vockley, M. (2011). ECAR national study of undergraduate students and information
technology 2011. Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research.
Drake, M. A. (2010). Academic Library Challenges. Searcher, 18(9), 17-21,52-53,55.
Feijen, M. (2011). What researchers want. Utrecht, Netherlands: Surf Foundation.
Feltes, C., Gibson, D., Miller, H., Norton, C., & Pollock, L. (2012). Envisioning the future of scientific research libraries: A discussion
(White Paper). Cold Spring Harbor, New York: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
Gerolimos, M. (2009). Skills developed through library and information science education. Library Review, 58(7), 527-540. doi:
10.1108/00242530910978217
Hendrix, J. (2010). Checking out the future: Perspectives from the library community on information technology and 21st century
libraries. Washington, DC: American Library Association.
17. References – LIS in Australia
Dr. Janet Martin January 2014.
Libraries in the Digital Age (LIDA ) annual conferences http://ozk.unizd.hr/lida/
Michalko, J., Malpas, C., & Arcolio, A. (2010). Research libraries, risk and systemic change OCLC Research. Dublin, OH: OCLC
Research.
Oakleaf, M. (2010). The value of academic libraries: A comprehensive research review and report. Chicago, IL: ACRL.
Partridge, H., Hanisch, J., Hughes, H., Henninger, M., Carroll, M., Combes, B., . . . Yates, C. (2011). Re-conceptualising and repositioning Australian library and information science education for the 21st century (pp. 161). Sydney: Australian Learning
& Teaching Council.
Partridge, H., Lee, J., & Munro, C. (2010). Becoming "Librarian 2.0": The skills, knowledge, and attributes required by library and
information science professionals in a Web 2.0 world (and beyond). Library Trends, 59(1-2), 315-335.
Partridge, H., & Yates, C. (2012). A framework for the education of the information professions in Australia. Australian Library
Journal, 61(2), 81-94.
Smith, A. (2008). The research library in the 21st century: Collecting, preserving and making accessible resources for scholarship.
Core functions of the research library in the 21st century. Washington DC: Council on Library and Information Resources
Smith, K., Hallam, G., & Ghosh, S. B. (2012). Guidelines for professional library/information educational programs: 2012. The
Hague, Netherlands: IFLA.
Zickuhr, K., Rainie, L., & Purcell, K. (2013). Library services in the digital age. Washington, DC: PEW Research Center.
Zimerman, M. (2012). Digital natives, searching behavior and the library. New Library World, 113(3/4), 174-201.
Editor's Notes
THANKSVanessa Middleton, Petroleum Institute – impetus for important communication, collaboration and problem solving!Dr Jassim and AUE for hospitality.Nedap, Event SponsorWorked for 15 years as librarian in Australia – public libraries, state libraries, government departments. Not since 1993. In 20 years things have moved on….
Worked in a university where kangaroos were commonly eating grass around the library building…Sunshine Coast University – a great part of the world!
Vanessa has asked us to answer specific questions relating to our country of interest:So, what IS the changing LIBRARY ENVIRONMENT internationally and what does a LIBRARIAN look like in the 21st century?We must look internationally because….. Context, globalization, mobility of the workforce – look at us here in the UAE!REF for quotation: http://www.oclc.org/content/dam/research/publications/library/2010/2010-03.pdf?urlm=162937
LIDA – Libraries in the Digital AgeReferences available at the end of this session.
Changes to informationThe digital revolution shows no signs of slowing.Technological advances have changed existing forms of information – increasing amounts of information - varied and digitizedChanges to general characteristics of younger scholarsDigital learners look for self-directed and collaborative learningIncreasing (above 50%) American teenagers are content creatorsImmediate access to information from the desktop is taken for grantedMobile connection to technology is risingCharacteristics of researchers as they affect library servicesIncreasing need for academic librarians to become embedded within the whole research lifecycle – requires subject specialization and different skill sets (e.g. Understanding research grants/managing collaboration)Less people physically visit the libraryAll information seekers looking for more functionality in library systems (seamless access to resources)
International research and discussion papersProfessional associations and peak bodies
ROLE OF THE LIBRARIAN IN THE 21STCENTURY?Job titles from analysis of job advertisements, and reference to the literatureNOTE re Anne Wolpert, Library Manager at MIT in SLA 2013 said to me “we don’t hire any librarians now who can’t code”
ROLE OF THE LIBRARIAN IN THE 21STCENTURY?Managers – not everyone is a managerAppliers of technologies – MUST be aware.Skills – Broad, flexible and changing.Be user focused - Establish partnerships of equality– both bring something to the table! Both librarians and users have the ability/responsibility to create content (e.g. tagging in catalogs)Personal competencies - Personality traits more important than skills??Librarians must collaborate – work as a team. Build relationships outside the library context.
ROLE OF THE LIBRARIAN IN THE 21STCENTURY?What is Librarian 2.0? All about technology?Boundaries between IT professional and LIS professional rapidly narrowing.Less to do with technology and more to do with quality transferrable skills and interpersonal abilities? The value in being a “technology translator” rather than in-depth practitioner (a bridge translating the techno –geek),I would say that to understand research and the important partnerships that librarians can forge with researching faculty is probably more important, especially in higher education, but that’s up for debate Intertwining of the changing roles of librarians and library patrons – a need for collaboration and partnership rather than a service relationship. To do this, librarians have to offer relevant and important skills e.g. research knowledgeSome would say that teaching and IL is the most important role....REF for quotation: http://units.sla.org/division/dpht/division_info/travel-presentations/feng_essay.pdf
LIS EDUCATION in the 21st CENTURY Some of the issues identified…Now a much faster pace of change- Dynamic curricula for the demands of an increasingly broad and diverse employment landscape.Now everyone needs a range of new skills and traits, not just some.Competition with other disciplines involved in the management of informationIssue of aging LIS educators worldwide– In a major recent Australian study of LIS academics, almost 56% were at least 50 years old, and less than 5% were 30 years old or younger.Are they out of touch with new skills? Too far removed from practical application? Not savvy enough with technology?Ongoing PD is needed! Quotation from: Gerolimos, M. (2009). Skills developed through library and information science education. Library Review, 58(7), 527-540. doi: 10.1108/00242530910978217, p.527.
Makes my job easier! Evidence-based recommendations.Research included LIS students, workforce and educators. Data collection involved mixed methods.
Characteristics of the programsGreat diversity of LIS professional program content – interesting to note student recommendations for content and skillsFrom:Partridge, H., Hanisch, J., Hughes, H., Henninger, M., Carroll, M., Combes, B., . . . Yates, C. (2011). Re-conceptualising and re-positioning Australian library and information science education for the 21st century (pp. 161). Sydney: Australian Learning & Teaching Council. P.39
Program Evolution Multiple qualification pathways (TABLE NEXT SLIDE)Boundaries between professional and para-professional roles within the industry have blurred over time.Traditional employment landscape is extensive – academic, school, public, state, national libraries (all strongly supported in Australia). Special libraries and information centers (law, health, medicine)…More recently, e-landscape has led to the creation of new employment opportunities e.g. knowledge management, records management, content and data management, web development… need for LIS graduates to be equipped with a new range of transferrable skills?Call for high level of theoretical knowledge, and a demand for practical skills.Program length and costsCosts vary between Australian nationals and international students. Around A$30,000 for Australian nationals to complete a Masters Program.Masters courses 1.5 (more common) – 2 years full time.
Multiple qualification pathways:VERY FEW Masters by Research or PhD course offered – implications for research support skills for academics, and for researching ability of LIS professionals both as educators and as workers in the field – therein lies academic credibility!From:Partridge, H., Hanisch, J., Hughes, H., Henninger, M., Carroll, M., Combes, B., . . . Yates, C. (2011). Re-conceptualising and re-positioning Australian library and information science education for the 21st century (pp. 161). Sydney: Australian Learning & Teaching Council. P.22
DEALT WITH IN OTHER PAPER - Here in the UAE standards have not been established – how would you convince the ministry of its importance? AccreditationRegarded as an important issue – authenticated standards provided by professional associations.“If it’s not accredited it’s pretty useless.” P89Participation with Quality Assurance Agencies (UK, Bologna, Europe)Professional AssociationsThe Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) has been the dominant professional association to review curriculum and recognize courses “allowing” graduates to achieve professional status. … now multi-disciplinary nature of the profession has meant consideration of other professional associations e.g. Australian Society of Archivists, Australian Computer Society, Records and Information Management Professionals Australiasia. Issues of standards and quality for the curriculum – pathways to employment are and will continue to broaden.
