Librarian 2.0
The future of library education
and the 2.0 organization
Meredith Farkas
Norwich University

What is the purpose
of LIS education?

“The mission of the LIS Program is
to educate individuals for careers
as librarians and information
specialists and to undertake
instruction, research and service
programs that meet current and
emerging library, information and
technology needs.”
-University of Hawaii, Manoa

So, how are we
doing?

Do you feel your LIS curriculum
prepared you for your work in
libraries?
Yes No
60
45
30
15
0
This question was asked of librarians who graduated from 1998-2008

“One of the big indicators
on library education was
that I felt I had to take an
MPA to get the required
skills to do work in a
public library.”

What topic do you think should be
taught as part of the LIS curriculum
that wasn’t in your program?
Management
Web 2.0/Emerging Tech
Instruction
Web design/Programming
Conflict Mgmt/Customer Service
Project Management
Hands-on Tech/Troubleshooting
Marketing
Assessment
Futuring/Keeping Up
0 7.5 15.0 22.5 30.0

“I think there should have
been more emphasis on
library instruction and
teaching ... The majority
of my day-to-day library
work is related to
instruction and I’m
basically going on my
instinct.”

What topic do you think should be
taught as part of the LIS curriculum
that wasn’t in your program?
Management
Web 2.0/Emerging Tech
Instruction
Web design/Programming
Conflict Mgmt/Customer Service
Project Management
Hands-on Tech/Troubleshooting
Marketing
Assessment
Futuring/Keeping Up
0 7.5 15.0 22.5 30.0

“Customer service. Everyone
comes into the field being smart,
excited at the thought of
uncovering information, loving
books, etc. But too few
professionals come in wanting to
help people. I think MLS students
need the ability to see the library
through their patrons' eyes rather
than through a librarian’s eyes.”

What topic do you think should be
taught as part of the LIS curriculum
that wasn’t in your program?
Management
Web 2.0/Emerging Tech
Instruction
Web design/Programming
Conflict Mgmt/Customer Service
Project Management
Hands-on Tech/Troubleshooting
Marketing
Assessment
Futuring/Keeping Up
0 7.5 15.0 22.5 30.0

“I think the more serious
threat to our profession is
the poor job we’ve been
doing in the last decade or
so about getting our
message out.”

What topic do you think should be
taught as part of the LIS curriculum
that wasn’t in your program?
Management
Web 2.0/Emerging Tech
Instruction
Web design/Programming
Conflict Mgmt/Customer Service
Project Management
Hands-on Tech/Troubleshooting
Marketing
Assessment
Futuring/Keeping Up
0 7.5 15.0 22.5 30.0

Being a Librarian in
a 2.0 World

So what is library 2.0?

Web 1.0: Democratized
Access to Information

Web 2.0: Democratized
Participation

Revolutionary or evolutionary?
http://www.davidleeking.com/2007/08/24/library-20-ripples-another-go-at-the-graph/

What is different now?

Technology has enabled
us to do so much more

but we’re no longer the
only game in town.

Library 2.0 is a
state of mind
•Working to meet changing user needs
•Trusting our users (radical trust)
•Getting rid of the culture of perfect
•Aware of emerging technologies and
opportunities
•Looking outside of the library world for
applications, opportunities, inspiration

Skills of
Librarians 2.0

Understand their users

Keep Up

Aren’t afraid of
taking risks

Are Agile

Question Everything

Able to look at new technologies
and services with a critical eye

Don’t give up easily

Market Ideas and
Communicate Effectively

Build their Networks

Create Partnerships

If this is what
librarians need to be
successful, shouldn’t
they be taught in
library school?

What skills and competencies are
most important for librarians to
have today?
Technology Skills
Customer Service Skills
Openness to Change/Flexibility
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Curiosity/Creativity/Innovative
Management Skills
Teaching Skills
Search Skills
Marketing Skills
0 12.5 25.0 37.5 50.0

“It’s not so much specific
skills as a way of looking
at things, a lack of
fearfulness about trying
different tools... For me,
it’s just as important, if not
more, to have the librarian
mindset as to have the
individual skills.”

Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills
• Customer service
• Technology skills skills/people skills
• Management skills • Openness to change/
flexibility
• Teaching skills
• Commitment to
• Search skills continuous learning
• Marketing skills • Curiosity, creativity,
innovative spirit

How do you teach
the “soft skills?”
• Integrate them into already existing
classes.
• Make it clear that these are critical skills
for success in the profession.
• Methods for teaching soft skills
• hands-on activities
• role-playing
• case study analysis

You can’t cover
everything in a 36 -
43 credit-hour
program.

“I answered yes because
the internship required by
my program is what was
most useful by far. So it
was not really the
academic part of the
program that prepared
me but that practical
part.”

“We will never attract
innovators to the
profession if we don’t offer
them the sort of work
environment where they
can satisfy their need for
experimentation and
creativity.”

Thanks!
mgfarkas@gmail.com
AIM: librarianmer
Slides available at
http://meredithfarkas.wetpaint.com

Photo Credits
• Digitage Web 2.0 http://flickr.com/photos/oceanflynn/315385916/
by ocean.flynn
• Library 2.0 Meme Map http://flickr.com/photos/gbierens/
178568449/ by Gerard Bierens
• Gold Coast Marathon 018 http://flickr.com/photos/
tk_five_0/680775822/ by Michael Dawes
• Dewey or don't we? http://flickr.com/photos/scampion/
1500054745/ By scampion
• Self Portrait with Glass http://flickr.com/photos/
45097561@N00/439046462/ By Jacob Whitaker
• RISK #2 http://flickr.com/photos/tollaksen/967960/ by Bjornar
• Don’t Give Up http://flickr.com/photos/gokrzy/372381525/ by K0P
• IMG_2016.JPG http://flickr.com/photos/stevenjude/848723658/ by
stevenjude
• sunny day http://flickr.com/photos/iamthebestartist/2226165685/
by jessamyn