ALA March 2017 Webinar

1. Library and Information Experts
Succeeding in the 21st Century
Competencies, Careers, and Successful Practice
Educating students in library and information studies
for these critical new competencies
March 29, 2017

2. Educate to Innovate:
Re-visioning Library and
Information Science Education
Eileen G. Abels Simmons College
Lynne C. Howarth University of Toronto
Linda C. Smith University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign

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During the event, our scribe, Sita Magnuson, created improvisational
infographics that captured some of the ideas we’d discussed in a visual
form.

4. Overview of the project
• Brought together 50+ leaders in diverse information and related
professions to envision our information future and how to educate for
it
• Carried out proofs of concepts that came out of the conversations
• Prepare faculty to teach in the future
• Introduce innovative pedagogy
• Recruit widely
• Dispel the stereotype: Emphasize what is “cool”
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5. Data Gathering at NELA 2015 and IFLA 2016
•What knowledge, skills, and abilities will be
required for your information professionals to
help your organization achieve its goals over the
next five years?
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6. Knowledge, skills, & abilities
Identified at NELA 2015, reinforced by vote at IFLA 2016
Critical thinking 40 Flexibility 29
Technology 36 Understanding social issues and
social change
28
Data analysis 33 Entrepreneurial attitude 25
Advocacy, political
engagement
31 Interdisciplinary approaches 22
Leadership 31 Rapid responsiveness to
community concerns
17
Teaching 30 Space planning 13
Marketing 30 Graphic design 7
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7. Knowledge, skills, & abilities
Identified and voted on at IFLA 2016
Change management 28 Ability to relearn 10
Research methods 20 Open science 9
Design thinking 17 Teamwork communication 9
Project management 17 Managing, organizing info 8
Scholarly communication 15 Listening 8
Diversity and inclusion 15 Collaboration 8
Cultural competencies 14 Born digital resources &
preservation
7
Copyright 13 Problem-solving skills 7
Foreign languages 11 Partnership development &
management
6
Innovation 11
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8. • Design curricula focused on innovation, continuous learning and
critical engagement within a global diverse context.
• Prepare reflective professionals
• Encourage innovative thinking:
• Don’t tell students what a library is, ask them what it can be (Jeffery Schnapp,
Harvard metaLab).
• Avoid “this is how we have always done it.”
• Integrate design thinking
• Help students to understand the challenges ahead and to keep
pace with the rate of change
• Educate for the future, not the present
• Prepare graduates to successfully lead and shape our information
future
What does this mean for LIS Education (1)?
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9. • Break down silos in academe, bringing a multi-
disciplinary approach
• Offer collaborative programs
• Share curriculum and faculty
• Ensure that LIS educators stay ahead of trends that are
shaping our information world
• Provide opportunities for faculty fellow residencies
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What does this mean for LIS education (2)?

10. • Recipients of MS-LIS have many options outside of libraries
and archives where there is a need to:
• Organize, retrieve, and package information
• Utilize skills in knowledge management and competitive intelligence
• Participate on data science teams
• Conduct research
• Organizations include:
• Government agencies
• Non-profits
• Entrepreneurial start-ups
• Health Sciences Institutions
• Financial Entities, for-Profit companies
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New Opportunities for Librarians

11. Project Output: Raise
Awareness
• Beyond the Stacks: Innovative careers in
Library and Information Science podcast
• Promote awareness of the “cool”
careers one can pursue with a Master’s
degree in LIS both within and beyond
libraries
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12. • User Experience Research
(Mozilla)
• Data Librarian (Canadian Research
Knowledge Network)
• Library Futurologist (American
Library Association)
• Electronic Records Archivist (Gates
Foundation)
• Director of Scholarly
Communications (Microsoft
Research)
• Curator for History of Science &
Technology Collections (Stanford
University)
• Web Developer (Boston Public
Library)
• Librarian Entrepreneur (Creator and
Director of LibraryBox)
• News Researcher (Tampa Bay
Times)
• Community and Content Associate
(tumblr)
• Communications Manager
(Creative Commons)
• Content Discovery Manager
(Boston Public Library)
• Taxonomist (Etsy.com)
• Library Supervisor and Prison
Services Coordinator (Free Library
of Philadelphia)
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Beyond the Stacks: Episodes
Sept 2015 – March 2017

13. Project Website:
http://slis.simmons.edu/blogs/ourinformationfuture/
Beyond the Stacks:
http://beyondthestacks.info/
Unbound
Library futures unfettered: A blog
http://slis.simmons.edu/blogs/unbound/2016/10/21/whatmak
eslibrary_designthinking/
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For more information: