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Employment requirements & challenges of LIS graduates in public libraries in KZN, South Africa

By

Mpilo S Mthembu and Dennis N Ocholla

mpilomthembu55@gmail.com; ochollad@unizulu.ac.za

Department of Information Studies

University of Zululand, South Africa

Overview

• Background of the study

• Problem and purpose

• Research questions

• Methodology

• Results and discussions

• Conclusions and recommendations

• References

Background of the study• Yadav and Bankar (2016) consider these skills to be “employability skills”.• Raju (2017) refers to those skills as competencies.• A range of employability skills are normally acquired through formal

education e.g. universities and colleges. • While some of these education requirements can be achieved through

formal education, a lot more can be obtained through informal and continuing education.

• The LIS education sector plays a major role in equipping students with the required employability skills for the LIS market.

• Keevey and Higgs (2010: 690 ) states that “We seek an education that can enable people to bring rich collective experiences and abilities to the field”.

• The curricula offered by LIS schools need to be aligned with what is required in the LIS job market.

Categories of the LIS sectorOcholla and Shongwe (2013)

South African libraries• LIS transformation charter (2014) highlights the following libraries in

South Africa:

• National Library with 2 campuses based in Pretoria and Cape Town

• Legal Deposit Libraries – 5

• Public & Community Libraries – 1800 - MAJORITY

• Higher Education Libraries – 23

• School Libraries – of the 25 145 schools only 1817 have functioningschool libraries

• Special libraries (Govt. libraries – 79 and SA Library for the Blind)

KZN provincial public libraries

Theory• The present study used the Core Competency Theory (Selznick, 1957).

• The theory of Core Competency was used in the related studies e.g., Raju (2016) and Raju (2017) and significantly succeeded to determine the LIS professional competencies for the academic sector in South Africa.

• The present study used this theory to determine job requirements in terms of qualifications, experience, knowledge, skills and attitudes as needed by public libraries from LIS graduates/ professionals.

• This theory significantly determine if the LIS education sector is effectively preparing the LIS professionals with the needed and ever changing competencies for the public library job market as one sub-sector forming the LIS market

Problem and purpose• Shortage of skills and lack of training (Library and Information

Services (LIS) Transformation Charter, 2009; Library and Information Services (LIS) Transformation Charter, 2014; Mphidi, 2016).

• Drastic changes in the LIS job profile (Ocholla and Bothma, 2007; Minishi-Majanja, 2009; A G20 training strategy, 2011; Ocholla and Shongwe, 2013; Shongwe, 2014; the LIS Charter, 2014).

• The study is aimed at investigating job requirements of the LIS graduates by public libraries in KZN

Research questions (RQs)

• What are the job functions and requirements of LIS graduates in public libraries based on qualifications, experience, knowledge, skills and attitudes?

• What are the perceptions of employers and LIS graduates on the job requirements of the sector?

• What are the perceptions of LIS graduates and employers about the LIS curriculum?

• What challenges do LIS graduates face with regards to their functions in the workplace?

Research methodology

Results & discussions

Newspapers scanned

Academic qualifications

Qualification gap/ mismatch

57%35%

8%

No

Yes

No response

Work experience

Knowledge requirements

From participants

Skills

A need for new skills

51%41%

8%

Yes

No

No response

AttitudesAttitudes Frequency Percentage (%)

Honesty/trustworthiness 3 8%

positivity 3 8%

Flexibility/adaptability 3 8%

Time-management/punctuality 2 5%

Reliable 1 3%

Patience 1 3%

Eager to learn 1 3%

Good work ethics 1 3%

humbleness 1 3%

Considerate and understanding 1 3%

Respect for others 1 3%

A need for new attitudes

19%

65%

16%

Yes

No

No response

Means for acquiring needed competencies

39%

29%

11%

3%0% 18% training

workshops

mentorships

contacts

other

No response

A need for LIS curricula revision

43%

35%

19%

3%

Yes

No

Not sure

No response

Challenges facing LIS graduates

The use and management of ICTs

LIS institutions dwelling much on the theoretical aspect of

the curriculum offered.

Lack of skills and training programmes.

Conclusions

Majority (85%) of the jobs require job experience of 1-3 years

Knowledge requirements /advertised in the sector does not match with what LIS

schools offer

There is strong demand for generic skills particularly computer literacy and

communication skills

There is a mismatch between qualification and job requirements(57%)

There is still need for new skills(51%). However the skill gap at the job is

insignificant(41%)

No balance(70%) between theory and practice.

There is need for curriculum review (43%).

LIS graduates seem to face a number of challenges including The use and

management of ICTs; LIS institutions dwelling much on the theoretical aspect of the curriculum offered; and Lack of skills and training programmes.

Recommendations

Regular curriculum review and revision in order to meet the rapidly changing information access and user needs.

Duration of experiential learning should be longer than it is at the moment and service learning should be encouraged through voluntarism.

Employment of staff without tertiary qualification in LIS in public libraries requires a review by LIASA and other stakeholders involved.

Development and promotion of continuing education through job training, short courses and workshops.

Public library competency checklist.

Public library competency checklist

Note: 1=Poor; 2=Fair; 3=Good; 4=Very good; 5=Excellent decisive judgement

The End

Thank you

References

• Mthembu, M.S. (2019). Job Requirements and Challenges of LIS Graduates in Public Libraries: A literature Review (under review in Library Philosophy and Practice Journal).

• Mphidi, H. H. (2016). Strategy for South African public libraries to bridge the digital divide (Doctoral dissertation, University of Pretoria).

• Mthembu and Ocholla. (2019). Job requirements and challenges of LIS graduates in public libraries in South Africa. (Master’s thesis).University of Zululand. South Africa.

• Ocholla, D., & Shongwe, M. (2013). An analysis of the library and information science (LIS) job market in South Africa. South African Journal of Libraries and Information Science, 79(1), 35-43.

• Raju, J. (2016, August). Core competencies in LIS education: Professional, generic and personal competencies for the higher education LIS sector. In World Library and Information Congress 82nd IFLA General Conference and Assembly Satellite Meeting Co-organized by the Section on Education and Training and Section on Library Theory and Research, The Conference Centre at OCLC, Dublin, Ohio, USA (Vol. 10).

• Raju, J. (2017). LIS professional competency index for the higher education sector in South Africa.

• Raju, J. 2014. Curriculum content and delivery: South African LIS education responses to a changing information landscape. Paper presented at the 75 Years Commemoration Conference: LIS Education and Research in a Dynamic Information Landscape, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 27-28 November 2014 (to be published as conference proceedings).

• Raju. J. (2015). Curriculum content and delivery: South African LIS education responses to a changing information landscape. In LIS education and research in a dynamic information landscape. C. Bitso & R. Raju, Eds. Cape Town: University of Cape Town Libraries. 21-30. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15641/0-7992-2526-6.

• Robles, M. M. (2012). Executive perceptions of the top 10 soft skills needed in today’s workplace. Business Communication Quarterly, 75(4), 453-465.

• Selznick, P. (1957). Leadership in administration: a sociological interpretation. New York: Harper 7 Row.

Yadav, A. K., & Bankar, P. D. (2016). Employment opportunities in LIS field in India: A content analysis of positions advertised. Annals of Library and Information Studies (ALIS), 63(1), 53-58.

Raju, J. (2016, August). Core competencies in LIS education: Professional, generic and personal competencies for the higher education LIS sector. In World Library and Information Congress 82nd IFLA General Conference and Assembly Satellite Meeting Co-organized by the Section on Education and Training and Section on Library Theory and Research, The Conference Centre at OCLC, Dublin, Ohio, USA (Vol. 10).

Raju, J. (2017). LIS professional competency index for the higher education sector in South Africa.

Keevy, J., & Higgs, P. (2010). Qualifications frameworks in Africa: A critical reflection. South African Journal of Higher Education, 23(4), 690-702.

The Department of Arts and Culture. (2009). The Library and Information Services (LIS) Transformation Charter. Available: http://www.dac.gov.za/sites/default/files/Transformation%20charter-6th%20draft-22102009.pdf [Accessed: 14/07/2017]

Department of Arts and Culture (DAC), National Council for Library and Information Services (NACLIS). (2014). The Library and Information Services (LIS) Transformation Charter.

Ocholla, D., & Shongwe, M. (2013). An analysis of the library and information science (LIS) job market in South Africa. South African Journal of Libraries and Information Science, 79(1), 35-43.

Ocholla, D., & Bothma, T. (2007). Trends, challenges and opportunities for LIS education and training in Eastern and Southern Africa. New library world, 108(1/2), 55-78.

Minishi-Majanja, M.K. (2009). September. Which way for LIS education and training in South Africa? Some considerations from contact and distance learning. In Proceedings of DLIS 10th Annual Conference, University of Zululand, 10-11 September 2009 (pp. 17-34). Available: http://www.lis.uzulu.ac.za/2009/UniZulu%20conference%202009_Minishi-Majanja.pdf [Accessed: 16/06/2017].

International Labour Office. (2010). A skilled workforce for strong, sustainable and balanced growth: A G20 training strategy.