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For conference in Reykjavik, Iceland.
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Librarian 2.0The future of library education
and the 2.0 organizationMeredith 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?
This question was asked of librarians who graduated from 1998-2008 0
15
30
45
60
Yes No
“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?
ManagementWeb 2.0/Emerging Tech
InstructionWeb design/Programming
Conflict Mgmt/Customer ServiceProject Management
Hands-on Tech/TroubleshootingMarketing
AssessmentFuturing/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?
ManagementWeb 2.0/Emerging Tech
InstructionWeb design/Programming
Conflict Mgmt/Customer ServiceProject Management
Hands-on Tech/TroubleshootingMarketing
AssessmentFuturing/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?
ManagementWeb 2.0/Emerging Tech
InstructionWeb design/Programming
Conflict Mgmt/Customer ServiceProject Management
Hands-on Tech/TroubleshootingMarketing
AssessmentFuturing/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?
ManagementWeb 2.0/Emerging Tech
InstructionWeb design/Programming
Conflict Mgmt/Customer ServiceProject Management
Hands-on Tech/TroubleshootingMarketing
AssessmentFuturing/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
•Technology skills
•Management skills
•Teaching skills
•Search skills
•Marketing skills
•Customer service skills/people skills
•Openness to change/flexibility
•Commitment to continuous learning
•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.comAIM: librarianmerSlides 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
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