ROLE OF LIS PROFESSIONALS IN DIGITAL ERA

ABSTRACT

Purpose- This paper aims to show how implementing new information technology has expanded the role of library Professionals and how this role has matched the evolution of new technology.Design/methodology/approach – The paper looks at librarians’ approaches to their role in different angles and explores ways of most effectively implementing changes. By reviewing the literature and taking the old discourse around library education and information literacy, the paper reflects on the changing role of librarians in an era of greater access to technology.

The increasing role of technology in libraries has a significant impact on the changing roles of librarians. New technologies are dramatically increasing the accessibility of information, and librarians are adapting to the evolving needs of users that emerge from the adoption of these new technologies.

Keyword: Library, Library Professionals, Inforamation Officers, Information Intelligent agents.

INTRODUCTION

In tody’s environment, knowledge is in transition mode from repositories to open access and print to digital. Libraries have been significantly transformed with the advent of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Internet and the ability to provide resources to people to their own home or work places. The unimaginable developments in the information environment such as improved accessibility, interoperability and open access to educational materials has on one side facilitated the nature, role and services but on the other side pose a serious challenge use technology and provide efficient and effective services to meet the user’s information need. In the present technology/Internet era the professionals have to change themselves, as the information profession is being changed. Now information Specialist have to work as e-information providers in which various professional group are expected to map strategic that lead to produce, manage, maintain and service the information.

LIBRARY AND LIBRARIAN

Library plays role an important in supplementing classroom teaching and it is the librarians who disseminate the precise information contained in the documents to its users in efficient and effective manner. With the advancement of electronic technology, it becomes very difficult for an individual to get the required information with wasting with their time. It’s the information managers, who have to make the required information available to the individual without wasting his/her time. The information professionals have to keep pace with the latest developments that are taking place due to the advancement of technology. It is not possible that the existing information professional to go to library schools however, training can be arranged for them to have a bird’s eye view about the developments that are taking place. The changes taking place in the corporate environment are challenging the librarians to reorient his /her skill to provide information solution, not just information or information sources. Information professionals have to take into consideration the following aspects before collecting information for the end product, which they have to offer:

It must be according to needs and requirement of its user; It must be equipped with powerful, easy to use, intelligent search engines; It must have attractive user interface;

It must be responsibly priced; It must allow access from, and delivery to the users’ workstations;

In the present scenario, the library and information professionals have to keep into keep pace with the modern trends, if they want to survive:

Continuous updating; Developing strong professional team in their respective libraries; Arranging continuous education and training programs for users and staff; Accept the challenges being imposed due to advancement of Technology; Arrange lectures/training programs from time to time (Gupta, Singh and Negi, 2005); Be alert and innovative; Willing to learn; Identify Specific areas in which technology can advance the institution in fulfilling its

mission; Enable users to interact with knowledge resources; Sound communication skills; Provide quality services; Expertise in the use of innovative emerging technologies to design and develop web-

based applications, programmes and services; Assist users to locate, access, store and transform electronic information resources,

services and instructions across multiple applications, databases, networks, platforms and systems through an academic library’s information commons;

Having knowledge of designing, developing, launching and maintaining of digital content management and assess, evaluate, recommend and test various methodologies, policies, and standards for utilizing computer software in the process of creating and preserving digital process of creating and preserving digital collections and resources.

Assess, understand, think and adopt changes fit to the requirements rather become blind follower of versatile technological developments (Li, 2008), (Mehla, 2012)

ROLE OF LIBRARY PROFESSIONALS IN DIFFERENT FACES/ANGLES:

The information and knowledge play the most important role in the present knowledge society and these are the central force and strategic resources of the Society. A large number of information both in traditional and digital nature are coming out in every moment. These huge numbers of information is required to be organized, preserved and disseminated. Therefore we need to enrich and equip library and information profession to cope with the digital information overload situation.

Nowadays, LIS professionals are facing some international issues like cyberspace, content regulations, copyright, sense of community, digital preservation, marketing of information product and services, open source software, etc. are also discussed briefly.

In addition to general qualification and requirements, a commitment to excellence user- centred services, effective oral and written communication, as well as team collaborator must also possess additional capabilities, experience, knowledge and skills such as: (Mehla, 2012).

1. AS ADVOCATE: LIS professionals act as lawyer when they deal with the issue relating to law such as copy right law, intellectual property right, etc. Librarian champion the cause of academic libraries through various advocacy programs to promote the library and resources. They can communicate news about the library

through newsletters, websites and memos to parents and staff. Their job is to keep principals and teachers up to date on what is happening in the library and to promote library activities and special projects (Baule, 1999). Librarians must communicate the mission, goals and objectives of the resources centre to the entire user community (Scheirer, 2000).

2. AS CONSORTIA MANAGER: The LIS professionals are responsible for coordinating and overseeing consortium operations, including strategic planning, systems development and project management. Related responsibilities include facilitating communication among the participating libraries. In addition to these responsibilities, the Librarian for consortium operations acts as the consotium’s representative with vendors for contracted products and services.

3. AS CONTENT MANAGER: The information science world has witnessed a major transformation in the content it has been dealing with. Digital and virtual libraries are a natural outcome of the moment of digitalisation and internetworking. Library and documentation centres have increasingly used the technologies of internet, extranets and portals for specialised techniques of content management and development. This information has been put to distinct business advantage by using the techniques of data warehousing, data mining, taxonomies, ontology, and industry-specific knowledge maps. Use of info maps and knowledge mapping are additional competencies for creating virtual for knowledge maps, which makes search and retrieval much easier and enjoyable. Available virtualization technologies need to be employed for this purpose.

4. AS FACILITATOR: rapid growth of electronic documents and their availability in the web now creates exploration of information. Even so many printed versions of books, journals have shifted their platform to internet, which includes freely available and paid publications also. At the same time it becoming very hard to locate necessary information within least possible time.in these circumstances, librarians are trying to acquire knowledge of different systems and software to manage the sea of information.

The role of facilitator if characterized by qualifications would be closely related to the once of the librarian. It is likely to emerge that the traditional intermediary function of the librarian by its nature could create a basis for the role of the facilitator in a networked community (Schreiber and Moring, 1997).

The Availability of electronic documents on internet and the support extend by World Wide Web to access these documents have recently increased tremendously. Several print journals have shifted their platform to web, which includes free and paid publications. In this scenario, it is imperative for the traditional librarian to acquire necessary skills in effective use of modern gadgets and associated software to locate and retrieve the widely dispersers information in the cyber space (Schreiber and Moring, 1997).

5. AS GUIDE/TEACHER/EDUCATOR/TRAINER: Most often LIS professionals’ acts as a teacher to ensure that pattern know how to access relevant sources of information. The shifted role of the teacher- Librarian as evolved from “keeper of the books” to “information resource specialist”. Teacher – Librarians play a vital role in

educating users to become information managers and life time learners. Present day librarians have a big hand to assist user has and when required. Like classroom teaching, librarians can provide guidance to their user community with information literacy programme. Information literacy is the ability to access and evaluate information that promotes both independent learning and social responsibility. It is the teacher – Librarians job to show users how to analyse information critically and use it wisely. Users must know how to plan, locate and retrieve information. They process what they find to create a product and the final step is evaluation (Light hall, 1990).

There are many forms of user education from library tour to bibliographic instruction. many of those programmes are now working with or evolving in to information literacy programmes with emphasis on the internet instruction(Martinm, 1997).Information literacy education, beyond embracing the basic abilities of reading and writing, know embodies the general ability to understand and perform functions successfully.

To be literate, an individual must recognise when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate and use effectively the information needed (American Library Association, 1989). There is a growing recognition of the need to train users in information literacy skills. Libraries should take on the role of imparting information literacy skills. For example, the digital information literacy programme at the University of Texas at Austin is dedicated to promoting electronic resources to the library users and encourages users to examine the internet information (Martin, 1997).

Three steps in user education end user training is an evolving area of research. Learning to use a library was once a fairly simple activity for the user.

6. AS INFORMATION MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS: Librarians can help network users build and maintain personal information systems, which provides access to the subset of networked information sources relevant to each user’s work (Mehla, 2012). Scarify

7. AS INTELLIGENT AGENTS: The rapid growth of unstructured data on Internet and World Wide Web has created significant problems related to the efficiency and accuracy of information retrieval. In addition, information repositories on Internet are heterogeneous, inconsistent and sometimes incomplete (Bowman et al., 1994). To make effective use of this wealth information, a number of resources discovery tool have been created. In Internet browsing, the user follows the hypertext links to locate the information. When the size of the web increased beyond few sites and a small number of documents it became clear that manual browsing through a significant portion of the Hypertext structure is no longer possible (Koster, 1995). To solve this problem and locate information required by the user search engines have been developed.Many of the search engines use the concept of a ‘Robot’ or ‘Spider’, an automated browsing program.

Packaging of Results Retrieved

Information for the request

User Enquiry or ProcessInformation nedds. Search Request

8. AS EXPERTS: Experts in the use of innovative emerging technologies to design and develop web – based applications, programmes and services (Mehla, 2012).

9. AS CONSTODIANS OF INFORMATION: Librarians are facing apparent challenges to their role, as physical resources migrate into electronic form and on-demand electronic delivery becomes more common. The ephemeral nature of much electronic materials (such as newsgroups) does however create a need to identify and where appropriate, archive authoritative versions of electronic information (Mehla, 2012).

10. AS INFORMATION PROVIDERS: Librarians can make avaivlable much more widely collections which previously can be used only within a single physical library location. A wide range of publications and access formats can be accommodated, from remote login catalogue and indexes, to provision of electronic copies of entire collection or work, in print or other formats.

11. AS CHANGE AGENTS: Library staff can lobby managers and governments as appropriate, for network access for themselves and their users.

12. AS CUSTODIANS OF PUBLIC LIBRARY FACILITIES: Information Professional can provide work stations, network gateways, printers and software that may not to be otherwise available to the public(Mehla, 2012)

The role of library professionals has changed in the digital era. It is, therefore pertinent on the part of professionals to acquire new skills required for developing and

USER INTELLIGENT AGENT

INTELLIGENT AGENTS

HUMAN USERS

INTERNET

USER PROFILE

managing the digital libraries. The Library and information professionals are required to acquire such knowledge and skill as the library is one of the highly IT influenced service profession. The empowerment of library and information professionals with IT skills is aimed at providing services that are expected by the users in the new electronic environment.

13.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES: THEIR POSITION AND DUTIES

Specific duties vary depending on the size and type of library. Olivia Crosby described librarians as "Information experts in the information age". Most librarians spend their time working in one of the following areas of a library:

Archivists: Archivistscan be specialized librarians who deal with archival materials, such as manuscripts, documents and records, though this varies from country to country, and there are other routes to the archival profession

Collection development librarians:Collection development librarians monitor the selection of books and electronic resources. Large libraries often use approval plans, which involve the librarian for a specific subject creating a profile that allows publishers to send relevant books to the library without any additional vetting. Librarians can then see those books when they arrive and decide if they will become part of the collection or not. All collections librarians also have a certain amount of funding to allow them to purchase books and materials that don't arrive via approval.

Electronic resources librarians:Electronic resources librarians manage the databases that libraries license from third-party vendors. School librarians work in school libraries and perform duties as teachers, information technology specialists, and advocates for literacy.

Instruction librarians:Instruction librarians teach information literacy skills in face-to-face classes and/or through the creation of online learning objects. They instruct library users on how to find, evaluate and use information effectively. They are most common in academic libraries.

Media specialists:Media specialists teach students to find and analyze information, purchase books and other resources for the school library, supervise library assistants, and are responsible for all aspects of running the library/media centres. Both library media teachers (LMTs) and young adult public librarians order books and other materials that will interest their young adult patrons. They also must help YAs find relevant and authoritative Internet resources. Helping this age group to become lifelong learners and readers is a main objective of professionals in this library specialty.

Outreach librarians:Outreach librarians are charged with providing library and information services for underrepresented groups, such as people with disabilities, low income neighbourhoods, home bound adults and seniors, incarcerated and ex-offenders, and homeless and rural communities. In academic libraries, outreach librarians might focus on high school students, transfer students, first-generation college students, and minorities.

Public service librarians:Public service librarians work with the public, frequently at the reference desk of lending libraries. Some specialize in serving adults or children. Children's librarians provide appropriate material for children at all age levels, include pre-readers, conduct specialized programs and work with the children (and often their parents) to help foster interest and competence in the young reader. (In larger libraries, some specialize in teen services, periodicals, or other special collections.)

Reference or research librarians: Reference or research librarians help people doing research to find the information they need, through a structured conversation called a reference interview. The help may take the form of research on a specific question, providing direction on the use of databases and other electronic information resources; obtaining specialized materials from other sources; or providing access to and care of delicate or expensive materials. These services are sometimes provided by other library staff that has been given a certain amount of special training; some have criticized this trend.(McKenzie, Steve October 2002).

Systems librarians:Systems librarians develop, troubleshoot and maintain library systems, including the library catalogue and related systems.Technical service librarians: work "behind the scenes" ordering library materials and databasesubscriptions, computers and other equipment, and supervise the cataloguing and physicalprocessing of new materials.

A young adult or YA librarian:A young adult or YA librarian serves patrons who are between 12 and 18 years old. Young adults are those patrons that look to library services to give them direction and guidance toward recreation, education, and emancipation. A young adult librarian could work in several different institutions; one might be a school library/media teacher, a member of a public library team, or a librarian in a penal institution. Licensing for library/media teacher includes a Bachelor or Master of Arts in Teaching and additional higher-level course work in library science. YA librarians who work in public libraries are expected to have a Master's degree in Library and/or Information Science (MLIS), relevant work experience, or a related credential.  (YALSA. April, 2011)

Additional responsibilities:

Experienced librarians may take administrative positions such as library or information centre director. Similar to the management of any other organization, they are concerned with the long-term planning of the library, and its relationship with its parent organization (the city or county for a public library, the college/university for an academic library, or the organization served by a special library). In smaller or specialized libraries, librarians typically perform a wide range of the different duties.

Representative examples of librarian responsibilities:

Researching topics of interest for their constituencies. Referring patrons to other community organizations and government offices. Suggesting appropriate books ("readers' advisory") for children of different reading

levels, and recommending novels for recreational reading. Facilitating and promoting reading clubs. Developing programs for library users of all ages and backgrounds. Managing access to electronic information resources. Building collections to respond to changing community needs or demands Creating pathfinders Writing grants to gain funding for expanded program or collections Digitizing collections for online access Answering incoming reference questions via telephone, postal mail, email, fax, and chat Making and enforcing computer appointments on the public access Internet

computers. (Public Library Association,2008-09).

Figure-1.Role & Responsibilities of LIS Professionals in Different Areas.

Think of the graph as the five fingers of the extending hand of the library.Central (middle finger) are the Collections; or, more broadly, the information resources; the fingers of Discovery, Access, Service, and Preservation add value to resources and enable their use.

The base (upper ends) of the fingers describes traditional library activities and roles that will continue, to differing degrees, into the foreseeable future. The extending tips of the fingers highlight evolving and future directions. Technology fuels this movement, raises expectations, introduces challenge, and enables change.

The library is evolving from a sole source of responsibility of discovery, access, collections, services and preservation to a shared source of stewardship, playing both a leadership and a collaborative role with other intellectual partners. In the context of the hand metaphor: the mix of choices and directions are in the palm of our hand. Choices are acted upon to different degrees according to character of institution and readiness for change.

The graph concept can be successfully used in the context of strategic planning, budget building, space configuration, staff planning, performance expectations, etc.

According to ‘Mia Macmeekin’, Librarian can do 27 things to enhance knowledge and to create marvellous changes in the field of Library and information Science and also to create bridge between Library Users and Library. (Mia Macmeekin, 2013).

They are listed below;

1. Teaches: teach students to locate, evaluate, analyse, synthesize, select, create and share information in many formats.

2. Tweets: Tweet, pins, blogs, wikis, digitizes, scans, tumbles, posts and Events.3. Links: Links online resources with physical ones, teachers with techniques and

students with inquiry.4. Shelters: Shelters students who may need a safe haven.5. Reminds: Reminds students to mind their manners on social media, return materials

borrowed, share ideas, enjoy learning, and cite sources.6. Creates: Creates widgets, webpages, wikis, movies, photos, blogs, displays, contests

and scavenger hunts.7. Fosters: Fosters creativity through makers’ paces, physical and digital.8. Champions: Champions students interests by serving as patron saint of all lost school

clubs- gaming, anime, book, card, poetry etc.,9. Challenges: Challenges students to question, think critically, acquire, evaluate, draw,

conclusions, create and share.10. Curates: Curates resources for the curriculum and teaches students the power of

curation.11. Serves: Serves tasty fiction and delicious non-fiction on a daily basis.12. Promotes: Promote a culture of questioning, information seeking and discovery.13. Provides: Provides equitable access to information and technology for all learners.14. Extends: Extends access to resources and services beyond the school day and beyond

School walls through technology.15. Collaborates: Promotes collaboration among students and faculty, and collaborates

with colleagues, administrators and parents.

16. Manages: Manages a vast array of resources to ensure students have access to multiple perspectives.

17. Diversifies: Meets diverse student needs, interests, languages, cultural backgrounds, and abilities.

18. Sponsors:Sponsors clubs and special events face to face and virtual.19. Advocates: Advocates for legal and ethical use of information, technology, and

resources.20. Locates: Locates whatever you are looking for wherever it may be.21. Learns:Learns new skills and ideas through Research, professional development

opportunities, and connected learning networks.22. Brings: Brings stories to students via book trailers, book talks, puppets shows,

podcasts and a variety of tools and techniques.23. Guides: Guides students as they discover and use information and technology.24. Engages: Engages in professional development activities to stay up to date on

educational technology, issues in education, trends and research.25. Knows: Knows about media and literature for children and young adults.26. Understands: Understands how students learn and how teachers teach.27. Participates: Participates as leaders in professional organisations and welcome

leadership opportunities.

Sinclair (2009) also provided some useful suggestions:. Librarians can be early adopters, promoters, proficient users, and supporters of

instructional technology;. Librarians should work with faculty to develop new programs and services jointly that

focus on new ways of student learning;. Librarians should provide and support specialized software (GIS, SAS, Mathematica,

etc.) and hardware (multimedia stations, plotters, scanners, etc.) needed for research and class projects in the learning commons;

. Librarians and it staff should create a technology and learning desk located within or in close proximity to the learning commons;

. Librarians should train students with advanced technological skills to assist fellow students (e.g. train student workers to refer complex or difficult questions to the professional librarian on duty); and

. Librarians should develop online tutorials and guides that allow students and faculty to learn at times of their own choosing and at their own pace (Sinclair, 2009, p.506).

Basic library tutorials that can be placed into numerous classes should be developed. This might include introduction to library research; using the library’s reference collection; using online reference sources; reading citations; finding other work by or about an author; locating newspaper articles and transcripts; accessing materials not available locally; research conferences (Hearn, 2005).Anderson et al. (2008) found that it is better to create multiple, short modules rather than a single, comprehensive tutorial. This allows users quickly to access the material they need.

CONCLUSION:

Presently, librarians are playing an integrated role beyond their traditional job. In the fast changing world, there are new demands and influences on libraries and information centres. Using modern technologies, libraries all over the world are now shifting their emphasis from traditional to multidimensional work force. As a corollary role in different areas of libraries and information centres to meet the expectations and needs of the present situation.

Librarians have had to become no longer just specialists in print media but also experts in storing, sorting and accessing electronic records, including accessing databases and using search engines. Further, they have had to acquire expertise in providing online tuition. Not only are librarians now commonly expected to provide tuition in information literacy, but, many collaborate with faculty to incorporate aspects of library use into coursework. Such collaboration appears to be the key to success.

REFERENCES:

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6. Sinclair, B. (2009), “The blended librarian in the learning commons new skills for the blended library”, College & Research Libraries News, Vol. 70 No. 9, pp. 504-7.

7. Hearn, M.R. (2005), “Embedding a librarian in the classroom: an intensive information literacy model”, Reference Services Review, Vol. 33 No. 2, pp. 219-27.

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