Library Education: putting our money where our mouth Is

At the recent 2012 BC Library Association conference in Richmond, BC, there was a strong sense that the tides are shifting. The changing face of information access, books, member expectations and technology are having a powerful affect on the library community. It is clear that attendees were interested in learning to become more nimble in the face of uncertainty and begin asking some very difficult questions about the future.

After having attended many BCLA conferences, it was the first time I heard such a concerted effort to use inclusive language when addressing attendees who work at all levels and types of library environments. Most notably, the Library and Assistant's Interest Group (LTAIG) was successful in gaining section status within the association in a unanimous vote at the AGM. Such activity strongly suggests that there is a shifting attitude about how library staff are going to navigate the future and a recognition that whatever that future is, we need to be more open in our discussions about how work will be done and how we will prepare for it.

Having extensive experience teaching and leading a library technician diploma program, it is clear to this author that the profession needs to participate more in the preparation of library staff for entry into practice. In addition, there needs to be a closer examination of how those who are in practice develop their skills and evolve their education. While there may be many ways to address such matters, I have had the opportunity to look at one, accreditation of library technician programs, as a means of encouraging industry input.

Not surprisingly, most people in the library profession are unaware how the formal entry into practice education system works. Although there are many reasons for this knowledge gap, the largest is likely due to the gradual acceptance that formal post secondary programs are preparatory for most professions. Unlike most other professions, however, library work does not have significant and cohesive rules around what is specifically required for entry into practice. Much of this stems from the incredibly rapid changes to the profession. This is followed by the pressures that exist within the field and a general attitude about library qualifications that has prevailed since the mid 20th century. Without going into a lengthy chronicle, it may be useful to reflect on the introduction of the Master's degree. Its introduction was intended to improve the status of library workers in the 1950s and was driven by librarians and not the community they served.* However, this was also a time of great clerical work and this work was undertaken by many without any post secondary education. The introduction of library technician programs during the late 1960s and 1970s reflects a need, at that time, for people with strong clerical skills to manage the daily, and often repetative, tasks of managing growing library collections. While some collaboration behind the inception of these undergraduate/college diploma programs would have occured, there is little collaboration going on 50 years later. It was only in 1982 when the first Guidelines for the Education of Library Technicians was published by the Canadian Library Association, While there have been two revisions since then, there has been little leadership from the national association on the matter of library education for non-graduate programs. While it may be argued that this is not the role of CLA, this author wonders whose role it should be, then?

Venturing into the cloud of silence...

While there are those who graduate from ALA accredited Master's programs, the remaining 43% of library workers do not. How they end up in libraries has not been adequately explored. While many come from library technician programs, many others do not. Yet, even in 2005, the 8 Rs research indicates that 78% of the work once performed by those who graduated from ALA accredited schools is being performed by other library staff. ** Since few in the profession would argue that the work performed in libraries has become LESS complex or less valuable, it is a mystery how this profession has avoided open discussions about how people a) are selected to enter practice and b) are prepared for entry. Further to this, it is also not clear how the profession is able to adequately inform education programs of what it needs with anything more robust than advisory committees and good intentions by program leaders. This is not to suggest that those who administer library techncian programs do not do good work. However, it does suggest that if any value is to be placed on the role of libraries and the people who work in them, more open discussion and examination is needed by all stakeholders. For example, are library technician programs moving in the right direction for the needs of the future? Are they recruiting students who will enter practice as leaders, problems solvers, and dynamic contributors to the profession? Is it the sole responsibility of those programs to act as the gateway for entry into practice?

It is not without some consternation to see that the 2008 CLA National Summit on Library Human Resources Association*** did very little to address such questions. Indeed, the focus of the summit seemed to reside in discussions about how retiring library managers and leaders would replace themselves and how graduate programs would recruit a new generation of graduates. Ironically, the people who might be interested in growth and advancement were not discussed. Again, the 8Rs research reveals that while some paraprofessionals felt too old to seek advancement, a number of others felt there were structural barriers to advancement. It raises the other issue of what is the profession doing to serve the life-long and professional development needs of its members? Indeed, that same research also indicates that 50% of those who graduated from an ALA accredited graduate program had been in the profession for more than 15 years along with 44% of paraprofessionals who worked in surveyed libraries.** In addition people are delaying retirement and the profession needs to consider how it is looking after the educational needs (formal and informal) of its employees.+

Response from my recent presentation at the BC Library Association Conference Shapeshifting: Library Education, Work and Expectations for the Future was not only overwhelming but it was clear that participants recognized the hypocrisy of being institutions that encourage enlightenment and betterment in their membership but often fail to provide the same opportunities for its employees. This is not to say that employees do not get access to some things like workshops, conferences, and courses but it is evident, from this author's experience, that it is limited, at best.

When the media regularly runs stories examining "jobs of the future", it is most obvious that library work is not the only field doing some soul-searching. A Vancouver Sun article, "What are the jobs of the future? To be honest, we don’t really know" from May 3, 2012 illustrates that that the future is anything but clear. Yet this is no reason to run from it. Not only does this profession need to examine how it prepares those ENTERING practice, it needs to spend some serious time looking at how it prepares people already IN practice.

What do we do?

While there is no "silver bullet" that will magically solve these issues for us, we do have a lot of work ahead of us because we have not been proactive for far too long. We must stimulate discussion and put these difficult issues on the table for exploration. We must call on our associations to help us negotiate through these problems and we must have a candid discussion about what are our CORE values as a profession as well as talk about what we need to do to prepare and improve. Below is a link to a proposal for accrediting library technician programs. This is simply one attempt at opening up discussion and finding ways to encourage input from the professional community. It is intended to stimulate discussion and to experiment. If accreditation of LIT programs is part of the solution, it should be noted that even this process will require "tweaking". Please examine the document, whether you are an educator or a practitioner and reflect on what it is you think will help the profession meet the demands of change.

Renowned Shiyali Ramamrita Ranganathan's fifth law is "The library is a growing organism" and, I would add, so, too, are the people that work in them.++

*Swigger, Keith. (2010). The MLS Experiment: An Assessment After Sixty Years. Scarecrow Press.

**Ingles, E et al. (2005). 8Rs: The Future of Human Resources in Canadian Libraries. Retrieved October 10, 2011 from: http://www.ls.ualberta.ca/8rs/8RsFutureofHRLibraries.pdf pp. 11, 52-53.

***The Intersol Group. (Oct. 6-7 2008). National Summit on Library Human Resources: Report for the Canadian Library Association (CLA). Ottawa, ON: CLA. Retrieved October 12, 2011 from: http://www.cla.ca/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&CONTENTID=7131&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm

+Yves C. and D. Galarneau. (2010).Delayed Retirement: A New Trend? Statistics Canada. Retrieved May 16, 2012 from: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/75-001-x/2011004/article/11578-eng.pdf

++ Gorman, M. (2000). As quoted in Our Enduring Values: Librarianship in the 21st Centrury. Chicago: ALA, 19.

Other Resources for Examination:

Guidelines for Library Technician Programs in Canada. (2011). Retrieved May 15, 2012 from http://www.cla.ca/Content/NavigationMenu/CLAatWork/InterestGroups/LibraryTechnicians/CLA_LTIG_guidelines.pdf">CLA Guidelines for the Education of Library Technicians

Training gaps analysis for librarians and library technicians executive summary. (2006). Cultural Human Resources Council. Retrieved October 19, 2011 from: http://www.culturalhrc.ca/research/CHRC_Librarians_and_Library_Tech_TGA-summary-en.pdf

Neigel, C. (2011). Accreditation for Library and Information Technology Programs: A Proposal.

Librarianship As An Academic Discipline?

Librarianship has been treated as a practice-based profession.  Programs are designed around the practical applications of "doing" library work.  Yet, in a world where there is increasing emphasis on information as a key to economic, social and political success, there may be a need to pull apart the issues that shape librarianship and examine them from an academic angle. 

There are numerous issues related to the profession of librarianship that are worthy of examination beyond a two year Master's or Diploma program.  Indeed, within those two year programs students can be titillated by the interesting problems and prospects that new technology and information use present.  However, there is little time for exploration.  Certainly, once one becomes a practitioner, there is little time to reflect on the broader aspects of the field.   It is a common complaint among busy librarians and there is great frustration in trying to make informed decisions when there is little time to discuss and reflect on long term consquences.  Greater discourse is needed and although this can occur at conferences, discussion boards, blogs, and lists, there is room for more research and debate in post secondary institutions. In turn, those forums can supply the industry with inspired, engaged and active participants that may be better positioned to move back and forth between academic study and practice.

The current situation is troubling because there is a tremendous amount of change in how people use and manage information and library workers are often the ones who observe these changes.  As a result, they have some valuable opinions, experience and advice that may enhance how the broader community adopts technology and change.  Those who work in information centres have first-hand knowledge of how publishing, emerging technologies, and user search behaviours intersect.  There is a tremendous opportunity to share this knowledge with other disciplines and communities.  As the ground shifts beneath us, it becomes clear that there is a profound interconnectedness between information and change.  There is room for information studies to more actively partake in the discussions held by the academy of higher education.

In other disciplines, there is an avenue where academic discourse can occur and develop through formally recognized academic programs.   Most professions enjoy a continuum of study that can begin at a certificate or diploma level and move through undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate programs.  Librarianship does not enjoy this direct path of observation, exploration, discussion and reflection.  There are programs that look at information management at the undergraduate level but many of these are centred around other, more specific disciplines including business and computer information systems.  While there is nothing wrong with such programs, there is another outlet of study that has not been fully addressed.  Many disciplines will look at ethics, research methods, and even internet searching but there is a large hole where examination of issues around librarianship are not well explored.  And, although many of these issues and themes affect information work, they also have an affect on many other members of society - non "library" types.  For example, course work at the undergraduate level that looks at the nuances of intellectual property is not only compelling because the laws around this are in flux but also because everyone who uses information can be affected by both the laws and conventions around it.  The information studies context looks at such topics through the lens of practice and can offer a perspective that is valuable to students of every ilk.

Charles Sturt University in Australia has one of the few examples of a Bachelor in Information Studies.  Schools like Ontario's Mohawk College go so far as to present this as a viable option for library tech graduates since the program is a part time distance program.  Although this is a respectable option for those looking for a bridge to a Master's program, there is a great deal of room for further academic review.  The Charles Sturt example continues to show a preference for the applied aspects of information work.  While this has value, there is an opportunity for expanding the field into more academic circles.  This, in turn, would spawn new interest in the qualitative and quantitative research behind the use of information, its creation, management, and uses.

The applied nature of librarianship will always be central to those working in information centres but there is also room for more academic discourse at all levels of the post secondary system.  This expansion would provide greater opportunities for discussion and research among other fields of studies to enhance our understanding of our changing world.

Finding Solace in a Stagnant Economy

It is often only when we look back on events that we find clarity. As we wade through a sluggish and uncertain economy, we wonder what prospects our future holds.  Even if we are fortunate enough to have a "secure" job, we are aware of a constant pressure to tread cautiously.  Rocking the boat, might rock our budgets.  Whether it is shrinking resources or expanding ones, the process of working through change is probably more important than the ultimate outcome.

Recently, through casual conversations, students have voiced their concerns about their employment prospects.  Like other support services, information work rarely generates direct and measurable revenue, in the short term.  This has been the source of much angst in the profession as librarians and their staff struggle to quantify the positive impact of their work.  Prospective grads would just like to know if the future is viable.  Unfortunately, it depends on one`s outlook.  This is partly because there are so many interpretations of  "information" work and what it means to be a librarian.

To believe that libraries are quiet spaces, lined with books and reticent staff is to fall prey to fiction.  Those that already work in the field understand this.  What challenges us, as information professionals, is the shifting context that shapes our work environment.  We design, develop and deploy services in a world full of uncertainties and technological change.  When the GDP sinks and people stop making purchases, our confidence in the future ebbs.  Yet, the world does not come to a grinding halt and people continue to have needs, including a need for information that is meaningful and, therefore, useful.

It might be wise to stop wringing our hands fussing about our usefulness as a profession and simply assert ourselves as experts and developing ways of educating members of our communities of what we can do for them.  If we do so, we may have to forgo our titles.  We may actually have to stop arguing about what makes a "librarian" or an "information technician" and focus on the skills and attitudes that we hold as people who work with information on a constant basis. It is also not helpful to make a simple shopping list of what services we provide. Celebrating our accomplishments is a validating and necessary activity but we must be very careful not to think that this assures us of a stable or predictable future. Recently, the Kentucky Library Association published "The Role of Public Libraries and Their Future" by Uma Doraiswamy (2010).  Essentially, Doraiswamy remains optimistic about the role of the public library because of the variety of functions it currently performs.  Unfortunately, today's success is NOT a predictor of future success and, at any time, these services can be undermined by a variety of forces beyond our immediate control.  Our success is dependent on recognizing that change is constant.  The desire to stick to the status quo is one of enormous consequence.  Thus, there is a tension in the field where some folks want what they had and struggle with letting go of past practice while others embrace a future that looks at redefining our roles.
It is possible that library schools and tech programs do not spend enough time examining the actual goal of librarianship.  Is it to provide people with information? Look beyond this.  It is to provide people with the opportunity to learn and become knowledgeable.  In the 21st century, this practice is dependent on technology.  Yet, this technology is rapidly changing.  However, we can not allow ourselves to be distracted from our goal.  James Duderstadt, President Emeritus and University Professor of Science and Engineering  at the University of Michigan, astutely points out that, "It is certainly the case that futurists have a habit of overestimating the impact of new technologies in the near term and underestimating them over the longer term." (p. 223).  In fact, he describes the library as the "poster child of the IT revolution" and they may be an ideal place to observe how people really learn (p. 220).  There is recognition, in some corners of the profession , that despite the changes libraries and information centres must face, there is an interesting future before us.  How we respond to this reality will define our success.  Lamenting over days gone by will get us nowhere.

Although Deborah Jakubs speaks specifically to the situation of research libraries, she makes a valid, broader point when she writes, "Rather than being defensive about "threats" to the traditional position of libraries, we should tout the advantages of the contemporary research library. There may be more than one information "game" in town, but ours has plenty to offer" (p. 244).  In other words, we must accept the fact that the services we offer may not belong only to our profession but we do have an excellent foundation to build our future.  It may be that library schools and other, related programs will have to do more to adapt to the changing demands of our communities but this does not mean that there is not work to be done.

Indeed, from my experiences providing students with experiential learning through field placements, I have discovered that new sites delight in the skills they see from our students.  Many of these would not be described as "traditional" library environments.  Libraries are not the only places where information is amassed, stored, accessed and used.  Media sources, records management offices, health networks, non-profit support services, and corporate offices all struggle to manage the "data deluge".  Students of information studies are in a prime position to guide our communities through the confusing and technologically focused future we face.  The skills required for this may be shifting but this is another challenge many of us are prepared to take on.

So, if you are fearful of our future, don`t be.  Embrace the challenges and take ownership over your future and, most importatnly, get engaged.  Promote your skills, lead and inform those who do not understand the field. Be confident.  Be competitive.  When people aren't out spending their shrinking disposable incomes, they are seeking other ways to better their lot in life.  We help them do it.  We can be powerful. And, in fact, we are.

Cited Sources


Doraiswamy, U. (2010). The role of public libraries and their future. Kentucky Libraries, 74(2), 22-25. Retrieved from Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text database.


Duderstadt, J. (2009). Possible Futures for the Research Library in the 21st Century. Journal of Library Administration, 49(3), 217-225. doi:10.1080/01930820902784770


Jakubs, D. (2008). Out of the Gray Times: Leading Libraries into the Digital Future. Journal of Library Administration, 48(2), 235-248. Retrieved from Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text database.