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.

School Libraries: Applying Innovative Ideas to a Threatened Species

While there are few who would argue that school libraries in Canada are in "good" health, there are even fewer who seem committed to supporting their desperately needed evolution. Those "few" are people who have the power to influence how school libraries are staffed and designed. One of the most powerful hang-ups that most people (parents and teachers, alike) have about school libraries is that they exist to support student reading. Walk into a local school library and you will see a collection of print materials that supports recreational reading for youth. You will see very few non fiction sources including encyclopedias and other reference tools. These are "online" and there seems a pervasive assumption that children can get their research material from the "Web". So, while reading is critically important to student acheivement, this CANNOT BE the ONLY thing school libraries should be focusing on.

It is time for drastic change.

And when I say, drastic...I am not kidding.

Ironically, as school libraries struggle to exist and be staffed, the Web becomes an increasingly tangled mess. For example, Google has recently come under attack because its results focus on paid or "optimized" placement and granular results that provide little meaningful context. The ability to peruse actual information sources has been greatly compromised to serve more lucrative, commercial ventures. Since most grown-ups struggle with finding context specific and ACCURATE information, it is a mystery how children are expected to do what many adults cannot.

This brings me to my suggestion.

I suggest that school libraries need to reinvent themselves as something much more sophisticated than what they currently are. They should not be a simple wharehouse of neatly (if you are lucky) catalogued materials to serve children. They should be "idea centres" where students, staff and faculty can put their ideas together for the purpose of innovation. This is NOT about repackaging a library and renaming it a "Learning Commons". This is about changing the PURPOSE of the library. What it is called is not important. It is what it DOES that is important.

The term "technology" is central to many discussions around the future of libraries and education. However, although learning to use technological tools may have value, the real value is in critical thinking. Critical thinking requires an environment that is conducive to creative thought and what could be more appropriate than a library in providing that environment? It could be an environment where librarians, teacher-librarians, library technicians, students and other staff are able to congrgate, discuss, and share.

A huge area of concern for most people is personal information management - managing the deluge of the information that shapes their decisions and activities. Students and teachers both need help with this. This goes far beyond the need for library to have neat shelves and catalogued books. Although private enterprise has moved into this area, this does not resolve the problem for the majority of people. Indeed, its absence in schools deprives our children the opportunity to become informed citizens. Creating productive, creative and informed adults should be central to the ambitions of our schools. However, by abandoning the school library - watching it waste away as its supply of resources is choked off by school districts - we ignore the future and what our children will need to be successful in it.

Since Canada will rely increasingly on its knowledge base to compete in the global marketplace, it seems bizzarre that school districts would forsake their libraries rather than invest in them. This investment, to clarify, goes well beyond funding collection development and a lonely teacher-librarian or library techncian. This investment should be in INNOVATION by creating spaces where all members of a school can congregate, research, share, problem solve and create. To believe that all of this can be achieved in a single, segregated classroom is misguided. To believe that this can happen without an "idea centre" is misguided. To believe that collaboration and equity among ALL school staff and teachers is critical to student acheivement is on the path to creating new centres of learning for our children. For our future.

I have had the pleasure of working with dozens of folks in school systems, and have learned a great deal about their constraints. Some of it resides in a lack of respect for non-teaching staff and an inability to think outside the proverbial "box". If no action is taken, school libraries and their potential for shaping the future educational outcomes of students will be eliminated. Entirely. If no effort is made then, perhaps, we deserve it.

What we have done in school libraries is simply not good enough and the proof lies in their pallid state. It is the responsibility of our ENTIRE COMMUNITY to fix this. It can start with you.

To solve the school library problem, we need people to think brilliantly and act courageously.

Libraries as a Cradle of Innovation

Having recently finished a book by Frans Johansson called The Medici Effect (2004), January seems like a good time to talk about the germination of ideas. Fresh year, fresh ideas.

Johansson's central thesis is that innovation springs from the intersection of ideas that he calls the Medici Effect. Using a broad range of examples, he illustrates that the most profound innovations have been the result of different fields of study and practice coming together to create an explosive transformation in thinking and problem solving. Through a fairly broad exploration of this idea, the author suggests that people must let go of their assumptions, surround themselves with diversity, and self-educate. In fact, these behaviours are considered important prerequisites for successful innovation.

For months now, I have been mulling over the role of libraries as places where "ideas intersect". It nicely aligns with Johansson's idea of intersectional innovations that are born from interdisiplinary exploration. The unexpected is much more likely to emerge when people of diverse backgrounds collaborate. According to Johansson, the convergence of science, the leap of computational power and the global movement of people are forces that stimulate the creation of unexpected ideas. Indeed, this might help explain the rapid and accelerating state of "innovation" we have seen in recent decades.

If we take a step back from our jobs as library professionals and think about the role of libraries - whether they are public, corporate or academic - we can see that central to their purpose in modern culture is providing a place for ideas to converge. If we look at libraries from this perspective, it becomes much easier for library professionals to adapt to changes in the field of publishing. For example, the rapid adoption of ebooks does not negate the function of the library. It may stimulate change, but it does not lesson the role of the library.

While schools provide formalized educational opportunities, they are not the hub of all innovation. As Johansson points out, most successful innovators share a noteworthy attribute - they are self-taught. Libraries, whether virtually or physically, provide a place for people to come together and share ideas. If innovation is a valued component of our global culture and we look to it to help us solve the myriad of problems that face us, the role of libraries has never been more important. However, it will take some library innovators to push the boundaries of what defines libraries in order to lead the way.

The new Surrey City Centre library in British Columbia provides a relevant example of how libraries can bring people together with the "Human Library" project. People with very specific backgrounds and expertise will lend themselves to others, within the walls of the library. This may be seen as the first step in an exciting movement towards the further development of libraries as the hub of intersecting ideas.

Echoing in my head is the voice of Daniel Quinn's telepathic gorilla , Ishmael, telling his human pupil:

"Your task is not to reach back but to reach forward...but you must be inventive - if it's worthwhile to you. If you care to survive...You're an inventive people, aren't you? You pride yourselves on that, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Then Invent." **




* Johansson, F. (2004). The Medici Effect: breaking through insights at the intersection of ideas, concepts, and cultures. Boston: Harvard Business School.

**Quinn, D. (1992). Ishmael: an adventure of the mind and spirit. New York: Bantam, p. 250

The Real Deal? Continuing Education Certification Project

In an era where "keeping up" has become part of daily life, the idea of certification to validate such efforts has increasing appeal. In May of 2011, the leaders of the Alberta pilot for a continuing education certification program announced that they were planning to expand the project to the national level.   The idea was spawned from the notion that the library community needed a way to document and articulate their continuous efforts in lifelong learning.  Following the lead of the Australian Library and Information Association‟s Continuing Professional Development Scheme , the Alberta pilot determined that their program must be flexible, inclusive, inexpensive, participant-centred, simple, and portable.  These are all very admirable guiding principles but it is deployment where success is critical.

A few concerns over this proposal spring to mind:

1. There is a recommendation in the April 2011 report (Document Reveal) "That the Certification program should be connected more closely with the Education Institute‟s offerings." While there is nothing wrong with supporting the efforts of the Education Institute, such a credentialling program needs to consider its relationship with other organizations and institutions that may offer continuing education opportunities. In doing so, the certification process can be more seamless and more inclusive. This would enhance the experience of the certification candidate by giving them a broader range of access and information about how they can utilize or find formal continuing educational opportunities.

2. Having read the report and participated in an information session at the Canadian Library Association conference in May 2011, I see no mention of an auditing process for certificate candidates. Candidates simply complete their shopping list of professional development activities, submit their paperwork and, having completed the necessary units of time, get "certified". Where is the enforcement? The authority of monitoring compliance?  ALIA's program has an audit process and while it only randomly examines 10% of participating members, there is still a process.  Indeed, even this process is lacking in that it is not likely to have parity with other professions where compliance and auditing is far more robust.  A brief scan of LISTA and Academic Premier databses suggests that there is room for more research into the effectiveness and perception of existing certification programs in the field.

3. Cost. The pilot project cost for participants was around the 30 dollar mark but presenters at the CLA conference admitted that they did not know how this cost actually relates to the cost of a nationwide program and whether this fee reflects any reality for a self-sustaining program. This is a HUGE concern. Presenters were unaware of a similar project, directed at only library support staff, in the United States. The Library Support Staff Certification Program is $350 for non ALA members and $325 for ALA members. Granted, the programs are not precisely the same, it is clear that the cost of a certification program are not insubstantial. If a program has high regard and benefits participants greatly, people will pay. However, if there is no audit process or anyone evaluating the quality and scope of professional development that is submitted, what value would a credential have?

4.  The respondents and particpants of the pilot project were fairly small samples with only 13 participants completing the final survey and only 56 participants in total.  The motivations for participant involvement could have been more fully investigated as this might help in our understanding of who participated and why.  In turn, this would aid in understanding participant comments more fully.  In addition, more work needs to be done with stakeholders who are positioned to encourage certification including employers, boards and educational instutions that educate and train library workers.  In this way, such a program can be more fully developed.

Certification suggests a certain level of professional expertise, with standard competencies at its core.  In the effort to make such a process attractive to library workers, there is a risk of diluting expectations to a point where the certifcation holds little tangible value.  While it is helpful for library professionals to document their professional development activities, from reading to formal coursework, certification must have clearly laid out competencies and standards and a review process that ensures candidates are meeting a minimum level of proficiency. 

In the end, is a cheap certificate of continuing education a satisfactory aid in documenting the maintanence and acquisition of professional competencies? Is this just one more avenue that library professionals can take or will it be a defining tool for the Canadian industry? This is where the measured reflections of those in the information profession are important and necessary. Investigate, consider and comment.

CLA Conference 2011: A Reflection

In the whirlwind of change that defines the library profession, it seemed more than appropriate to attend the CLA Annual Conference at a time when they are making tremendous revisions to their bottom line.  Wearing many hats including that of  a department head for an LIT program, librarian, former technician, and instructor, I ventured to Halifax this spring for an eye-opening experience.

MacDonald Bridge view from the Citadel in Halifax.

Having a library conference against the backdrop of a lovely city, filled with incredible (and often tragic) history and old-world pubs certainly has its allure.  The conference itself was held in a very efficiently designed trade and convention centre in the heart of town.  I could appreciate the no-frills style of the conference in light of the tremendous financial pressures the Association has been wrestling with.  Yet, lunch was provided in the trade show and there was definitely a buzz there as people from across the country enjoyed casual chit-chat and trolled the trade show booths.


CLA made some notable changes to its structure by reducing the executive and eliminating divisions and interest groups to make way for "networks".  These networks are intended to be grass-roots focused where 10 or more members sign a petition for creation, appoint a moderator and develop a terms of reference.  Funding will be based on an as-needed basis for projects and these networks can encompass any area of interest.  Although it will be some time before the results of such changes are measurable, it is an attempt to restructure the organization so that it is more inclusive.  I do wonder, however, if it is enough to garner wider support and participation when CLA has ignored the interests of library support staff and the wide range of library workers for so long.  I do not want to dismiss the significance of the population weight in Central Canada and national issues that require the Association's attention but there is a sentiment that the Association has not spent enough energy tending to the needs of its members or would-be members.  This attitude appears to be shifting as necessity forces the CLA to look at it sliding membership  and revenue issues.

Inside Alexander Keith's Brewery selling the infamous India Pale Ale

The increasingly sophisticated library landscape suggests that national representation and improved communication between provinces, provincial associations, library workers of all types and educational programs is imperative.  At the "town hall" meeting to discuss CLA's changes, one participant noted that the lack of academic discourse through a scholarly journal is problematic.  He voiced his frustration that all CLA has to offer members, by way of publications, is the "gossipy" news and events piece,  Feliciter.  He suggested that resurrecting a more scholarly publication, may give CLA a more credible and weighty standing in the greater library community and foster empirical research from budding library folks.  I could not help but also mention the need for a greater willingness to listen to the needs of non-librarians and, while the new CLA mission statement is more inclusive, there is much work that still needs to be done.

With apprehension, I attended the latest session discussing RDA (Resource Description and Access) and its next steps towards global implementation.  We were also carefully walked through the general practice of cataloguing using all of the RDA chapters.  Three things became abundantly clear to me at that time.  One, there are some interesting and rather worthy changes made to the way one looks at cataloguing.  Two, the task of cataloguing, despite RDA efforts to simplify, will be grossly more complex. Three, no one could tell me WHO was going to EDUCATE the educators (beyond a half day workshop) the intricacies of the new tool or WHO was going to PAY for curriculum re-design and staff training required.  When Chris Oliver, presenter and ardent RDA supporter, responded to my concerns with an admission that it was somewhat of a "miracle" RDA had made it this far, I took it as an omen.  One cannot develop new catalogue practice that drastically transforms the way work is performed on a "miracle".  The complete lack of consultation with those who must actually perform most cataloguing duties will greatly inhibit the success of this endeavor. I walked away from the session intrigued by some of RDA's qualities but also frustrated at not really having any better sense of precisely how one is going to catalogue - the nitty gritty.   As someone who teaches library staff to CATALOGUE, I continue to wonder who is going to teach me?

Another interesting session was that of a plan to take the Library Association of Alberta's Certification of Library Staff to the national level.  Having begun preliminary work with the American Library Association and their certification program for library support staff, I was keen to know if this was  a better solution.  The fact that the coordinators of this program were unaware of the ALA initiative, an ill-defined costing of the program and the lack of auditory control for certification, suggests that there is much work to be done if such a program were to have teeth in Canada.  Again, I wondered why library educators were not included in the discussions around such a program.  Their experience and perspectives could provide valuable insights into such initiatives as we are acutely familiar with the process of program review, outcomes assessment, curricular development and so on.  I am hopeful that questions from participants inspired the developers to investigate some of these issues.

Amidst these sessions, I did have the wonderful opportunity to meet with other LIT program instructors and heads, connect with some of my colleagues from all corners and examine some great poster session presentations.  One noteworthy one was focused on professional ethics.  Since I have been trying to infuse ethic discussions in most courses, I am eager to see what headway is made in this area.   In the end, there was a great deal more for me to follow up on when I returned.

I completed my session activities with a disheartening and mind boggling update on Access Copyright and copyright legislation revisions.  The session was incredibly helpful in re-igniting my concerns for our information freedoms in the not-so-distant-future.  I encourage everyone to keep one eye trained on Access Copyright and the Copyright Board because these two forces have undeniable power and influence with very few reasons to look out for the interests of libraries.  For Access Copyright, the increasing use of databases and other digital media means that libraries are somehow skirting paying for reproduction rights.  Indeed, HYPERLINKING to digital media appears to be a problem for Access Copyright.  The fact that many libraries now provide digital access to licensed databases appears to be a poorly understood practice by Access Copyright and they are seeking blood - well, really, money.  We were cautioned that public libraries may be AC's next target.  I felt chills....

The 2011 CLA Conference provided me with new and interesting insights that frequently surprised me.  While I will continue to observe the effects of the recent constitutional and leadership changes to the organization, I fear that we, collectively, continue to think that simply having good ideas negates the need to perform the often laborious, time-consuming, but incredibly necessary, work of substantiating our projects with evidence-based research and consultation.  On the other hand, library professionals accomplish a great deal with diminishing resources.  Returning to a peer reviewed and professionally minded journal might be the perfect forum for inspiring us to expect more of one another.

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.

Prompting Some Discussion

Recently, the Atlantic Provinces Library Association posted an article that I submitted in an attempt to spurn on some discussion about our future. 

 “Wanting to be a librarian because you like books is like wanting to be a cop because you like guns” is a recent tweet from, David Lankes, Associate Professor at Syracuse University's School of Information Studies and Director of the Information Institute of Syracuse (2010). This simple comment evokes a number of complex realizations and affirmations. Many will agree that to perform the work expected of information professionals, a love of one media format is not a prerequisite...

The discussion continues at:  Changing the Way We Look at Ourselves  APLA Bulletin Volume 74 » Issue 2 - December 2010