Future of Library & Information
Professionals
We Chart the Course ….
Mrs Lee Cheng Ean
University Librarian
NUS Libraries
Libraries in the education and
research ecosystem - scholarly communication
Publish
findings
Publishers sell or
license information
contents
Libraries
Users use
Information & data
2
What are the key trends accelerating
higher education technology adoption?
• Trends driving changes over the next one to two
years
o Growing ubiquity of social media
o Integration of online, hybrid, and collaborative
learning
• Trends driving changes within three to five years
o Rise of Data-Driven Learning and Assessment
o Shift from Students as Consumers to Students as
Creators
Source :NMC Horizon Report: 2014 Higher Education Edition
http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2014-nmc-horizon-report-he-EN.pdf
3
What are the important developments
in educational technology for higher education?
Time-to-adoption
horizon
One Year or Less
Two to three years
Four to five years
• Flipped classroom
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Learning analytics
3D printing
Games and gamification
Quantified self
• Virtual assistants
Source :NMC Horizon Report: 2014 Higher Education Edition
http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2014-nmc-horizon-report-he-EN.pdf
4
Riding the waves or caught in the tide?
• IFLA Trend Report launched on 19th Aug 2013
• Highlighted five key trends
o New technologies will both expand and limit who has
access to information
o Online education will democratise and disrupt global
learning
o The boundaries of privacy and data protection will be
redefined
o Hyper-connected societies will listen to and
empower new voices and groups
o The global information economy will be transformed
by new technologies
5
Trend # 1
• New technologies will both expand and limit who has
access to information
o Expanding digital universe  higher value on
information literacy skills
o Users who lack such skills  barriers to the vast
array of information
o New online business models  impact access to
information
6
Trend # 2
•
Online education will democratise and disrupt global
learning
o
Rapid global expansion in online education  more
learning opportunities  increase value on lifelong
learning
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Trend # 5
•
The global information economy will be transformed
by new technologies
o
o
As new technologies transform the global
information economy  new generation of digital
books, apps, databases, hyper-connected mobile
technologies proliferated & redefine privacy & data
protection
Prevalence of mobile devices have impacted
information seeking behaviours
8
Challenges faced by academic libraries
• Emerging technologies
o Mobile technologies
9
Challenges faced by academic libraries
• New Pedagogies
o MOOCs and flipped classrooms
o Learning by enquiry
o Emphasis on creativity – collaborative creative work
(makerspaces)
o Going beyond the what and why
10
Challenges faced by academic libraries
• Economic barriers
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o
o
o
o
Reduced funding and resources
Less purchasing power
Publishers not being transparent with business models
Prices increasing higher than the rate of the economy
Article Processing Charge (APC) to support OA in
addition to paying for subscription costs
11
What are the implications?
• How do we plan our survival and chart
the course?
• How do we future proof our libraries
and profession?
12
Action plans to future proof our libraries
and to make the profession more relevant
and important
13
#1 – Focus on learning
•
•
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Blending MOOCs with Adaptive-learning
Teacher as resource
Agents of change
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# 2 – Understand evolving scholarly
communication
•
•
•
From consumers of content  producers of content
Getting published
Open Access
15
NUSL Scholarly Communication Committee
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# 3 – Communicate value of Libraries
•
•
•
Traditional with new innovative services
Library as platform, interactive space and place
Build connections
17
# 4 – Accelerate development of library
professionals
•
•
•
•
•
Invest in staff development
Develop new competencies
Provide opportunities for knowledge sharing
Encourage innovations
Be agents of change
•
•
•
•
•
•
Observe trends
Analyse data
Anticipate change and be proactive
Be interactive
Have conversations with stakeholders
Innovate
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Change mindset
Out with the old, In with the new
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# 5 – Provide access to a responsive collection
•
Proliferation of online resources  convenient and
challenging at the same time
20
# 6 - Encourage use
•
•
Encourage use
Protect users’ privacy
21
# 7 - Create living Libraries
•
Create physical and virtual spaces for users to:o
o
o
o
Connect
collAborate
cReate
Engage
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How do we ensure our survival?
Link
Organizational strategic plans with
HR & financial resource plans,
Information management,
Users’ needs with
Competent staff & Transformative leadership