18th August, 2014
IFLA SET 40th Anniversary Summit
Just When the Caterpillar Thought the
World was Over, It Became a Butterfly:
Developing Educational Programs for an
Emerging Profession
Lynn Silipigni Connaway, Ph.D.
Senior Research Scientist, OCLC Research
connawal@oclc.org
@LynnConnaway
Library and Information Education and Training: Confluence of Past and Present Toward a Strong Future
“Both the theory and
practice of library and
information science are
caught between cultures—
[the university and the
profession].”
(Rabor and Connaway 1996, 121)
“…there has been a sustained interest in the
theory versus practice issue throughout the
history of LIS education…”
(Connaway 1997, 28-29)
“LIS education … must take place within a
nexus of defining and dominant cultures—the
culture of the university and [of the] practicing
profession.”
(Raber and Connaway 1996, 121)
Academy vs. Practicing Profession
• Competing definitions of service
• Applied vs. pure research
• Theoretical vs. practical education
(Raber and Connaway 1996)
Crying Wolf
about an
Educational
Crisis
(Dillon and Norris 2005)
“Rather than raising optimism about
the status of the field, critics
continue to cite curricular problems,
lack of relevant research, gender
inequality, and an obsession with
technology…”
(Dillon and Norris 2005, 281)
“There is a dearth of research in US
LIS schools that is dedicated to the
real needs of real libraries.”
(Gorman 2004, 6)
Crisis as a Moment of Change
Contemporary Issue
• Technological
revolution
Longstanding Issue
• Quality control
(Dillon and Norris 2005)
“…it would seem difficult to justify any
other response from LIS programs than
one of embracing the tools and
opportunities for study and use they
enable.”
(Dillon and Norris 2005, 294)
“…Casting the field into two divided camps is
nothing new, but it is no longer clear that this
division reflects the reality of many LIS
programs.”
(Dillon and Norris 2005, 283)
“Profound changes in the
information world call for profound
changes in the education of those
that will enter this new world.”
(Moran and Marchionini 2012, 95)
Current Information Environment
• Reduced funds
– Budget cuts
– Hiring freezes
• Alternative resources
• Alternative services
(Connaway 2014)
Library directors rated less than half of entry-level
librarians as adequately trained for the job.
(Powell and Creth 1986)
“[The library] can’t count on MLS/MLIS
program[s] to deliver what is needed.”
-ARL Director
(Mullins 2012, 131)
Qualified job candidates lack the requisite people
skills that would allow them to serve as liaisons
for the library
(Mullins 2012)
70% of professionals agree that recent MLS
graduates are prepared for work in a public or
school library
22% did not feel the graduates were prepared
(Creel and Pollicino 2012)
Students need leadership, customer
service, public administration and
human resources training
(Mehra et al. 2011)
Current Expectations of
Information Professionals
• Demonstrate institutional value
–Define outcomes
–Measure attainment of goals
“Courses in LIS
curriculum should be
based on identifying and
meeting users' and
prospective users'
expectations and needs.”
(Connaway 2014)
Why?
LIS professionals must have
knowledge & skills to lead
formal assessment
(Connaway 2014)
User-Centered Assessment
Library offerings
• Services
• Systems
• Sources
Individual behaviors
• Access
• Use
Issues Affecting Curriculum
Development
• Fear technology leads to
deprofessionalization
• Increased dependence on
networks
(Connaway 1997)
(Stenstrom 1987)
(Younger 1990)
LIS curriculum should include problem-solving
that requires decision-making skills & flexibility—
an intellectual exercise
(Connaway 1997)
Teaching vs. Training
26
Research Methods
• Skills & confidence to
conduct research
• Match questions to
method
• Theoretical foundation
Opportunities for Librarians
• Asses value of services
• Develop new services based
on assessment
• Narrative-based marketing
• Reinforce value propositions
(Connaway 2014)
(Germano, 2010)
“A mixed economy of
institutional and national
data management
capabilities is emerging.”
(Hyams, Martinez-Uribe and Macdonald 2008, 21)
New Opportunities:
Data Librarianship
“[Data Librarians] deal with selection,
acquisition and management of a multidisciplinary collection of electronic data
resources.”
(Hyams, Martinez-Uribe and Macdonald 2008, 21)
Data Librarianship
Data Deluge
• Manage
• Share Data
• Fluidity
• Harvesting,
curating &
facilitating access
to datasets
• Support research
(Hyams, Martinez-Uribe and Macdonald 2008)
Data Librarianship
• Adequate training
• Funding
• Growing Infrastructure
(Hyams, Martinez-Uribe and Macdonald 2008)
“…challenges evolve as technology and
information practices changed.”
(Boyko et al. 2003, 8)
• g
“Integrating a user-centered focus into
…core values will prepare LIS
professionals to play a major role in
the development and assessment of
library services and systems.”
(Connaway 2014)
“With basic research
knowledge and a usercentered theoretical
foundation, LIS
professionals will be able to
articulate the value of
libraries.”
(Connaway 2014)
References
Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) (2010). Value of Academic Libraries: a Comprehensive Research Review and Report.
Researched by Megan Oakleaf. Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries.
Berg, S.A.; Jacobs, H.; Cornwall, D. (2013). "Academic librarians and research: a study of Canadian Library administrator perspectives".
College & Research Libraries, (74)6: 560–572
Boyko, E.S.; Hamilton, E.; Humphrey, C. & Watkins, W. (2003). Lifting ourselves by our bootstraps: Developing a national peer-to-peer training
program for data librarians in Canada. In Best Practices in Government Information: A Global Perspective, Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG,
Saur Verlag, Muchen.
Connaway, L. S. (1997). A model curriculum for cataloging education: The library and information services program at the University of
Denver. Technical Services Quarterly,15 (1/2), 27-41.
Connaway, L. S. (2014). Why libraries? A call for use-centered assessment. Textos Universitaris de Biblioteconomia I Documentacio, 32.
[Available: http://bid.ub.edu/en/32/connaway3.htm]
Connaway, L. S. ; Radford, M. (2013). Academic library assessment: beyond the basics. [Powerpoint presentation], Raynor Memorial
Libraries, Marquette University, [18 July 2013].
Creel, S. & Pollicino, E. (2012). 'Practitioners' & LIS students' perceptions on preparedness in the New York metropolitan area', Education For
Information, 29(1):53-69.
Dalton, M. S. (1992). Change and challenge in library and information science education. Chicago: American Library Association.
Dillon, A., & Norris, A. (2005). Crying Wolf: An Examination and Reconsideration of the Perception of Crisis in LIS Education. Journal of
Education for Library and Information Science, 46(4), 280-298.
Germano, M. (2010). "Narrative-based library marketing: selling your library's value during tough economic times". Bottom Line: Managing
Library Finances, 23(1): 5–17.
Gorman, M. (2004). “Whither Library Education?” New Library World (105), 376-380.
References
Hufford, J. (2013). "A review of the literature on assessment in academic and research libraries, 2005 to August 2011". Libraries & the Academy, 1: 5–35
Hyams, E., Martinez-Uribe, L., & Macdonald, S. (2008). Data librarianship: a gap in the market. CILIP Update.
Kaufman, P.; Watstein, S. B. (2008). "Library value (return on investment, ROI) and the challenge of placing a value on public services". Reference Services
Review, 36(3): 226–231.
Mehra, B., Black, K., Singh, V. & Nolt, J. (2011). 'What is the value of LIS dducation? A qualitative study of the perspectives of Tennessee's rural librarians',
Journal Of Education For Library & Information Science, 52(4): 265-278.
Moran, B.; Marchionini, G. (2012). "Information professionals 2050: educating the next generation of information professionals". Information Services & Use,
vol. 32: 95–100.
Mullins, J.L. (2012). 'Are MLS graduates being prepared for the changing and emerging roles that librarians must now assume within research libraries?',
Journal Of Library Administration, 52, (1): 124-132.
Powell, R.; Baker, L.; Mika, J. (2002). "Library and Information Science Practitioners and Research". Library and Information Science Research, (21)1: 49–
72
Powell, R. R. & Creth, S.D. (1986). Knowledge bases and library education. College & Research Libraries 47: 16-27.
Pung, C.; Clarke A.; Patten, L. (2004). "Measuring the economic impact of the British Library". New Review of Academic Librarianship, vol. 10 (1): 79–102
Raber, D., & Connaway, L. S. (1996). Two cultures, one faculty: Contradictions of library and information science education. Journal of Education for Library
and Information Science, 37(2), 120-130.
Ranganathan, S. (1931). The five laws of library science. London: Edward Goldston, Ltd.
Stenstrom, P.F. (1987). Current management literature for technical services. Illinois Libraries, 69 (February): 96-103.
Tenopir, C., Allard, S., Birch, B., & Sandusky, R. J. (2013). Academic librarians and research data services: Preparation and attitudes. Ifla Journal, 39, 1, 7078.
Younger, J. (1990). University library effectiveness: A case study of the perceived outcomes of structural change. PhD. Diss., University of Wisconsin.
39
Thank You!
©2014 OCLC. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. Suggested attribution:
“This work uses content from “Just When the Caterpillar Thought the World was Over, It Became a Butterfly” © OCLC, used under a
Creative Commons Attribution license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/”
40