Librarian 2.0The future of library education

and the 2.0 organizationMeredith Farkas

Norwich University

What is the purpose of LIS education?

“The mission of the LIS Program is to educate individuals for careers

as librarians and information specialists and to undertake

instruction, research and service programs that meet current and

emerging library, information and technology needs.”

-University of Hawaii, Manoa

So, how are we doing?

Do you feel your LIS curriculum prepared you for your work in

libraries?

This question was asked of librarians who graduated from 1998-2008 0

15

30

45

60

Yes No

“One of the big indicators on library education was that I felt I had to take an MPA to get the required

skills to do work in a public library.”

What topic do you think should be taught as part of the LIS curriculum

that wasn’t in your program?

ManagementWeb 2.0/Emerging Tech

InstructionWeb design/Programming

Conflict Mgmt/Customer ServiceProject Management

Hands-on Tech/TroubleshootingMarketing

AssessmentFuturing/Keeping Up

0 7.5 15.0 22.5 30.0

“I think there should have been more emphasis on library instruction and

teaching ... The majority of my day-to-day library

work is related to instruction and I’m

basically going on my instinct.”

What topic do you think should be taught as part of the LIS curriculum

that wasn’t in your program?

ManagementWeb 2.0/Emerging Tech

InstructionWeb design/Programming

Conflict Mgmt/Customer ServiceProject Management

Hands-on Tech/TroubleshootingMarketing

AssessmentFuturing/Keeping Up

0 7.5 15.0 22.5 30.0

“Customer service. Everyone comes into the field being smart,

excited at the thought of uncovering information, loving

books, etc. But too few professionals come in wanting to help people. I think MLS students need the ability to see the library

through their patrons' eyes rather than through a librarian’s eyes.”

What topic do you think should be taught as part of the LIS curriculum

that wasn’t in your program?

ManagementWeb 2.0/Emerging Tech

InstructionWeb design/Programming

Conflict Mgmt/Customer ServiceProject Management

Hands-on Tech/TroubleshootingMarketing

AssessmentFuturing/Keeping Up

0 7.5 15.0 22.5 30.0

“I think the more serious threat to our profession is

the poor job we’ve been doing in the last decade or

so about getting our message out.”

What topic do you think should be taught as part of the LIS curriculum

that wasn’t in your program?

ManagementWeb 2.0/Emerging Tech

InstructionWeb design/Programming

Conflict Mgmt/Customer ServiceProject Management

Hands-on Tech/TroubleshootingMarketing

AssessmentFuturing/Keeping Up

0 7.5 15.0 22.5 30.0

Being a Librarian in a 2.0 World

So what is library 2.0?

Web 1.0: Democratized Access to Information

Web 2.0: Democratized Participation

Revolutionary or evolutionary?

http://www.davidleeking.com/2007/08/24/library-20-ripples-another-go-at-the-graph/

What is different now?

Technology has enabled us to do so much more

but we’re no longer the only game in town.

Library 2.0 is a state of mind

•Working to meet changing user needs

•Trusting our users (radical trust)

•Getting rid of the culture of perfect

•Aware of emerging technologies and opportunities

•Looking outside of the library world for applications, opportunities, inspiration

Skills of Librarians 2.0

Understand their users

Keep Up

Aren’t afraid of taking risks

Are Agile

Question Everything

Able to look at new technologies and services with a critical eye

Don’t give up easily

Market Ideas and Communicate Effectively

Build their Networks

Create Partnerships

If this is what librarians need to be successful, shouldn’t

they be taught in library school?

What skills and competencies are most important for librarians to

have today?

Technology Skills

Customer Service Skills

Openness to Change/Flexibility

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Curiosity/Creativity/Innovative

Management Skills

Teaching Skills

Search Skills

Marketing Skills

0 12.5 25.0 37.5 50.0

“It’s not so much specific skills as a way of looking

at things, a lack of fearfulness about trying different tools... For me,

it’s just as important, if not more, to have the librarian

mindset as to have the individual skills.”

Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills

•Technology skills

•Management skills

•Teaching skills

•Search skills

•Marketing skills

•Customer service skills/people skills

•Openness to change/flexibility

•Commitment to continuous learning

•Curiosity, creativity, innovative spirit

How do you teach the “soft skills?”

•Integrate them into already existing classes.

•Make it clear that these are critical skills for success in the profession.

•Methods for teaching soft skills

•hands-on activities

•role-playing

•case study analysis

You can’t cover everything in a 36 -

43 credit-hour program.

“I answered yes because the internship required by my program is what was most useful by far. So it

was not really the academic part of the

program that prepared me but that practical

part.”

“We will never attract innovators to the

profession if we don’t offer them the sort of work

environment where they can satisfy their need for

experimentation and creativity.”

Thanks!

mgfarkas@gmail.comAIM: librarianmerSlides available at

http://meredithfarkas.wetpaint.com

Photo Credits• Digitage Web 2.0 http://flickr.com/photos/oceanflynn/315385916/

by ocean.flynn

• Library 2.0 Meme Map http://flickr.com/photos/gbierens/178568449/ by Gerard Bierens

• Gold Coast Marathon 018 http://flickr.com/photos/tk_five_0/680775822/ by Michael Dawes

• Dewey or don't we? http://flickr.com/photos/scampion/1500054745/ By scampion

• Self Portrait with Glass http://flickr.com/photos/45097561@N00/439046462/ By Jacob Whitaker

• RISK #2 http://flickr.com/photos/tollaksen/967960/ by Bjornar

• Don’t Give Up http://flickr.com/photos/gokrzy/372381525/ by K0P

• IMG_2016.JPG http://flickr.com/photos/stevenjude/848723658/ by stevenjude

• sunny day http://flickr.com/photos/iamthebestartist/2226165685/ by jessamyn