Building Strong LIS Education: A Call to Global and Local Action – An IFLA BSLISE Working Group White Paper

Abstract

The Building Strong Library and Information Science Education (BSLISE) Working Group (lisedu.wordpress.edu) of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), is an initiative of the IFLA Sections on Education and Training, and Library Theory and Research, and the LIS Education in Developing Countries Special Interest Group. The BSLISE Working Group is pursuing the development of an international quality assurance framework that will guide and promote international educational standards in LIS. Its work considers the sociopolitical and technological developments that are inclusive of local and regional contexts. In its first phase of research, the group conducted an international survey to understand the qualification requirements for library and information “professional” practice around the world, inclusive of regional and national contexts. This White Paper is informed by the findings from this international survey.

Professional qualifications, accreditation, and certification in library and information science schools: A global perspective

“…The work by the IFLA BSLISE Working Group (Chu and Raju, 2018) is currently one of the more comprehensive works underway. However, there are still additional questions remaining concerning LIS education and its manifestations internationally.…”

“…Brazil accounts for 34 of these graduate programs (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel). Chu and Raju (2018) In the Indian context, a brief overview of the present status and problems of LIS education in Indian universities is indicated, with an emphasis on the need for its internal quality assurance and accreditation by an external agency.…”

“…In addition, the survey remained open for a two-year period and, although many efforts were undertaken to disseminate the survey worldwide, the limitations remarked affected the number of responses, leaving some schools out of the sample. In addition, the questionnaire did not define "professional librarian," as many countries typically define the term differently (Chu and Raju, 2018). This may have skewed the results as respondents may have submitted answers based on criteria that applied to their own context.…”

A könyvtár- és információtudomány, valamint a könyvtárosképzés válaszai a gazdasági, társadalmi és technológiai kihívásokra

“…Az IFLA külön munkacsoportot (Building Strong Library and Information Science Education, BSLISE Working Group) is felállított, melynek első eredményeképpen helyzetelemzés született. 45 A szakértői anyag leírja, hogy nemcsak nemzetközi szinten, hanem az ALA-akkreditáció 46 ellenére az Amerikai Egyesült Államokban sem egységes a képzés struktúrája és tartalma, azaz a "virágozzék minden virág" elv érvényesül. A kutatás reprezentativitása vitatható, azonban megállapításaival egyet lehet érteni.…”

Continuous Library and Information Education in the Era of Digital Transformation

“…647], Г. Перес-Сальмерон [14] и др.) подчеркивают, что эффективность внедрения инновационных форм библиотечного обслуживания, производительность труда библиотекарей, положительный эмоциональный настрой в коллективе и, как следствие, повышение конкурентоспособности и значимости библиотек в обществе напрямую зависят от уровня кадрового потенциала библиотечной отрасли, профессиональных знаний и умений, навыков библиотекаря в цифровую эпоху [15].…”