Education and training for digital librarians

Abstract

Purpose -To determine and compare approaches to the education and training of librarians for work in digital libraries. More precisely, to identify -in general terms, rather than specifically -the important competencies required by information professionals in creating and managing digital libraries, and in facilitating their use, and to assess how these competencies are treated in LIS education and training, and therefore how the capacities of the information professions are being developed. Design/methodology/approach -Literature analysis of the skill sets required by librarians working with digital materials. Evaluation of formal education and of professional development programmes in the UK and in Slovenia, to assess how these needs are being met. Findings -Both formal education and continuing development training are adapting to cover aspects of the digital library environment, both in the UK and in Slovenia. This is happening as part of the normal process of the redesign of degree programmes and of training courses. Digital library skills and knowledge -embodying conceptual, semantic, syntactic and technical aspectsare being included in existing courses, for the most part, rather than in entities labelled "digital library". This approach has strengths and also weaknesses. While there is some agreement on core topics, there is much variation in how they are presented, and in the relative importance given to them.Research limitations/implications -Based on comparison of education and training programmes in two countries, the UK and Slovenia. Practical implications -Recommendations for curricula are made. Originality/value -Provides an insight into education and training needs in a developing and important area. IntroductionLibrary and information science has always been concerned with the collection, organization, storage and retrieval of materials and information, in order to respond to users' queries. It has also often been noted that new technologies for the generation, distribution, processing and storage of information have brought changes in the nature, volume, and format of that information. The digital library is only the most recent of these.

ICT Skills among Librarians in Engineering Educational Institutions in Tamil Nadu

“…Nyamboga 8 also examined the training opportunities for library and information professionals in India and stressed the need for developing information skills and information literacy programmes. Rajalakshmi 9 outlined the skills required by the LIS professionals in the 21st century in the context of ICT implications.Bawden, et al 10 examined the approach to the education and training of librarians in digital libraries and the competencies required for creating and managing digital libraries, and assessed these competencies vis-à-vis LIS education in the UK and Slovenia. Kannappanavar and Kumbargoudar 11 analysed the management skills in the light of ICT among LIS professionals in agricultural universities in India.…”

Education for information science

“…Several authors have examined what is on offer (Bawden, Vilar, & Zabukovec, 2005;Saracevic & Dalbello, 2001;Spink & Cool, 1999). They report that education for digital libraries is taking place at the graduate level and that in most cases, rather than being offered as specific courses about digital libraries, digital library material is incorporated or embedded into existing courses.…”

Continuing professional development for library and information science

“…CPD provision in particular countries have been outlined, for example, for Croatia (Horvat 2004), for Denmark (Thorhauge 2005) and for the United Kingdom (IWR 2006), and a worldwide overview has been recently presented (Genoni and Walton 2005). Regarding particular topics, CPD provision has been described for cataloguing (Hider 2006), and for the knowledge, skills and competencies necessary for working with digital libraries, CPD provision in Slovenia and in the United Kingdom has been compared (Bawden, Vilar and Zabukovec 2005). The use of distance learning techniques for CPD have been described and evaluated (Dahl, Francis, Tedd, Terevova and Zihlavnikova 2002, DELCIS 2001.…”

“…Practice differs internationally, with CPD providers including national libraries, academic departments, professional organisations, government agencies, special interest groups, and commercial providers (see, for example, Bawden, Vilar and Zabukovec 2005, Thorhauge 2005, IWR 2006). …”