What if? Exploring alternative models for professional LIS education^*

Abstract

This article aims to stimulate discussion about whether the current structure of postgraduate library education, largely unchanged for over 60 years, is still the best option, given the ways in which professional library positions increasingly require specialised knowledge and skills. Comparative cases from selected New Zealand professions, including medicine, law, teaching and accounting, are used to identify common characteristics of practice-based professional education, including education for specialisations which typically follow the basic degree. The article suggests that trends affecting library work create an opportunity to consider alternative models, including undergraduate education and advanced specialised qualifications. Librarianship as a profession The topic of professionalism has been debated in library literature for over a century. Melville Dewey had no doubts that librarianship was a profession in 1876, saying 'The time has

Competencias y destrezas para la actuación profesional en ambientes digitales en Ciencia de la Información

“…Se deben, pues, reflejar los cambios por los que pasa la gestión de la información, con consecuencias en los centros y en su adaptación a las nuevas necesidades. Nos situamos en una intersección entre la informática, las comunicaciones y la atención a los usuarios que no es ajena a otras líneas de actividad y que nos lleva a mirar hacia dónde va la formación en Ciencia de la Información (CHAWNER, OLIVER, 2016).…”