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Descriptors:
Qualifications; Special Libraries; Competency Based Education; Information Technology; Foreign Countries; Associate Degrees; Bachelors Degrees; Expertise; Information Science; Information Science Education; Librarians; Likert Scales; Semi Structured Interviews; Masters Degrees; Competence; Library Education; Information Scientists; Library Services; Interpersonal Competence

Abstract:
This paper presents the results of a study conducted with the aim of identifying competencies needed by special librarians in Iran at three different levels of library and information science education. A list of competencies was initially identified from the literature and 21 semi-structured interviews with managers of special libraries in Iran. Then, a panel of experts was employed to validate 122 competency statements by using a seven-point Likert type scale. The results demonstrated that the panelists validated the importance of 55 competencies required by special librarians with Associate degree qualification, while all 122 competencies were validated as necessary for special librarians with Bachelors and Masters degree qualifications. The findings also indicated that the main competencies that were expected from special librarians with any qualification are information technology competencies. In addition, communication and interpersonal skills were identified as the second most important competencies for special librarians with Associate and Bachelors degree qualifications. However, for special librarians with a Masters degree qualification, the next priorities were information organization and research competencies. (Contains 8 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Discourse Analysis; Transformational Leadership; Library Education; Library Science; Leadership; Librarians; Evaluation

Abstract:
Using discourse analysis, this article explores three questions: (a) Why was "principled, transformational leadership" the leadership style added to Core Competences? (b) What was the discourse of leadership in the profession surrounding the development of the Core Competences? (c) How might this competence affect LIS education? And what measures, if any, have MLIS programs taken to address it? Informants involved in the development of the Core Competences indicated that leadership was added because it is an important issue for LIS professionals and it links "transformational" to professional change; however, they were unable to provide a clear explanation for the descriptor "principled." Discursively, leadership is strongly tied to discourses of management, change, and youth. Preparing leaders is a stated goal of most ALA-accredited LIS programs; however, the discourse on leadership within the profession indicates that schools of LIS may be paying more attention to leadership within their curricula, specifically in management classes. (Contains 7 footnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Tenure; Reputation; Professional Associations; Information Science; Library Education; Library Schools; Library Associations; Faculty; Periodicals

Abstract:
This prestige study surveyed full-time faculty of American Library Association (ALA)-accredited programs in library and information studies regarding library and information science (LIS) journals. Faculty were asked to rate a list of eighty-nine LIS journals on a scale from 1 to 5 based on each journal's importance to their research and teaching. Mean and mode calculations were used to rank results. Additionally, LIS faculty were asked to list the five most prestigious journals to be published in for tenure and promotion purposes at their institution. Several journals were rated highly by each method. LIS faculty ratings of LIS journals are useful for assessing journal quality not only for decisions regarding collection management but for tenure and promotion as well. (Contains 5 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Taxonomy; Navigation (Information Systems); Vertical Organization; Electronic Libraries; Library Education; Evaluation; Information Retrieval; Foreign Countries

Abstract:
Introduction: This is a study of hierarchical navigation; how users browse a taxonomy-based interface to an organizational repository to locate information resources. The study is part of a project to develop a taxonomy for an library and information science department to organize resources and support user browsing in a digital repository. Method: The data collection was carried out using task-based navigation exercises with twenty-two participants. A cognitive framework of hierarchical navigation is proposed, involving the cognitive process of matching context, topic and/or resource type concepts to taxonomy categories. Analysis: The analysis was mainly qualitative, supplemented with simple statistics and measures of prevision and recall, and error analysis. Results: Though users often use the topic concept in making navigation choices, they sometimes make use of context and resource-type concepts. Users infer a variety of relationships between a task concept and a taxonomy category, including the application area, associated tool, associated process/procedure/technique, associated institution and academic discipline. Conclusions: Users prefer to use common or generic associations in selecting categories to browse, rather than formal disciplinary relations. Some users prefer to search by people groups, contexts and institutions, rather than by subject categories. Users have difficulty distinguishing between various kinds of document and resource types. (Contains 5 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Library Education; College Curriculum; Curriculum Development; Courses; Librarian Attitudes; Surveys; Bachelors Degrees; Foreign Countries

Abstract:
Purpose: This study analyzed the process of changes in Korean Library and Information Science curriculum and evaluated the courses currently available by using a perception survey of librarians in the field. It also explored a possible demand for new courses, while suggesting compulsory, core, and optional courses for Bachelor's degree curriculum in Library and Information Science worldwide including Korea and the US. Design/Methodology/Approach: This study progressed through a total of 5 steps as follows: investigating the background of why current courses of Library and Information Science were offered (interview), finding out the current courses in Library and Information Science (homepage search and phone interview), finding out which courses students have actually completed among those available (literature and resource research), evaluating the practicality of the available courses by librarians in the field (survey), and exploring the demand for new courses (survey). In addition, this study analyzed the process of change in the courses offered by investigating the curriculum over the last 20 years. Findings: First and foremost, it was found that the decision of which course will be offered is strongly influenced by faculty. Second, in the analysis of the process of opening up new courses, it was revealed that the number of courses is growing and the courses are becoming more diversified and more specific. Third, the survey results of the completion of curriculum for the last three years in 10 universities demonstrate that only 50% of the available courses are being completed. Fourth, in the survey of which courses the librarians in the field think are necessary among the 90 courses suggested, 21 courses scored more than 4 points in a 5-point Likert scale regarding the demand for new courses. Fifth, the new courses which scored high levels of demand points were: Practice in Organizing and Managing Web Resources, Library Planning, Marketing, and Assessment, Understanding Information Technology for Managing Digital Collections, and Information and Communication in a Digital Age. Sixth, this study shows that there is a high level of agreement between courses completed by students and those which gained high levels of demand points in the practicality evaluation. Limitations/Implications: As this study was performed in Korea where the Bachelor's degree course is fundamental, it will contribute valuable information to countries where universities have recently opened or are trying to open programs for Bachelor's degrees in Library and Information Science such as the US, or to curriculum study in countries such as China and Japan which have educational environments similar to Korea. However, similar studies need to be performed in different countries. Originality/Value: This study has great significance as it has analyzed not only the curriculum of the last 20 years but also discovered how many of the newly created courses have actually been completed by students and the opinions of librarians in the field on these courses; there has not been such an encompassing study as this either inside or outside of Korea. (Contains 6 tables and 3 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
History; Books; Library Education; Special Libraries; Professional Development

Abstract:
Recently, the author spent a week at Rare Book School (RBS) immersed in a course entitled "Teaching the History of the Book;" an investigation into different ways of thinking about, designing, and conducting a course on the history of the book. The goal was to learn how to convert teaching and outreach experiences in rare book collections from a one-time "wow" into knowledge. An experience at Rare Book School is intellectually stimulating and challenging. It has been compared to summer camp, a place where one hangs out with people who care about and love the same things he/she does. The pace is intense and exhilarating. Over five weeks each summer, RBS offers a series of week-long concurrent courses. Instructors are recognized experts in their respective fields, which range from the history of book illustration and book bindings to paleography and descriptive bibliography. They, too, are eager to pass on knowledge to sustain the cultural legacy of the book. Rare Book School inspired the author to push the limits of her current understanding, allowed her to discover new truths as well as the means to continue to innovate in teaching the history of the book. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
School Libraries; Librarians; Library Education; Leadership; Graduate Study; Professional Development; Electronic Learning; Online Courses; Team Teaching; Librarian Teacher Cooperation; Transformative Learning; Learning Experience; Communities of Practice; Reflection

Abstract:
This article describes the SS "School Library Leadership" maiden voyage, which departed from the University of Vermont (UVM) during the 2010 fall semester. Twelve intrepid sailors followed their sense of adventure into uncharted waters with cocaptains Judy Kaplan and Susan Ballard in an online collaboration that provided a powerful learning experience for all. The metaphor of the voyage set the scene for an interactive experience that transcended time constraints and geographic isolation, and encouraged networking and collaborative projects. Facilitators and participants explored leadership roles and opportunities for school librarians (SLs), as they examined their own practices and educational environments through an inquiry-based model based in an asynchronous online graduate-level course School Library Leadership for 21st-Century Schools. In addition, the instructors provided a working model of coteaching and reflective practice. Building on concepts found in AASL's "Learning4Life National Implementation Plan" (L4L) to provide support for "on the ground" practitioners, a new series of online courses offered by UVM for school library professionals in practice provides opportunities to focus on current issues within education and school librarianship in a sustained and supportive learning environment. The key component of the coursework is collaboration between both the facilitators (instructors) and the participant SLs. Learning from and with colleagues in a professional learning community, or community of practice, is demonstrated to be a best-practice model for transformational learning. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Library Schools; College Libraries; Libraries; Librarians; Academic Libraries; Library Education; Library Science; Tenure; College Faculty

Abstract:
Few academic librarians ten or fifteen years ago would have believed that those days of flat-lined budgets and miniscule raises could ever seem a golden (or at least silver) age by comparison. It turns out that there is something even worse than uncertainty, however--the absolute certainty of budgetary constriction and unwise decisions. Fluctuations in enrollment and other sources of institutional income have long served as justification for growth in the proportion of part-time employees. Over the past few years another troubling pattern has emerged, one that might be termed the trivialization of the MLS. Some college libraries have systematically lowered the requirements for "librarian" positions until (in some cases) there is not even an absolute need for a bachelor's degree, much less an MLS. Library operating staff members are allowed to count years of experience as somehow equivalent to years of undergraduate and library school education. It is evident that many libraries have tried to deal with the very real problems facing them by carrying out variations on the techniques used by teaching faculty: change (lower) the requirements for librarians, hire fewer full-time librarians, and withhold benefits from part-time academic employment. It is evident that librarians can do nothing to solve the problem of graduate program excesses, but they can and should do something about their version of this issue, the exploited part-time or quasi-librarian. The forward-looking library can purposefully hire "associate" types--but then pay them decent salaries, work to make benefits available, and provide training and experience in many areas of librarianship. One may complain that benefits do not grow on trees, and certainly this is a time when health and other benefits of full-time workers are under attack. One way to deal with this problem would be to take both librarian and operating staff positions, when opened by retirement or resignation, and create an equivalent number of associate positions with full benefits, and salaries intermediate to both. Tuition in online MLS programs could be paid, at least in part, in order to help the associate become a trained librarian if s/he wanted to do so. While some have reservations about the online MLS, many of its issues are related to lack of library experience. If part or all of the tuition could be paid, it would be possible for experienced library associates to become fully trained librarians; not all would care to, but the option should exist. (Contains 13 footnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Library Education; Graduate Students; Elementary Secondary Education; School Libraries; Grade 5; Librarians; Skill Development; Case Studies; Formative Evaluation; Summative Evaluation; Partnerships in Education; Models; Reflection; Higher Education; Elementary School Students

Abstract:
This paper seeks to expand our understanding of how educators, and in particular school librarians, acquire and use professional-practice knowledge. This exploratory study, grounded in "lived practice" (Spillane, Hunt, and Healey, 2009) uses reflective analysis to amplify competencies and skill development in pre-service school library education. The project positions graduate students and fifth-grade students as teachers and learners, and challenges pre-service school librarians to learn to teach by reflecting upon professional practice during their field experience. In this case study pre-service school librarians reflect-in-action, reflect-on-action (D. Schon, 1987), and reflect-after-action (retrospective reflection) via the use of field notes, student work, interviews with Pre-K-12 students, and the development and implementation of formative and summative assessments as the pre-service school librarians worked together with fifth-graders on the design, development, and implementation of a technology-enhanced curriculum project. This study addresses the need, identified by scholars in this and related fields (Melser, 2004; Ravid and Handler, 2001), "to provide more information about the dynamics of collaboration" between university and school partnerships (Ravid and Handler, 2001, xi). (Contains 1 table, 1 figure and 1 footnote.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Distance Education; Continuing Education; Librarians; Educational Opportunities; Career Development; Professional Development; Educational Resources; Information Sources; Library Education; Training Methods

Abstract:
Distance librarians as engaged professionals work in a complex environment of changes in technologies, user expectations, and institutional goals. They strive to keep current with skills and competencies to support distance learners. This article provides a selection of continuing education opportunities for distance librarians, and is relevant for all practicing librarians. Suggestions include physical and virtual conferences, professional journals for reflective reading, short-term webinars about current topics and innovative approaches, blogs for sharing ideas, and discussion and interest groups for networking with colleagues about best practices, leadership, and serving academic populations. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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