I’m preparing a context-setting/provocation video for a workshop I’m facilitating at the upcoming Australian Information Education Symposium on ‘repackaging’ information education.
And I need your help! I’m looking for answers to the following three questions:
- What do you think is the biggest challenge we (as a profession) are facing today?
- What do you think are the three most important skills, knowledge or characteristics graduate information professionals?
- What do you think LIS education should start, stop and continue doing/teaching? (Just one thing for each.)
I want a strong professional voice to set the scene for this workshop with LIS academics, so have your say here!
Please indicate in your comment whether you are okay with having your response in the video and how (or if) you would like to be credited (ie will I use your name? Your Twitter handle?).
1. Biggest challenge is to hold on to identity and clear purpose when so many try to present us as about ‘information’. This tells those outside the profession that we can be sidelined, as after all ‘information’ is all online (and it is). This attempt at rebranding is our biggest failure.
2. Curiosity, change agent, people skills (I include communication with the people skills)
3. Stop trying to make them wannabe programmers (there’s another profession that does that).
Start requiring them to be constantly alert to and open to the changing environment
Continue to build a cultural understanding of the professional they belong to, so they graduate with an identity.
I’m happy to be identified, and you can use either my name or twitter handle.
1. Biggest Challenge is letting go of yesterday and dealing with today effectively so we are prepared for tomorrow. We waste so much time talking about ‘the future’ that we actually obscure all of the things we could be doing better right now that will set us on the right path for whatever the future may bring.
2. Communication Skills (in all forms), Systemic Thinking/analytical skills and Bricolage
3. Stop teaching them obscure programs as tech skills – so much easier to learn on the job.
Start to help them build an understanding of the bigger picture of our profession including professional ethics and how it all connects up.
Continue teaching them to be reflective practioners – but take it further – not just writing about how they felt about what they did but actually changing things.
I’m happy to be identified but please give me a heads up if you do. You can use either my name or my twitter handle.
It’s all about perception, particularly how others perceive our profession and what we do, how we do it , and why we do it. We need to be understood as facilitators and educators, not as storage devices and checkout chicks.
Just as important ref WHY we do what we do – need to get the message through that we have to be relevant to the parent organisation we serve (eg Council, Govt Dept, Hosp, etc). Having a view of the business that the parent org is in, and being able to demonstrate the contribution to the business is now of absolute importance.
PS what Carolyn said, feel free to use my name or twitter handle (cause, there is such a big difference!!)
I had to look up the term ‘bricolage’! Thank goodness for google define function…
1. I think a big challenge is the diversity of the profession. The tasks are very different in an academic library than they are in a public, special or government library but the skills are often very similar. Transferable skills is a soapbox of mine. Also the lack of any need to continue developing as a professional once qualified means you can do the same job for 20 years, or just do it for one year and repeat it 19 times. Accountability!
2. Communication/interpersonal skills, analytical skills, the desire to keep learning
3. Honestly the most useful thing I did in my undergrad LIS degree was the non-library major. Have done most learning on the job. I agree with the others that there are IT professionals out there – let’s focus on learning to communicate and collaborate with them rather than try to compete?
Kate I’m happy for you to identify me either with my twitter handle or my name (or my NGAC role if that helps). Good luck!