Emerald | Librarian Career Development | Table of Contents

Does culture create new jobs in the information society?: Strategic issues and new professional profiles

literatinetwork@emeraldinsight.com (Ingo-Eric M. Schmidt-Braul) — Wed, 01 Dec 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract

The demand for professionals qualified for handling multimedia services and products has increased significantly in recent years and today there is a lack of staff with competencies corresponding to the demands of the information society in most businesses. However, new competencies are needed if new and interesting products are to be developed in order to make business prosperous. This is also an important issue for the cultural sector which needs to re-qualify staff in order to compete with other businesses on the provision of information. This implies that information professionals and knowledge workers must be educated and further trained, requiring a qualification campaign on a broad basis. New qualifications are needed within the traditional cultural industries and institutions - people with technical skills as well as readiness for lifelong learning - if the new possibilities and challenges are to be met.

Ahead of the game: Developing academic library staff for the twenty-first century

literatinetwork@emeraldinsight.com (Alasdair Paterson) — Wed, 01 Dec 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract

The paper looks at issues and trends in the building of a learning organisation for the coming century. There is initial consideration of the concept of the “hybrid library”, a phrase descriptive of the current evolutionary stage as perceived by British academic libraries, and some analysis of what this implies for the future skills requirement of information workers. Mechanisms for ensuring cyclic training and development are described, principally addressing the concepts of investment in people and organisational culture; here there is an exploration of externally administered formal schemes to assess commitment, planning, action and evaluation in relation to training programmes, the effectiveness of which is judged in terms of meeting business goals; and gauge cultural awareness within an organisation. Finally, there is some consideration of the leadership role of the library and information service director, including the availability of preparatory and ongoing leadership training.

Managing electronic reserves: New opportunities and new roles for academic librarians?

literatinetwork@emeraldinsight.com (Christine Dugdale) — Wed, 01 Dec 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract

Digital services can solve some problems facing print-based academic libraries. They also provide opportunities for librarians to become proactive by adopting pivotal roles in shaping their institutions’ teaching and learning strategies. Digital collections take information outside libraries’ physical confines. As managers of digital information systems, librarians cannot remain mere intermediaries, though some find that digital collections present unwanted learning challenges and threats to current working practices. Librarians must develop new roles and working practices and initiate the cultural changes that will alter others’ perceptions of them. An electronic collection can underpin current pedagogic styles, initiate new teaching and learning practices and support lifelong learning skills through the close collaboration and interchange of professional academic and librarian roles. The potentiality of such collaboration is currently being explored through the expansion of the ResIDe Electronic Library at the University of the West of England, Bristol.

Training for the new library network