reinventing librariansarticl
LIBRARIANS LEARN TO TALK
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The changing nature of an old profession
Lin Yanqin
yanqinl@newstoday.com.sg
TERMS such as "information hub" and "knowledge economy" are constantly bounced around these days, but exactly what it takes to enter the information science industry is still debated, right down to the very nature of the profession.
This was one of the key issues discussed recently at the inaugural Asia-Pacific Conference on Library and Information Education and Practice, organised by Nanyang Technological University's School of Communication and Information (SCI).
The conference brought together Library and Information Science (LIS) researchers and practitioners from all over the world to discuss the challenges of knowledge management.
"Librarians used to be only for libraries," said Assoc-Prof Christopher Choo of SCI's division of Information Studies.
"Now businesses understand that they have to keep good records to be efficient. And given the current employment situation where lifetime employment doesn't happen as much, it's even more important for companies to keep records to retain expertise."
Assoc-Prof Choo - whose division offers post-graduate programmes in information studies, information systems, and knowledge management - also highlighted a new breed of librarians.
The "new" librarian, whe-ther working in corporations or libraries, needs to have people skills and entrepreneurial instincts.
"They have to go out and explain to people how they can benefit them, and be able to provide the service. Right now, we are training our students to enjoy talking to people to find out what they want," he said.
Some 25 to 30 per cent of the graduates from SCI go on to work in libraries, while others move on to info-management jobs as well as project management jobs in the IT sector.
"There's actually a shortage of people going into the traditional library science modules," said Assoc-Prof Choo.
"But recently, we noticed a resurgence in interest, and even the employment sector is growing, the libraries are open for recruitment."
Businesses are increasingly recognising the need to manage their documents and resources, and they are hiring LIS graduates to do it, said Assoc-Prof Choo.
Currently, businesses who hire knowledge management personnel tend to hire them from within the industry, because they prefer the specialists to have industry knowledge.
"To keep up, the LIS graduate must be able to adapt fast and understand the industry quickly when they enter," said Assoc-Prof Choo.
Traditional librarians also need to reinvent themselves. "They can't just be sitting in libraries anymore. They need to go out and find out what people want to read and what information they are looking for."
SCI will be consulting with the National Library Board to understand better the industry's new skills.
"But in the end, all this has to come from the heart. You have to be really interested in people and their needs, and how to meet them," he said.
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The changing nature of an old profession
Lin Yanqin
yanqinl@newstoday.com.sg
TERMS such as "information hub" and "knowledge economy" are constantly bounced around these days, but exactly what it takes to enter the information science industry is still debated, right down to the very nature of the profession.
This was one of the key issues discussed recently at the inaugural Asia-Pacific Conference on Library and Information Education and Practice, organised by Nanyang Technological University's School of Communication and Information (SCI).
The conference brought together Library and Information Science (LIS) researchers and practitioners from all over the world to discuss the challenges of knowledge management.
"Librarians used to be only for libraries," said Assoc-Prof Christopher Choo of SCI's division of Information Studies.
"Now businesses understand that they have to keep good records to be efficient. And given the current employment situation where lifetime employment doesn't happen as much, it's even more important for companies to keep records to retain expertise."
Assoc-Prof Choo - whose division offers post-graduate programmes in information studies, information systems, and knowledge management - also highlighted a new breed of librarians.
The "new" librarian, whe-ther working in corporations or libraries, needs to have people skills and entrepreneurial instincts.
"They have to go out and explain to people how they can benefit them, and be able to provide the service. Right now, we are training our students to enjoy talking to people to find out what they want," he said.
Some 25 to 30 per cent of the graduates from SCI go on to work in libraries, while others move on to info-management jobs as well as project management jobs in the IT sector.
"There's actually a shortage of people going into the traditional library science modules," said Assoc-Prof Choo.
"But recently, we noticed a resurgence in interest, and even the employment sector is growing, the libraries are open for recruitment."
Businesses are increasingly recognising the need to manage their documents and resources, and they are hiring LIS graduates to do it, said Assoc-Prof Choo.
Currently, businesses who hire knowledge management personnel tend to hire them from within the industry, because they prefer the specialists to have industry knowledge.
"To keep up, the LIS graduate must be able to adapt fast and understand the industry quickly when they enter," said Assoc-Prof Choo.
Traditional librarians also need to reinvent themselves. "They can't just be sitting in libraries anymore. They need to go out and find out what people want to read and what information they are looking for."
SCI will be consulting with the National Library Board to understand better the industry's new skills.
"But in the end, all this has to come from the heart. You have to be really interested in people and their needs, and how to meet them," he said.