Requirements for library and information work and the role of library education

Abstract

Since librarianship is making available and exploiting information for the benefit of people, librarians must know about information resources, about people, and about systems for linking resources and people. They need (1) basic abilities – literacy and numeracy; (2) organizational qualities, including vision, a questioning approach, perspective, problem-solving and analytical skills (which are essential), communication and social skills, political and economic skills, a sense of service and an ability to accept uncertainty; (3) ‘professional’ knowledge relevant to librarianship; and (4) practical library skills. ‘Professional’ knowledge can be fairly easily learnt, and skills can and must be acquired in practice. Literacy and numeracy, which are more basic, should be acquired at school, but may need to be further developed. Organizational qualities cannot be taught; they need cultivation in a good environment. Full-time one-off education, for which ‘professional’ pretensions requiring a qualification are largely responsible, is unsuited to developing any of these requirements; continuous learning and development are necessary. A broader course in Communication Studies could provide a background for various jobs as well as librarianship. Meanwhile, library education could be improved by several measures, mostly involving greater integration with practice. Library practitioners must also change their attitudes and practices.