Exploring the future of libraries and library education

Exploring the future of libraries and library education

by Leslie Dillon, from Leader's Digest April 2007

The recent NEKLS (Northeast Kansas Library System) Tri-conference symposium asked 5 library leaders 2 questions:

What are the key trends that are influencing library and information services?
How will these trends influence [library/information science education] programs?

Here are a few remarks by the panelists that I think are the most relevant to us all:

Library as place--are our libraries the libraries we want or the libraries that our users want? And, when you build, how do you know what you will want in the future?
Technology skills are vital, especially for new hires.
Skype as a reference tool? (Wow! Is anybody trying it?)
Personal, to-your-desk, user-centric service--new technology tools can help us provide that user-centric service. We have competition that is good, convenient and accessible.
People need info 24/7. We need to not only deliver, but also to figure out where to deliver.
If MySpace were a country, it would be the 11th largest country in the world!
Libraries in the future will need to be marketed as if their livelihood depends upon it (it does!).
We need to reach people who are not using the library--we need to get out of the library.
Information literacy--how-to find information, how-to evaluate it, how-to use it.
One panelist's library is starting to mail out materials (Netflix model).

A reactor panel responded with these comments:

Need to be more technologically advanced; less focused on inner workings of the library.
It’s not about liking books; it’s about liking people.
Moving into an information consulting role.
Learning to mine new tools--e.g., LinkedIn.
Reach outside of your immediate realm--make connections.
Need strong project management skills-real project management skills.
Need strategic planning and budgeting skills.

(NEKLS Technology Weblog, Apr. 11, 2007, via Google Blog Alerts, Apr. 12, 2007.)

Impending librarian shortage: Real or not? - The May 2006 LLN Peer Panel considers whether we're educating librarians for jobs that may not exist.
Recruiting new library leaders, the September 2006 LLN Peer Panel, addresses some of the issues for future library leadership, specifically including the MLS requirement.
Library notes - Shorter notes on libraries and library services.