I am very happy to announce I’m writing for LJ again! I thoroughly enjoyed writing The Transparent Library with Michael Casey for over two years – hopefully Michael and I can continue writing again soon! Those columns are some of my favorites. Now, I’m happy to be exploring avenues related to educating future librarians.
WELCOME TO “OFFICE HOURS,” a new space in Library Journal where we’ll explore what’s happening in library and information science education. In the coming months we’ll talk about the ongoing discourse about LIS schools; research that informs us, our users, and our facilities; and stories from the trenches on the realities of working toward a degree at a time when libraries are facing serious competition. Google, Netflix, Apple, Amazon, and the web itself are all in the running for bits and pieces of our core services and foundational practices.
Just as librarians work to align with our fast-changing world, so should LIS education. That’s the concept of Office Hours—and thanks to Aaron Schmidt, author of LJ’s The User Experience, for suggesting the title.
I am looking forward to exploring various topics and ideas surrounding the current state and future of library education. I welcome all comments and suggestions for future columns. The more I ponder it, the more I see LIS EDU as a collaborative effort between faculty, students, practitioners, and technologists. The world can now be our learning laboratory. What do you think?
A bit more to close – please read the whole column and let me know what you think –
If the online world is not for you, then neither may be a career in librarianship. The most prevalent LIS jobs in the next few years will probably be ones where you’re not tied to your desk and you communicate well beyond the physical walls of the building.
It’s not just students who should participate in this online world. Librarians must find their niche as well. Five years ago the conversation went on in blogs. Now it flows vibrantly across media platforms, enabling a stronger connection with library users through marketing, outreach, and the human touch.