Library Education And Employer Expectations

This unique new volume considers how well new librarians are being prepared for the profession. Here, in one easy-to-reference volume, are the valuable opinions, perspectives, and facts of those who influence library education, those who are responsible for it, and those who are the recipients of it. Intended for those who are considering entering the library profession, professors of library and information science, current students in library school, and for administrators of academic, school, public, and special libraries that employ library school graduates, this comprehensive volume features chapters that are both candid and philosophical. In Library Education and Employer Expectation, the question of preparation is discussed from several perspectives by individuals representing various aspects of the library profession. Potential employers of those with library degrees spell out their expectations of potential employees, voice their views on how well library education is preparing those who choose to go into the profession, and give suggestions aimed to help library educators to better meet employer expectations. Persons representing academic, school, public, law, health science, and state libraries, as well as a major network and the archival profession are among the contributors. This volume also represents the library school perspective. Deans of a public and private library school explain present library education philosophy, tell of specific objectives of their schools, indicate the type of student they like to attract, spell out constraints under which they work, and indicate expectations they have of future employers of their graduates. Another important dimension presented is that of the recent gradute who has been on the job for a few years. These authors indicate why they decided to go into the profession, detail why they chose the library school they did, tell what they expected to get out of library school education, and spell out how well library school prepared them for the profession. Another perspective represented in Library Education and Employer Expectations is that of the accreditation body. A thorough coverage of the Committee on Accreditation's role in library education is given by the Chair of the committee. An issue very much associated with the topic of library education and employer expectations is that of the value of the ALA accredited degree. A recented study undertaken by a librarian reports on how Association of Research Libraries’directors value the ALA accredited degree for potential employees. Included in the study is a summary of what appears in job ads in the professional literature about ALA accredited degree requirements.

Conflicting objectives: fact or fiction? Library school prospectuses: a content analysis; Job advertisements as reflections of employer expectations.

Music librarianship¿a profession that brings joy and satisfaction to many¿is subject to constant change that requires, in turn, continual adaptation from its practitioners so that they become comfortable with new technologies and formats, changing standards, and fresh approaches. Relevant and solid training and education are crucial to success in this field, but they alone are insufficient to guarantee placement or promotion. Recent economic shifts have created additional instability, leaving graduates from programs in librarianship sometimes unemployed and with little feedback about the quality of their experience and education while their employed counterparts likewise have little knowledge of their skills¿ relevance to the current job market. Knowledge of training, education, and current employer expectations for music librarians can help ease such concerns and pave the way for a successful career or career change. As with the two previous editions of Careers in Music Librarianship, this volume provides career resources and guidance for current and future librarians, as well as insights for mentors and educators working with these populations. With this volume, the contributors provide a selection of readings that can help people in and considering this profession to make realistic, informed, and strategic decisions about how to succeed in it. As the profession changes, so must the professionals within it, and everyone involved with music librarianship will benefit from the guidance offered in this exciting, new book.

In The Management of Library and Information Studies Education, leading educators discuss the management and various components of library and information education as they pertain to accreditation standards for library and information schools. It brings together valuable information on library accreditation essential to all library professionals concerned with the goals of professional education for library and information studies. Deans, professors, librarians, and students at library schools will find valuable insights into the management of library and information studies education and its applications to the components that accompany the structure of their profession. This informative volume addresses the rationales, strategies, and trends in library science, as well as the influences from other disciplines, that impact the management of library education. Contributors identify topics that look to the future to help readers with long-range planning and management for library education. This comprehensive book is divided into seven sections, each covering a different area of the management of library education, such as: the timetable for the revision of the 1972 Standards for Accreditation the mission, goals, and objectives of library and information science educational institutions generally, with an examination of the philosophies and availability of various programs around the country the traditional curricula in the library and information science school and its enhancement and expansion challenges in faculty management--setting priorities between the demands to teach and advise, to conduct research, and to contribute to the university generally examination of the management of students and analysis of demographic characteristics, diversification, admission standards, and recruitment patterns financial support and funding for library and information science schools assessment of the management of an evaluation; accreditation policies and procedures and the activities involved before, during, and after an on site visit Educators in library and information studies programs, university administrators, and those interested in libraries will find The Management of Library and Information Studies Education to be required reading. Those interested in accreditation issues and evaluation practices as well as management in general will find this book to be of lasting value in setting goals and manageable objectives for a wide variety of institutions and organizations.

Education and training for the library profession have changed over the decades, and this publication looks both at the past and the future of these developments at schools of library and information science as well as the role of IFLA's Section on Education and Training. The chapters cover regional developments in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and the Americas; special topics, such as quality assurance and case studies; and future considerations in LIS education.