Week 10The Future of LIS

Kathleen Burnett, FSULinda Smith, UIUCHarry Bruce, UW

Outline• Administrivia• The KALIPER Project

- LIS profession / Trends• Information Organizations

- Learning & working experiences• Presentations• Course Wrap Up

KALIPER

• Kellogg-ALISE Information Professions and Education Reform (KALIPER) Project

• Concerned with the shaping of Library and Information Science education in the 21st Century

• KALIPER found that LIS programs appear to be changing on a number of fronts

KALIPER

• LIS curricula are: - Incorporating perspectives from other

disciplines- Becoming more user centered

• The structure of the curriculum is changing• There is an infusion of technology

KALIPER

• By 2000, a small group of influential programs had already dropped “Library” from their names

• Broadened focus of LIS education over the last decade

• Rise of the Internet and the World Wide Web crisis/opportunity for LIS programs

KALIPER: Context

• Libraries and librarians have always been early adopters of IT

• The claim that the Internet will replace libraries is based on questionable assumptions

KALIPER: Context

• Three common misconceptions are:1) all useful information exists somewhere

on the Internet2) Information is available without cost, &3) It can be found by anyone willing to

spend enough time searching for it

KALIPER: Purpose

• KALIPER asked: “What evidence/indicators that suggest dynamic curricular changes are occurring in the education for information professionals?”

KALIPER: Findings

• TREND #1: In addition to libraries as institutions and library-specific operations, Library and Information Science (LIS) curricula are addressing broad-based information environments and information problems

KALIPER: Findings

• TREND #2: While LIS curricula incorporate perspec-tives from other disciplines, a distinct core has taken shape that is predominantly user-centered

KALIPER: Findings

• TREND # 3: LIS schools programs are increasing the investment & infusion of information technology into their curricula

KALIPER: Findings

• TREND #4: LIS schools and programs are experimenting with the structure of specialization within the curriculum

KALIPER: Findings

• TREND #5: LIS schools and programs are offering instruction in different formats to provide students with more flexibility

KALIPER: Findings

• TREND #6: LIS schools and programs are expanding their curricula by offering related degrees at the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels

KALIPER: Implications

• Convergence• New discipline of information

Information Organizations in the 21st Century

• Information organizations- Systems thinking- Learning organizations

• Learning in the “Academy”- Learning theories

• Intersection

Information Organizations in the 21st Century

• FSU / SIS Case Study1) learning & working in an associative,

collaborative community of learners- a web of relationships- interrelated internship experiences

Information Organizations in the 21st Century

2) learning & working by interacting with a rich/enriched environment in a

“knowing organization- learning contract- virtual internships

Information Organizations in the 21st Century

3) learning & working in a global yet personalized organization

- using the web to find internships

Information Organizations in the 21st Century

4) learning & working in a flexible, open environment, willing to explore despite the current “chaos” with a belief in

ultimate order- out of seeming chaos, order

Information Organizations in the 21st Century

5) learning & working through a process of action and reflection- lies at the core of the learning & organization theory - the reflective practitioner

Information Organizations in the 21st Century

• Merging of organization theory and learning theory Collaborative networked environment Need to consider how best to structure

the learning experience so students can call upon their own resources

Class Discussion