2015-08-21
347
Dr Ruud A.C.Bruyns, Amsterdam University, The Netherlands
Let me tell you first that I am not a librarian by background, nor by education, nor by work. I know from my previous lectures that the majority of the audience said that I do not look like a librarian, by which they mean I do not come up to the image of the librarian in society. I also now from experience that I have to judge this as a compliment! Despite the fact that I am not a librarian, I do identify myself with the field of library and information… […]
In my opinion, the main reason for our crisis is the Image. Justified or not, society still considers a librarian or a documentalist as somebody who is exercising quite a dusty, dull profession. The image of the profession is relatively low, comparing with other professions. If one also takes into account that the average salary of a librarian can be considered as one of the lowest paid for people with a higher level of education, one can imagine that our education is not very popular with young students. It is also for this reason that our school – and not only we – tries to change its image. […]
What is necessary? To start with, we have to get rid of the term “librarian”, “libraries”, “librarianship” and so on, at least in the name of the department and/or the curriculum. By the name of the dept./institute you should make clear to society that you are educating people for the information sector in general. They are becoming information experts, or information specialists. A name like “Department of Information Science and Information Education” would do.
What subjects in the programme I proposed are essential? In my opinion, these are the following:
Marketing and marketing research; Tracing and making information accessible; Control of information (and information processes); Communication of information (verbal and on paper). For the benefit of these 4 subject much attention has also to be paid to technology (from being able to handle computers to building databases and retrieving information in all kind of networks). Last but not least, management topics are relevant. Graduated students of this programme must be able to plan and organise information activities. Although we are perhaps delivering graduates with sufficient technical skill, they are not capable of selling their work, to be creative, take initiatives, cooperate with others, and not to mention manage activities, processes or organisations. (…) A change of culture within the present LIS schools is necessary. (…) So it is up to you. Do we want to survive or do you want to hide behind the name of librarian, because it gives you some protection?
