This from nother mailing list may be of interest
June S
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The University of Maryland's iSchool just published a report titled,
*Re-Envisioning the MLS: Findings, Issues, and Considerations. *
The full report can be found at:
http://mls.umd.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/ReEnvisioningFinalReport.pdf
- *The Shift in Focus to People and Communities*. A significant shift
that has occurred in information organizations. The shift de-emphasizes the
physical collections (to include digital content) to focus more on
individuals and the communities that they serve, in particular how
institutions can facilitate community and individual change and
transformation through learning, making, content creation, and other forms
of active and interactive engagement
.
- *Core Values Remain Essential*. Participants articulated a core set of
values that are fundamental to the MLS degree and information professionals
that included ensuring access, equity, intellectual freedom, privacy,
inclusion human rights, learning, social justice, preservation and
heritage, open government, and civic engagement.
- *Competencies for Future Information Professionals*. Information
professionals need to have a set of core competencies that include (among
others) the ability to lead and manage projects and people; to facilitate
learning and education either through direct instruction or other
interactions; to work with, and train others to use, a variety of
technologies. Additionally, information professionals need marketing and
advocacy skills; strong public speaking and written communication skills; a
strong desire to work with the public; problem-solving and the ability to
think and adapt instantaneously; knowledge of the principles and
applications of fundraising, budgeting, and policymaking; and relationship
building among staff, patrons, community partners, and funders.
- *The MLS May Not Be Relevant/Necessary in All Cases*. There is an
increasing acknowledgement that those with other degrees (e.g.,
Instructional Design/Education; Design; Social Work; Public Health;
Analytics; IT/IS; Human Resources Management) and skills might meet various
needs better and that our information organizations should be open to those
with a range of degrees other than the MLS.
- *Access for All*. The tension between the growing societal gaps
(income and other), a shrinking public sphere and social safety net,
wanting to help those with acute needs, not having the resources or skills
to, and questioning whether this is an appropriate role for information
organizations and professionals was a recurring theme throughout the
Re-Envisioning the MLS process.
- *Social Innovation and Change. *By forming partnerships, information
organizations are essential catalysts for creative solutions to community
challenges in a wide range of areas such as health, education and learning,
economic development, poverty and hunger, civic engagement, preservation
and cultural heritage, and research innovation.
- *Working with Data and Engaging in Assessment*. The data role for
information professionals is at least three-fold: 1) helping the
communities that they serve engage in a range of data-based activities; 2)
helping communities leverage data to better understand their communities,
community needs, and develop solutions to community challenges; and 3)
using data to demonstrate the contributions of their libraries, archives,
etc., to the community(ies) that they serve.
* - Knowing and Leveraging the Community. There is a need for information
professionals who can fully identify the different populations and needs of
the communities that they serve, their challenges, and underlying
opportunities. Additionally, our communities can serve as an extension of
an information organization’s services and resources. By leveraging the
community’s human resources, we can further enhance learning, education,
expertise, and innovation. *
- *Learning*/Learning Sciences, Education, and Youth. Information
organizations have a particular opportunity to foster learning by attending
to an individual’s particular interests, needs, and educational goals. An
opportunity exists in focusing on youth learning – including pre-k and
“readiness to read”, working with youth in schools, enhancing the
understanding of primary data/information sources including archival
materials, facilitating learning in libraries through making, STEAM
(Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math), coding, and a range of
other activities.
- *Digital Assets and Archival Thinking*. The emergence of “smart
communities” that are reliant on Big Data from sensors, open data, and
other data sources; the wealth of individual data/information generated by
Internet-enabled devices, social media, and continual content creation by
individuals and communities has created massive amounts of digital content
that requires individuals, organizations, communities, and institutions to
curate and manage their digital assets and digital identities.
Information professionals and organizations will play an increased role
helping these constituents understand, manage, and preserve the digital
assets/information they are creating.
--
June Samaras
KALAMOS BOOKS
(For Books about Greece)
2020 Old Station Rd
Streetsville,Ontario
Canada L5M 2V1
Tel : 905-542-1877
E-mail : kalamosbooks(a)gmail.com
www.kalamosbooks.comhttp://kalamosb.alibrisstore.com/http://www.antiqbook.com/books/bookseller.phtml/kal
