21st Century Librarian Skills
Meredith Farkas’ posted on the 21st century librarian and the necessary skills. She says,
“what I really think library schools aren’t teaching students is the “big picture” topics; how to really be able to keep up with technology, make good decisions about its implementation, use it and sell it to others.”
I agree with her list of competencies:
1. Ability to embrace change
2. Comfort in the online medium
3. Ability to troubleshoot new technologies
4. Ability to easily learn new technologies
5. Ability to keep up with new ideas in technology and librarianship (enthusiasm for learning)
I believe this goes for teacher training, as well. In the K-12 setting, I particularly see this need as we librarians often serve as technology leaders and/or troubleshooters in some capacity.
There exists arguments to the effect that the library and librarians are (or will be soon) unnecessary. I disagree; although we have available the technology to find most, if not all, of our information needs the public still lacks the ability to efficiently find, evaluate and use that information. I continue to see that in our students. There’s an information illiteracy that we as librarians are needed to address. The best way for us to address it is through these competencies that Meredith lays out. I, as so many others who commented on her post, received very minimal technology training in library school, which for me was 2000-2002.
Read her post, as well as the comments and her continued post(s) on the topic.
Information Wants To Be Free » Blog Archive » Skills for the 21st Century Librarian
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