Shhh!

Challenges for the New Librarian with Technology

By A. Flinn

"The impact and pace of technological development over the last 50 years has affected all global citizens. Librarianship as a profession has been very profoundly shaped and impacted by this phenomenal development." (Saw & Todd & Todd, 2007).

New librarians are solidly immersed in Library 2.0 and face new challenges, unforeseen roles and responsibilities that even the best of educations could not prepare them for. "New librarians are prime candidates within the organization to be asked to work on technology-related projects." (Del Bosque & Lambert, 2009). Because of a more technology-driven environment, there has been an introduction of new job titles, such as digital librarian, web services librarian, metadata librarian, emerging technology librarians and this list will continue to grow.

So what are some of the issues that a new librarian is facing in a new technology focused workplace? The education that today's Library Science student receives is not enough to bridge the technology gap in the work place. Library Science institutions need to update portions of their curriculum to reflect the ever metamorphic field. In addition, institutions need to emphasize to students that even if they do not plan to purse a technical position they still need technical skills to be competitive within their chosen field. In a survey given to new librarians (with less than 9 years of service), librarians were asked about their expectations in regards to technology when they started library school. The graph below shows the students' expectations. However, in most cases, they only experience about thirty-five percent of the fifty-percent expectation.

"An additional obstacle for the entry into the workplace comes from the fact that each work place expects and supports a different level of expertise." (Del Bosque & Lambert, 2009). Because of this broad field of technology, it is hard for institutions to provide specific training. A response from a new librarian on this issue was, "There are so many aspects to technology in libraries that an MLS cannot possibly cover them all. As a student who did not know what area of librarianship I was going to enter, highly technical classes were a waste of time." (Del Bosque & Lambert, 2009). One of the conclusions that the survey produced was that, "No program of education will ever entirely fulfill the needs of employees or employers." (Del Bosque & Lambert, 2009).

Staying current on the trends in library technology is also the new librarian's responsibility. Some of the ways this can be accomplished is staying curious and exploring, and by keeping up on one's reading. This can also be accomplished by using technology outside the workplace, i.e. blogs, wikis, RSS aggregators. If a class or workshop is offered, make sure to attend; attend conferences, and get involved with committees that focus on technology issues. Librarians need to prepare themselves for lifelong learning, especially when it comes to the issue of technology.

References

Del Bosque, D. & Lampert, C. (2009). A Chance of storms: New librarians navigating technology tempests. Technical Services Quarterly, 26, 261-286. doi: 10.1080/0737130802678878

Saw, G. & Todd, H. (2007, August). Library 3.0: where art our skills? Paper presented at the meeting of World Library and Information Congress, Durban, South Africa.