Information science education and library and information studies education: Transnational conversations

2019 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 586-589
Author(s):  
Terry Weech ◽  
Clara M. Chu ◽  
Sandra Hirsh ◽  
Heidi Julien ◽  
Mary Anne Kennan ◽  
...  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 72-75
Author(s):  
Subhash Khode

The concept of open access has been increased in recent years around the world and India is also contributing in open access movement actively. e-LIS is an international open repository in the field of library and information science established in 2003 and as of today e-LIS contains 21,123 various types of documents. The basic aim of this study is to provide an analysis of Indian contribution towards open access movement, particularly the documents submitted in the e-LIS. This study provides analysis of 1090 various types of documents submitted to e-LIS (Eprint for Library and Information Science) from India as on 30 January, 2019. It found that the position of India in terms of number of documents submitted in the e-LIS is first among Asian countries. The maximum documents (432) are submitted as” Journal Article (Print and Online)” and maximum documents (72) are published in 2006.The maximum numbers of submitted articles (35) were published in “Annals of Library and Information Studies”.


2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jackie Druery ◽  
Nancy McCormack ◽  
Sharon Murphy

Objective - The term “best practice” appears often in library and information science literature, yet, despite the frequency with which the term is used, there is little discussion about what is meant by the term and how one can reliably identify a best practice. Methods – This paper reviews 113 articles that identify and discuss best practices, in order to determine how “best practices” are distinguished from other practices, and whether these determinations are made on the basis of consistent and reliable evidence. The review also takes into account definitions of the term to discover if a common definition is used amongst authors. Results – The “evidence” upon which papers on “best practices” are based falls into one of the following six categories: 1) opinion (n=18, 15%), 2) literature reviews (n=13, 12%), 3) practices in the library in which the author works (n=19, 17%), 4) formal and informal qualitative and quantitative approaches (n=16, 14%), 5) a combination of the aforementioned (i.e., combined approaches) (n=34, 30%), and 6) “other” sources or approaches which are largely one of a kind (n=13, 12%). There is no widely shared or common definition of “best practices” amongst the authors of these papers, and most papers (n=94, 83%) fail to define the term at all. The number of papers was, for the most part, split evenly amongst the six categories indicating that writers on the subject are basing “best practices” assertions on a wide variety of sources and evidence. Conclusions – Library and information science literature on “best practices” is rarely based on rigorous empirical methods of research and therefore is generally unreliable. There is, in addition, no widely held understanding of what is meant by the use of the term.


2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-27
Author(s):  
Stephanie Luke

EBSCO's Library and Information Science Source (LISS) is a subscription database that was developed from the merger of EBSCO and H.W. Wilson in 2011. LISS features journals, periodicals, conference proceedings, monographs, and book reviews in the field of library and information studies. It includes full-text access to over 180 journals in both English and other languages. It also provides extensive indexing, a comprehensive thesaurus, and coverage from as early as the 1930s. The database's lack of OA content is at odds with library science's increasing commitment to freely accessible content. LISS will be of the most interest to institutions with large library staff as well as those that offer a degree program in library and information studies.


Librarians start to form their professional identities during their Master’s of Library and Information Science/Studies programs. With this in mind, this chapter explores how technology is taught in Library and Information Studies (LIS) programs by examining the core course offerings at 51 of the 57 American Library Association’s accredited programs. Technology-focused courses are the sixth most commonly offered core courses by LIS programs, and an examination of their content using course descriptions and available syllabi indicated that the content taught in these courses matched with expectations as described in competency standards from professional organizations. This indicated that LIS programs are teaching an understanding of technology that agrees with how practising librarians understand technology. The recent iSchool movement has led some professional librarians to claim that LIS programs are no longer offering an education that is relevant for today’s information world. This chapter finds that this claim is false and that the LIS education offered by both iSchools and non-iSchools appears to meet professional expectations for technology education. What the iSchool movement offers LIS education, however, is an expanded understanding of how information users interact with technology in all information settings, not just the library. This provides librarians with a broader understanding of patrons’ information needs. Finally, there is a brief examination of international LIS education, with specific attention to how it is emerging in developing countries.


2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren H. Mandel

Abstract Objective – Often people enter libraries focused on their primary information needs and haven't considered their need for spatial information to find their way to what they need. This presents unique wayfinding information challenges for libraries. Papers on library wayfinding often include some discussion of the lack of wayfinding research in libraries, but apparently there has been no comprehensive review of the LIS literature on wayfinding. Methods – This paper is a comprehensive review of library wayfinding literature, using the Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text (via EBSCOhost) database to collect the dataset. Results – Findings indicate a small collection of library wayfinding research, primarily focused on academic libraries. Conclusion – Empirical research in this area is limited. Suggestions for future research on library wayfinding, including potential foci for that research, are presented.


Author(s):  
Joan C Bartlett

Program objective – The objective of this course (GLIS691 – Bioinformatics) was to provide formal bioinformatics education within a master of library and information studies (MLIS) program. As bioinformatics becomes increasingly integral to biomedical research, there is a need for librarians to expand their practice into the domain of bioinformatics, supporting the efficient and accurate use of these complex resources. We developed this course, the first such course offered in a Canadian library school, in response to the demand for librarians to be able to support bioinformatics information needs. Setting – The course was offered in the winter term of 2005 in the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, McGill University. Participants – Course participants were MLIS students. Program – The course took a library and information science perspective to bioinformatics. The goal was to provide students with the skills and knowledge to provide information services in the domain of bioinformatics and to collaborate in the design and development of bioinformatics resources. This included understanding the field of bioinformatics and the range of resources, the needs and requirements of user groups, practical searching skills, the creation of resources, and the role of the librarian. Conclusions – This course represents one approach to providing formal bioinformatics education for librarians. Librarians who are knowledgeable and proficient in bioinformatics will be able to expand the role of the library into this domain; apply their knowledge, skills, and expertise in a complex, chaotic information environment; and develop the essential role of the librarian in the domain of bioinformatics.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 126-141
Author(s):  
Emily Kingsland

Abstract Objective – Feminist pedagogy in library instruction presents a new approach to actively engaging students in the research process. While feminist pedagogy in universities found early adoption in the 1970s, it is a newer phenomenon in library instruction, finding its early roots in works by Ladenson (2010), Accardi (2010), and Accardi and Vukovic (2013). By fostering active engagement and critical thinking skills, feminist library instruction sessions encourage students to question authority, actively participate in the knowledge production process, and become aware of their power and information privilege as they navigate increasingly complex information environments. At its core, this specific pedagogical approach subverts traditional classroom dynamics by focusing on diversity and inclusion. This literature review demonstrates how feminist pedagogy is currently being practiced in academic library information literacy sessions and how students can be assessed in a feminist manner. Methods – Practitioners of feminist pedagogy draw on techniques and methodologies designed to emphasize and value different experiences, such as cooperative learning, collaborative learning, inquiry-based learning, and inquiry-guided learning. These techniques and methodologies are used to develop students’ information literacy skills, to take ownership of the research process, and to stimulate critical inquiry. For the literature review, the following databases were searched: Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) on the ProQuest platform; Library & Information Science Abstracts (LISA); Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts (LISTA); Scopus; and Web of Science Core Collection. Hand searching in WorldCat, as well as cited reference searching and bibliography mining, were also conducted. The searches were run between November 2018 and April 2019, followed by a second round in July 2019 based on participant feedback from the 2019 EBLIP10 conference. Case studies, books, book chapters, literature reviews, research papers, interviews, surveys, and papers based on statistical and qualitative analysis were consulted. Results – While some librarians may lack familiarity with feminist theory, feminism writ large influences academic librarians’ professional practice (Schroeder & Hollister, 2014). Librarians can incorporate feminist pedagogy into their practice and assessment in many concrete ways. However, librarians who focus on feminist pedagogy may face obstacles in their teaching, which may explain why publications on feminist pedagogical discourse within library and information studies have emerged only within the last decade (Fritch, 2018; Hackney et al., 2018). The most common challenge feminist librarians face is the restrictive nature of the standalone, one-shot information literacy session. Moreover, there is much room for improvement in library and information studies programs to introduce students to the theory and practice of feminist pedagogy. Conclusion – This paper highlights examples of feminist methods librarians can put into practice in their information literacy sessions and ways in which students can be assessed in a feminist manner. The literature demonstrates that feminist pedagogy has been successfully implemented for decades in universities. By comparison, practicing feminist pedagogy at the library instruction level is a relatively new area of focus within the profession. Hopefully, this growing trend will lead to more evidence based literature in the near future. 


Author(s):  
V. Tsvetkova

The paper is dedicated to the 90-th anniversary of Rujero Sergeevich Gilyarevsky, one of the most prominent and respected scholars in the national book, library and information studies. The main stages of his professional career are characterized in brief: his working for All-Union State Library for Foreign Literature, Moscow Library Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences All-Russia Institute for Sci-tech Information (VINITI) and Moscow State University. Special attention is given to his theses researches (1958 and 1989), and his scholarly works – among them, the most popular monograph “The basics of the information science” (“Osnovy informatiki”, in Russian), all of them contributed a lot to our professional knowledge. His areas of expertise are: science information and communication, computer technologies (in particular, the problems of hypertext and e-books), and information management. The author discusses the most important vectors of Gilyarevsky’s professional work, i. e. teaching at the Journalism Department of Moscow State University, supervising post-graduates and doctoral students, and editing and publishing journals in the information science (“Sci-tech Information”, series 1 and 2, International Forum on Information). The width and depth of Gilyarevsky’s academic interests are emphasized.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (11) ◽  
pp. 17-24
Author(s):  
G. Varganova

The author analyzes the origins of interest towards philosophical issues the book and library scientists and researcher bibliographers take. The need for more close interaction between philosophy and the library and information science in the circumstances of transition from information society to knowledge society and digital economy is substantiated. The process of cognitive institutionalization of philosophical knowledge in the library and information science is examined. The author analyzes several works by Arkady V. Sokolov on the content and specific features of bibliosophy as a philosophical system focused on biblioshere within the historical context. The key functions of philosophical knowledge are discussed as related to library and information science which enables rationalizing and reliable, accurate and relevant assessment of multiple and unique processes and phenomena in this disciplines. The focus is made on the worldview, ontological, gnoseological, methodological and axiological functions. The authors emphasizes the role of philosophy in developing conceptual, theoretical, logical and methodological structures for serious study of bibliosphere and its rational perception as one of the fundamental cultural segments


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