Número: 35

Education and Research

How to implement entrepreneurship in LIS education: a Danish example

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The effectuation model

The present article intends to illustrate how entrepreneurship-centered teaching and learning can be implemented in a LIS-specific context while at the same time thematizing the challenges of implementing entrepreneurship in a general university context. The paper presents a concept of teaching and learning that is designed partly to meet academic requirements and partly to work satisfactorily, and in an appropriate manner, in a specifically LIS-related (i.e., a non-business) context. The theoretical basis of this teaching- and learning-related concept is explained and discussed. In addition, the article presents particular experiences, results and achievements obtained in seminars and course units at the Royal School of Library and Information Science, where the concept was developed.

Change and Innovation in European Library and Information Science Education

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This review article examines current trends and developments in higher education and considers how library and information science institutions have responded to these. The contribution of LIS institutions to innovation and change in Europe is examined through institutional case studies in the following institutions: the Institute of Information Science and Information Systems, University of Graz, Austria; the Institute of Information Studies of Tallinn University, Estonia; the Department of Library Science and Information Systems, the Alexander Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki, Greece; the Faculty of Communication of Vilnius University, Lithuania; and the Swedish School of Library and Information Science, University of Borås, Sweden. This paper follows up the study conducted in 2003 by Virkus and Wood (2004, 2005), who analyzed trends and developments in higher education and the responses to these by LIS institutions. The findings of the study are used to identify the main challenges for LIS education.

The challenges of training in Library and Information Science

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  [Versió catalana | Versión castellana] Ernest Abadal Dean of the Faculty of Library and Information Science University of Barcelona abadal@ub.edu   1 Training, a cause for concern It is perhaps hard to experience in first person as many sad endings in university Library and Information Science (LIS) centres as Blaise Cronin has. Cronin studied in … Read more

Rethinking Library and Information Studies in Spain: Crossing the boundaries*

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Espanya. Les Ciències de la Informació estan adscrites a altres disciplines (facultats / departaments)

Objectives: The main objectives of this paper are to provide an overview of the current state of studies in library and information science in Spanish universities and to discuss the challenges this discipline is facing and the strategies that might strengthen the position of LIS-related studies and professional practice. But the paper also reconsiders why LIS in Spain is crossing the boundaries in two ways. First, it examines interdisciplinarity in LIS and identifies some of the travel companions LIS has made on its journey across the boundaries; and second, it analyzes the negative social repercussions LIS has experienced. Finally, the paper proposes initiatives to mitigate the low visibility of LIS education and the profession as a whole.

Methodology: Data were gathered from the official agencies the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (National Institute of Statistics, INE) and the Red de Centros y Departamentos de Información y Documentación (Network of University Centres and Departments of Information and Documentation, RUID). Further data were obtained from the annual reports of Spanish universities.

Results: We describe the current situation of undergraduate courses, master’s degrees and doctoral programmes. Among other observations, we note the general decrease in the demand for LIS undergraduate studies and we propose that the increase in postgraduate studies is unsatisfactory. Finally we reflect on the challenges that these studies are currently facing in this country and suggest strategies that may be used to strengthen the position of both LIS education and the profession as a whole.

Assigning metadata to EPUB3 digital ebooks. Part 1: EPUB3 specifications for metadata

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Objectius: descriure els mecanismes i la funció de les metadades internes i descriptives en el format EPUB3 segons els estàndards vigents i les bones pràctiques difoses per la indústria editorial, i identificar un conjunt de recomanacions especialment orientades a petits editors o autors que s’autoediten les obres.

Metodologia: l’article és descriptiu i instructiu, ja que a partir de l’explicació de l’estructura interna d’un llibre en format EPUB3 s’expliquen els diferents elements de metadades, els estàndards corresponents, la seva estructura i els possibles valors. El conjunt de propostes s’exemplifica a partir d’un cas d’estudi.

Resultats: el format EPUB disposa de mecanismes de descripció del context, el contingut i l’estructura dels llibres que emulen, en origen, els instruments específicament orientats a la catalogació, una mostra de la consolidació del model de metadades en origen. Els autors recomanen especialment la inclusió dels cinc elements de metadades obligatoris, tres dels quals (identificador, títol i idioma) dins l’esquema Dublin Core i dos segons un esquema propi, per descriure la data de la darrera modificació i la durada dels mitjans audiovisuals inclosos.

Library and Information Education in Europe: an overview

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The article describes the current situation of Library and Information Science (LIS) education in the European Union. European centres offering LIS-related programmes were identified using an IFLA directory and were classified in eight disciplines. The characteristics of the undergraduate and graduate programmes offered by these schools and departments, and any experience of domestic or international collaboration, were recorded through visits to their websites. The results show the absence of a common European approach to LIS education and a very low level of activity in domestic or international partnerships. Most undergraduate degrees combine a grounding in general culture with courses in technology, languages and practical training. In many cases there are no clear differences between undergraduate and graduate programmes; the programmes have similar names and no target audiences are specified. In addition to the general postgraduate degrees in librarianship and archive studies, most programmes revolve around digital curation, business information services and data analytics.

New career opportunities and their impact on Library and Information Science degrees, an exploratory study

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In the USA and Canada, there has been considerable effort on the part of program providers of professional degrees in Library and Information Science to expand job opportunities for graduates of their programs beyond the traditional placement in libraries. This has led to the development of specializations in topics such as Data Curation and Data Analysis. In other cases, new degrees in Information Management and Knowledge Management have been developed and offered in the effort of improving job placement results of graduates. Expanding placement opportunities for graduates of programs educating information professionals is often referred to as developing alternative career opportunities to the traditional jobs for information professionals in libraries and related organizations such as archives and museums. Such programs often focus on the broader term information and promote education and research for the information professions beyond the traditional LIS professions in libraries and related institutions. A number of schools no longer offer LIS degrees, but offer degrees in Information instead. This paper examines the patterns of name changes found in degrees and programs in schools with American Library Association accredited programs and presents an analysis of the reported impact on alternative and/or new career opportunities on the graduates specifically with Information Management degrees. Suggestions are made for further research needed to determine the success of these new degrees as well as issues related to the relevance of accreditation of programs by the American Library Association in the context of the changes taking place in LIS education.

Crowdsourcing in the memory institutions: mass transcriptions*

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Classificació dels diferents tipus de crowdsourcing [elaboració pròpia a partir d'Estellés-Arolas i González-Ladrón-de-Guevara (2012)]

In recent years, the growth of web-based social participation and the open source movement have prompted a number of initiatives, including the movement known as crowdsourcing . This paper examines crowdsourcing as a volunteering phenomenon and considers what motivates individuals to participate in crowdsourcing. In addition, the paper reviews the main projects in mass transcription being made in memory institutions worldwide (libraries, archives, museums and galleries), briefly introducing each project and analyzing its main features. Finally, a selection of best practices is offered to guide institutions in the implementation of mass transcription projects.

Issue 35 (December 2015)

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  Tribune Research challenges: The pathway to engagement and progress || Lynn Silipigni Connaway The challenges of training in Library and Information Science || Ernest Abadal Articles Library and Information Education in Europe: an overview || Ángel Borrego Change and Innovation in European Library and Information Science Education || Sirje Virkus Rethinking Library and Information Studies … Read more

Research challenges: The pathway to engagement and progress

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  [Versió catalana | Versión castellana] Lynn Silipigni Connaway, Ph.D Senior Research Scientist OCLC Research connawal@oclc.org   When I was invited to speak about the challenges of library and information science (LIS) research at the III International Seminar on LIS Education and Research (LIS-ER) I was honored but as an optimist wanted to also call … Read more