Speaker
Prof.
Ezra Ondari-Okemwa
(University of Fort Hare)
Description
This paper focuses on the opportunities and challenges of training LIS professionals in South Africa in what is seen as a drastically changing work environment. The environment in which LIS professionals are trained to work is now predominated by knowledge economy and information society perspectives. The labour market for LIS professionals is equally changing rather rapidly. LIS departments used to prepare professionals who worked in particular environments, but not anymore. Additional skills may be required to competently work in the expanded labour market of LIS professionals may be different from the skills which were required to work in the traditional library environments. As knowledge workers, LIS professionals are expected to competently contribute to the emerging South African knowledge economy. The major objectives of the paper include: finding out the challenges of training LIS professionals in a changing environment; establishing the opportunities of training LIS professionals in the changing environment; assessing the impact of information and communication technologies on the training of LIS professionals; establish the reasons behind the shrinking of LIS as a profession; and determine the skills required of LIS professionals to perform sustainably as knowledge workers in an emerging knowledge economy such as South Africa. A literature review will be conducted on the training of LIS professionals, the information society, the knowledge economy and any other relevant topic or sub-topic. Websites of LIS departments in South African universities will be visited to find out the kind of training different departments offer to LIS professionals. Findings of this study may inform trainers of LIS professionals on the kind of skills that are necessary for Library and Information Service providers in a changing work environment and an emerging knowledge economy.
Primary author
Prof.
Ezra Ondari-Okemwa
(University of Fort Hare)
