The Globalization of Education for Digital Librarianship —Implications for iSchools in North America

Weech, Terry L.; Moulaison, Heather

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/15183 Copy

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Title

The Globalization of Education for Digital Librarianship —Implications for iSchools in North America

Author(s)

• Weech, Terry L.
• Moulaison, Heather

Issue Date

2008-02-28

Keyword(s)

• Digital Libraries
• iSchools
• Education
• American Library Association. International Relations Office.

Abstract

In the United States, members of the iSchool group have received grants to develop education programs for information professionals to work with digital library collections, but have taken distinctly different approaches on how to package and offer their educational programs. Some of the schools have focused on independent certificate programs and still others on Master’s degree programs and post-Master’s degree programs. In the rest of the world some very different approaches have been taken to providing education for digital librarianship. Many of the schools of information studies in Asia have integrated the course work on digital libraries into their existing information studies programs. While there is some evidence of integration of such courses in Africa and South America, it also appears that many schools in these regions have not yet included digital libraries as part of their established information studies programs. There are two distinct models in European education for digital librarianship. The most common approach is to follow the model of integration of education for digital librarianship into existing information studies programs. A second model follows the North American iSchool approach of maintaining separate programs for digital librarianship. There are only one or two programs in Europe that follow this separate program approach. One innovative example of the alternative program approach is the International Master’s in Digital Library Learning (DILL) which is a European Union funded consortium of three European Information Studies schools. This consortium provides specialized education on digital libraries at the “post-graduate” level in a two year Master’s Degree program with students recruited internationally. Students from North America are included in their recruitment program, as well as students from Asia, Africa, and South America. The program consists of four course modules offered over the two year DILL program. Currently a partnership with a North American iSchool is being explored to further the international aspects of the course of study. The proposed roundtable discussion will invite representatives from iSchools in North America to discuss their digital library education programs and any international connections of their programs. One or more representatives from an international program of education for digital librarianship will summarize the status and nature of international planning for digital librarianship education. The roundtable discussion will be organized and led by Terry Weech, Associate Professor at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign with the assistance of Heather Moulaison, Rutgers University’s School of Communication, Information and Library Studies. Terry Weech has chaired the IFLA Standing Committee on Education and Training and conducted an international study of education for digital librarianship. He is currently involved in an international study of equivalency and reciprocity of qualifications for graduates of information study programs and is working with the International Master’s in Digital Library Learning (DILL) consortium to explore the possibility of expanding the consortium to North America. He also participated in the Morocco Digital Library Workshop on “Implementing a Maghreb Digital Library for Education, Science & Culture” Rabat, Morocco, 25-29 January, 2007, which was sponsored by the US National Science Foundation, UNESCO, and the Fulbright Academy of Science and Technology. Heather Moulaison has helped Moroccan contacts investigate the possibility of digital libraries as a knowledge management tool.

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text

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/15183

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