Journal of Education for Library and Information Science (JELIS)

Fall 2005: Volume 46, Number 4

ISSN 0748-5786

Crying Wolf: An Examination and Reconsideration of the Perception of Crisis in LIS

Andrew Dillon & April Norris

Recent discussions of education for library professionals have strongly criticized the state of most Library and Information Science (LIS) schools, which are portrayed as techno-centric, male-dominated, and out of touch with the needs of practitioners. In the present essay we examine the major claims for a new crisis in LIS education and conclude that the data do not support most of the popular criticisms made of this field. Instead, the notion of crisis is best understood as indicative of a moment of change and an opportunity to significantly affect the long-term future of the field.

Crying Wolf: A Response

Leigh S. Estabrook

No abstract available.

 

Gorman's Gauntlet: Gender and Crying Wolf

Christine Pawley

No abstract available.

Practitioners and Library Education: A Crisis of Understanding

Carla J. Stoffle & Kim Leeder

No abstract available.

Training Competitive Intelligence Analysts via the Web: The University of Johannesburg Experience

Adeline du Toit & Marié-Luce Muller

Librarianship, as a profession, relies upon a strong network of colleagues outside the institution for collaboration. The seeds for this collaboration culture are planted in library school; however, in an online environment the challenges are greater when creating that sense of community. By supporting more ways to allow students, faculty, staff, and alumni to communicate in a distance education environment, the sense of community of the school can be raised. This community building can be done wither within the confines of a course (internal) or outside the course structure (external). In both cases, the concept is the same – develop more pathways through a “communication scaffold” that allow individuals who are part of the community of the school to connect. There are three dimensions to consider in developing this scaffold: Synchronous vs. Asynchronous; Facilitated vs. Non-Facilitated; and 1-way vs. 2-way. By being conscious of these choices, those working to improve interaction can try to incorporate different types of experiences in order to encourage a larger group of people to participate.