In a Web 2.0 world, it is vital that information professionals have a wide range of skills that are up to date and relevant as “today’s teachers have the opportunity to use technology to support existing pedagogy and meet the needs of their students” (Diacopoulos, 2015, p. 139).  Firstly, it is important that information professionals have an understanding of what social media and social networking is in order to connect with their clients and customers.  Such a large number of people are using libraries online now therefore information professionals need to ensure they are providing their users with useful information which can even be as simple as how to use their website.  The University of Arizona is an outstanding example of this as they have one minute videos keeping their clients up to date with the latest information about their library.  They also have an excellent social media presence so it would be impossible for students to miss any important information.

Marketing is another skill librarians need to learn and embrace to ensure students are aware of what is on offer at their library and what they can gain from it.  There are many students today who do not frequent the library as they do not need to because they believe everything they need is online.  Therefore, information professionals need to market their library in a variety of ways, such as through social media, to reach online students and students who do visit the library so that they know what is on offer and how they can benefit from the resources.

It is important that information professionals are flexible, adaptable and always willing to learn.  It is an ever changing industry which requires professionals to want and need to keep up to date with the latest changes, particularly technological, so that they can assist patrons in the best possible way with the most up to date and recent methods.  The information world is continually changing and information professionals will not be able to relate to their clients and customers if they are not well informed of the latest and most up to date research and information technology advances and embrace change.  They need to be able to provide clients with the information they need whether that is ‘face to face’ or online, therefore information professionals need to constantly be discovering what clients need and want when researching as well as watching the changes taking place and embrace them.

References

Diacopoulos, M.M. (2015). Untangling Web 2.0: Charting Web 2.0 tools, the NCSS guidelines for effective use of technology, and Bloom’s Taxonomy. The social studies, 106(4), 139-148.

doi: 10.1080/00377996.2015.1015711