Long gone are the days of the archetypal library, dust and endless bookshelves and silence.
Long gone are the days of the shusher, card catalogue, and date card stamp in the back of your books.
Prague Castle Library – Giant Tomes and the Cliche Library
The term “Information Professional” has evolved as quickly, in as significant a way as technology itself has.
Libraries are not just a Blockbuster for books, but a central hub of any given community, with the potential to learn, educate, and inspire.
An important role of the modern-day information professional, such as a librarian, is communication and engagement with communities, in a contemporary, enticing way, maximising the potential interaction with the institutions they’re affiliated with.
Knowing the ins and outs of how social media works, is largely important. Not just posting willy nilly to Facebook a few times a week, but understanding user analytics, post engagement, and analysis of these analytics in order to develop and improve on future content.
Writing in a language that is informative, and suitable to the content and purpose of its delivery, is another very important skill. Using dusty, academic style language in a contemporary, fun, visually oriented post about an Intergenerational Storytime aimed at primary school and preschool children just would not work, but utilising a complementary fun and informal tone, coupled with an engaging and exciting graphic, would again, maximise the potential reach and result of this.
An information professional in the digital age needs to possess many of the following traits, in order to be successful;
– Communicative
– Flexible
– Agile
– Enthusiastic
– Dedicated
These attributes contribute very heavily to the success of information delivery to stakeholders, by the information professional. Communication is core to the position (Burton, 2019), flexibility of course complementary to being agile, that is, capable of handling change, which is a fundamental constant in the digital era (Cronin, 1998). Change is a constant, if nothing else. Enthusiasm is something that can not be taught, but is communicable through posts on social platforms, and this in turn relates finally to the dedication. Regular posting, commitment to style guides and best practice, etc., all of this relevant and important to an information professional.
References:
Akwang, N. E. (2021). A study of librarians’ perceptions and adoption of Web 2.0 technologies in academic libraries in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 47(2), 102299.
Ayinde, L., & Kirkwood, H. (2020). Rethinking the roles and skills of information professionals in the 4th Industrial Revolution. Business Information Review, 37(4), 142-153. https://doi.org/10.1177/0266382120968057
Burton, S. (2019). Future skills for the LIS profession. Online Searcher, 43(2), 42-45.
Cronin, B. (1998). Information Professionals in the Digital Age.International Information and Library Review, 30(1). https://www.learnlibtech.org/p/85812/
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Commitment to style guides is definitely important! Being a recognisable ‘brand’ that gives off a certain ‘vibe’ has never been more important. Marketing is the set norm now, and while before, people would have potentially scoffed at this idea, it’s power cannot be doubted when done well.
I have found that even in my own role at a public library, the idea that information professionals jobs must now be adaptable to an online environment is so important! Attempting to generate interest and large attendance numbers for programs aimed at specific age groups, e.g. teenage school holiday programs, is so much harder if social media isn’t utilised properly. After advocating, along with some of my colleagues for a greater organisational presence on Facebook and Instagram, we have found that attendance and interest in programs is so much higher! Your point about dedication and its elements, such as regular posting and relevant style and text is so important for libraries when trying to engage online patrons with their institution and to continue to maintain that engagement.
You’ve really emphasised the multi faceted approach to modern librarianship, and the range of skills that information professionals need in order to meet the user needs. Also appreciated emphasising the need to constantly refer to analytics to create content that is engaging and reaching the audience.
Yes! I think it’s really important for us as informational professionals to embrace these emerging technologies and trends. As you said, I also think the key is to be able to adapt and be enthusiastic about the changes.
Agility is certainly a quality I’m finding is of importance for the modern librarian. I’m a high school librarian, so finding ways to entice and motivate the students to use the library is requiring my thinking to be a bit more flexible and adaptable. A delicate balance must be made between cringe, cool and condescending, while also maintaining boundaries and professionalism.