Abstract
This paper is the second part of a two-part research project that considers to the extent to which the competencies required by special librarians are addressed in the existing Iranian Library and Information Science curricula. For this purpose, a survey was conducted by using a questionnaire with a dichotomous scale (Yes/No), involving Library and Information Science departments in Iran. The results revealed that, overall, the Associate curriculum is helping students to acquire 18 (32.72%) of the 55 required competencies, the Bachelors curriculum is helping them to obtain 77 (63.11%) of the 122 necessary competencies, and the Masters curriculum is helping students gain 83 (68.03%) of the 122 required competencies. The results also demonstrate the strengths and weaknesses of the current Library and Information Science curricula in terms of providing graduates with the necessary competencies to work in special libraries.
Introduction
Today we are living in a highly competitive environment where change is inevitable. Given such a scenario, only those who are able to foresee and adapt to the changes can survive. Over the last 20 years, all institutions of information including special libraries have been experiencing many dynamic changes. As Rehman (2000: 91) noted: ‘Special libraries are at the forefront of change’. As such, the changing environment of special libraries demands up-to-date and relevant competencies for its librarians. Determining the competencies that should be taught in educational institutions and training programs is a question that requires to be answered on a continuous basis, therefore. Moreover, identifying the important elements to be included in the preparation of librarians and improving existing Library and Information Studies (LIS) curricula to respond to changes in and needs of the workplace are challenges for researchers.
Objective of the study
The main objective of this study is to examine the extent to which the required competencies of special librarians are covered in the existing Iranian LIS curricula. It further addresses the strengths and weaknesses of existing LIS curricula in relation to competencies needed by special librarians at three different levels of education, viz. Associate, Bachelors and Masters degrees. The results provide an understanding of the core content of existing LIS curricula based on the workplace-based needs of special librarians. Furthermore, the findings show the exact elements of the curricula which need re-evaluation.
Literature review
Over the years, LIS curricula have been the subject of research, especially when indicators, such as the introduction of computers, as well as the appearance of the Internet, suggest that the field is at the center of the information society and plays a vital role in the digital era (Chu, 2006). As Singh and Mehra (2013: 219) noted: ‘Growth of technology has had a significant impact on the way libraries function, on the education of librarians, on the skills and competency expectations of library employers, and on the curriculum in library schools’. Due to the great influence of technology on the library profession, information and communication technologies (ICTs) have become fundamental to the education and training of librarians. While the traditional skills, such as classification and cataloguing remain relevant, LIS students and librarians should obtain the required competencies to deal with information technology (IT).
Despite the notable impact of technology on LIS curricula and the required competencies, Peyvand Robati and Singh (2013: 115), citing Blankson-Hemans and Hibberd (2004), noted:
it is commonly understood that the LIS curriculum prepares students in conventional information skills like indexing, retrieval, research, and perhaps library management. They also noted that the gaps identified in the education of competencies of information professionals, particularly for the special libraries, were due to the focus on conventional library and information skills training.
In this regard, Holt (2005) highlighted that in recent years, LIS students and new librarians have voiced concern about their lack of preparation for the job. What they expect from the LIS programs is to teach the required technical competencies.
In India, Saroja (2006) evaluated the LIS curriculum of Dr BR Ambedkar Open University (BRAOU). She grouped the core competencies required by librarians into six categories and asked the respondents to rank them according to their coverage in the LIS curriculum. The respondents ranked both information technology competencies and personal skills as having the least coverage in the curriculum. Bosque and Lampert (2009) explored the knowledge gap between the education obtained in the library schools and the technological skills required to be successful on the job from the viewpoint of employers and graduates. They found that new librarians were not equipped with the employers’ expected technical skills. Furthermore, they reported that new librarians graduated from library schools felt unprepared to meet the technical needs of their new workplaces.
This knowledge gap was highlighted by various studies in Iran. As Fattahi (2005) pointed out, the changes resulting from new technologies, on the one hand, and increasing the diverse needs of the information society, on the other, were the main causes of the debate among the Iranian LIS professional experts concerning the content, methods and education system that equip librarians with the required knowledge and skills. Significant arguments concerning the necessity of revising the LIS curricula have been advanced in different journals, books and conferences.
There is a consensus among the authorities in Iran concerning the lack of conformity of the existing LIS curricula with the changing environment and developments. For example, Ebrahimi and Alipurnajmi (2009) studied the new consequences of ICT in LIS education. They mentioned that most of the authorities in the field were calling for a review of the LIS curricula, because they believed that LIS curricula in Iran were incompatible and uncoordinated with the current changes and demands of the society. The study conducted by Tahavori and Fattahi (2004) to identify the needed competencies of the managers of the Iranian academic libraries, revealed the weaknesses of LIS curricula, especially in terms of the competencies related to information technology and computer literacy.
Indeed, one can say that the problem goes back to the past. Hence, Kiani (2009) notes that LIS departments in Iran follow a traditional trend. Hayati (2005: 166) explained that: ‘The course syllabi [in Iran] were modeled on foreign library schools with some minor changes introduced by the educators reflecting their own particular viewpoints’. Referring to the many complaints received from the library staff who graduated in the LIS programs, he points out: ‘library courses lack the necessary knowledge and skills for use in the actual workplace’. After graduation and in the real workplace, students discover that they are not well prepared with suitable competencies, because of the inadequacies of LIS programs.
In 2003, some library departments in Iranian universities began to revise their LIS curricula for different education degrees based on existing needs. While Hayati (2005) argues that notwithstanding the need for fundamental revisions in the education programs, they have been performed in a sporadic manner and only in a few cases. He believes that the programs have been revised without due attention to the necessary requirements and abilities of librarians. Besides Hayati, Tahavori (2006) in her article summed up the LIS situation as follows: the academic education for LIS in Iran was started some 40 years ago, and information technology has influenced the library profession. When compared with the initial programs, the present LIS curricula have not undergone the appropriate revisions to remain relevant.
Furthermore, Torkiantabar (2010) surveyed the situation of LIS education from the viewpoint of the faculty members. The results showed that the participants believed that the previous changes in the Iranian LIS programs were inappropriate and were based on the needs of neither Iranian society nor the international community. In addition, there was a consensus among the LIS faculty members that a general revision in the LIS curricula was necessary.
In summary, the literature on LIS education shows that there is a need to evaluate the current status of LIS education by looking at the required competencies, and identify the strengths and weaknesses of the current LIS curricula. The authorities have always criticized library departments in Iran for not producing competent librarians who are able to adapt to the different library settings. The main criticism has been that the LIS curricula have not kept pace with the demands of the profession and changes in the field. Therefore, in order to make appropriate changes in the LIS curricula, the competencies required in relation to the different LIS education degrees must be identified and then compared with the existing LIS curricula.
Research design
Method
This study is the second stage of a study that was carried out by Peyvand Robati (the previous stage is reported in Peyvand Robati and Singh, 2013). In the first stage, a panel of experts was employed to validate the competencies needed by special librarians at three different levels of LIS education (Associate, Bachelors and Masters). In the second stage of the study, a survey study was conducted to examine the extent to which the required competencies of special librarians are covered in the existing Iranian LIS curricula.
The respondents in this stage of the study were all LIS departments in Iran. To determine the existing library departments, the researcher used Kiani’s (2009) article, ‘Education for library and information science in Iran: Current trends’ as the most current reference, which identified 84 library departments throughout Iran: eight medical library departments, which are not in the scope of this study, four mother library departments, which have different LIS curricula and are allowed to make necessary changes in their LIS curricula, and 30 related to the Payam-e-Noor (distance learning) education system, most of which do not have faculty members; they are directed by other library departments. All of these library departments were excluded from the study. Therefore, it was determined that 42 out of the total of 84 library departments in Iran could participate in this stage of the study.
Survey instrument and data collection
The instrument used was a questionnaire with a dichotomous scale consisting of ‘Yes’ and ‘No’. The questionnaire contained 122 competency statements in seven subject areas of management, collection development, information organization, information services, information technology, research, and communication and interpersonal skills.
After a pilot study (eight LIS departments), the questionnaire was sent to 34 LIS departments via email, and the library departments were asked to indicate whether or not the existing LIS curricula (Associate, Bachelors and Masters) covered the competency statements. A total of 29 completed and usable questionnaires were returned. The data reported in the next section represent the results obtained.
Findings
Profile of the respondents (LIS departments)
This section presents the profile of the LIS departments. As mentioned above, 29 completed questionnaires were received (Table 1).
Profile of the LIS departments.
As the table shows, among the 29 LIS departments, four departments only offer the Associate degree program. Ten departments only offer a Bachelors degree program and two departments only offer a Masters degree program. In addition, as shown, five departments offer both the Associate and Bachelors degree programs, two departments offer the Associate, Bachelors and Masters degree programs and six departments offer the Bachelors and Masters degree programs. The data in Table 1 generally indicate that 11 LIS departments completed the questionnaire pertaining to the Associate degree curriculum, 23 for the Bachelors degree curriculum, and 10 for the Masters degree curriculum, which were received.
Coverage of the competencies in the LIS curricula
Here we present similarities and differences among the competencies needed by special librarians (at each LIS education degree level) in comparison to the related existing LIS curriculum. The results are presented based on the seven areas with respective mean scores that are arranged in a descending order.
Based on the results of the first stage of the study, the respondents validated 55 competencies as being needed by special librarians with the Associate qualification, and all 122 competencies as required by special librarians with Bachelors and Masters degrees. The following sub-sections provide a detailed review of the coverage of competencies in the Associate, Bachelors and Masters degree curricula.
Management competencies
The first part of the questionnaire asked the respondents to indicate whether the existing LIS curricula covered management competencies. In this category, based on the results of the identification phase of the competencies, two knowledge statements and one skill statement were identified as the competencies needed for special librarians with the Associate degree qualification. By comparing the results of the two stages of the study, it was found that the Associate degree curriculum did not cover these needed management competencies at all (Table 2). These findings show that the teaching of management competencies did not receive attention from the curriculum designers.
Coverage of management competencies by Associate, Bachelors and Masters degree curriculum.
Note: The
Table 2 also shows that among the four knowledge and 11 skill statements, which were validated as necessary competencies for special librarians with the Bachelors degree qualification, two knowledge and six skill competencies were covered in the curriculum. The findings indicate that the existing Bachelors degree curriculum did not properly equip the students with the required management competencies to work in a special library. Furthermore, it was revealed that in terms of those competencies included in the curriculum, their coverage was very poor.
For the Masters degree, as Table 2 shows, two out of the four validated knowledge statements and seven out of the 11 validated skill statements were covered in the curriculum. According to the findings, despite the fact that the Masters degree curriculum was expected to prepare students with management competencies to apply their knowledge in different library settings, this was not being fully achieved.
Collection development competencies
In the second part of the questionnaire, the respondents were asked to state whether the existing LIS curricula covered collection development competencies. In this category, among 15 knowledge and 10 skill statements, six knowledge and four skill statements were identified as necessary competencies for special librarians with the Associate degree qualification. As shown in Table 3, the curriculum properly covered four out of the six validated knowledge statements, and two out of the four needed skill statements. The findings generally indicate that, although most of the required collection development competencies were covered in the curriculum, some weaknesses in the Associate degree curriculum still existed.
Coverage of collection development competencies by Associate, Bachelors and Masters degree curriculum.
Note: The
With regard to the Bachelors degree, as indicated in Table 3, 12 out of the 15 knowledge statements and eight out of the 10 skill statements were covered in the curriculum. These findings show that the existing LIS Bachelors degree curriculum properly prepares the students with the relevant collection development competencies needed in a special library, as most of the required competencies in this category were covered in the curriculum.
As for the Masters degree, regarding the coverage of the competencies under this category, it is necessary to point out that there were no courses concerning collection development for the Masters degree students. The collection development course is a pre-requisite offered just for the students who originally held a Bachelors degree from fields other than library science. Based on the results of this part of the study, although most of the collection development competencies were included in the existing Masters curriculum, due to their poor coverage, one may deduce that this pre-requisite course was not good enough to prepare Masters degree students with the required collection development competencies for the job.
Information organization competencies
In the third part of the questionnaire, the respondents were asked to indicate whether the existing LIS curricula covered the information organization competencies. In this category, there were two knowledge and one skill statements, which were validated as necessary competencies for special librarians with the Associate degree qualification. As Table 4 reveals, one out of the two validated knowledge statements was adequately covered in the Associate degree curriculum. This knowledge competency was Familiarity with principles and rules of cataloging and classification of books. Moreover, the results indicated that only one validated skill in this category was properly covered in the curriculum, which was Ability to carry out cataloging and classification of books. In addition, the results show that although Familiarity with modern tools of information organization was highly valued by the panelists, it was not covered in the curriculum. These findings show that the existing Associate degree curriculum focused on equipping students with traditional information organization approaches. It could be deduced that although the traditional approaches are the basic means of teaching information organization competencies, there is a need to consider training the students in new technological information organization competencies.
Coverage of information organization competencies by Associate, Bachelors and Masters Degree curriculum.
Note: The
At the Bachelors degree level, the results show that among the five knowledge and 10 validated skill statements in this category, three knowledge and four skill competencies were covered in the curriculum. As Table 4 indicates, Familiarity with traditional tools of information organization was sufficiently covered in the curriculum. In addition, Familiarity with principles and rules of cataloging and classification of books and Ability to carry out cataloging and classification of books were other competencies that were adequately covered in the curriculum. The table further shows that the other competency statements were poorly covered in the curriculum. Accordingly, we can say that the existing Bachelors degree curriculum has some weaknesses in arming the students with the required information organization competencies, especially in those related to the organization of sources with different formats. Due to diversity in the format of sources in all library settings, based on these results, it could be deduced that Iranian LIS departments need to revise the Bachelors degree curriculum to enable students to acquire these sought-after competencies.
At the Masters degree level, it is worth mentioning that there were no courses concerning information organization for Masters degree students. As with collection development, the information organization course was only offered as a pre-requisite course to those students who held a Bachelors degree in other fields. Therefore, the results of this section were based on that pre-requisite course. However, indexing and abstracting was offered to all Masters degree students.
In this category, as shown in Table 4, although all the competency statements were validated as necessary competencies for special librarians with the Masters degree, the existing curriculum covers four out of the five knowledge and eight out of the 10 skill competencies. The findings show that as the majority of the required information organization competencies are poorly covered in the curriculum, it may be deduced that this pre-requisite course is not adequate to equip the Masters degree students with the required information organization competencies.
Information services competencies
The fourth part of the questionnaire required the respondents to mark whether the existing LIS curricula covered the information services competencies. As Table 5 indicates, in this category, two knowledge and seven skill statements were validated as needed competencies for special librarians with the Associate degree qualification. The results of this part of the study indicated that, generally, three out of the nine validated competency statements were covered in the Associate degree curriculum. These findings show that the LIS Associate degree curriculum has some weaknesses in terms of information services competencies. This means that the LIS graduates at this level of education are not properly equipped with information services competencies to work as special librarians.
Coverage of information services competencies by Associate, Bachelors and Masters Degree curriculum.
Note: The
For the Bachelors degree, the findings indicate that since the majority of the required information services competencies were covered in the existing curriculum, the students with this degree are properly equipped with information services competencies. As Table 5 shows, for the Masters degree, all the knowledge and skill statements are covered in the curriculum. According to the findings, the existing Masters degree curriculum properly prepares the students with the needed information services competencies to work in a special library.
Information technology competencies
In the fifth part of the questionnaire, the respondents were asked to point out if the existing LIS curricula covered IT competencies. As Table 6 shows, in this category, among the 16 validated competencies for special librarians with the Associate degree qualification, only basic IT competencies were extensively covered in the curriculum. These findings generally indicate that the Associate degree curriculum has serious weaknesses in terms of IT competencies.
Coverage of information technology competencies by Associate, Bachelors and Masters Degree curriculum.
Note: The
With respect to the Bachelors degree qualification, as the results show, among the eight knowledge and 15 skill statements, the curriculum completely covered Ability to operate computer and Ability to use Word processing software. Furthermore, as the results indicate, four knowledge statements including: Familiarity with computer technology, Familiarity with Windows operation system, Familiarity with search engines and search strategies, Familiarity with information banks, and two skill competencies: Ability to use and search the Internet, and Ability to work with information banks, were properly covered in the curriculum. According to these findings, we can say that the existing Bachelors degree curriculum has some weaknesses in arming the students with the needed information technology competencies.
As Table 6 indicates, in this category, the Masters degree curriculum covered all the knowledge statements and nine out of the 14 skill statements. Most of these competencies are weakly covered in the curriculum, especially basic IT competencies, such as Familiarity with computer technology, Familiarity with Windows operation system, and Ability to operate computer. This is possibly expected, since the students obtained these competencies at the undergraduate degree level. Therefore, the Masters degree curriculum has not been designed to cover these competencies.
Generally, since the IT competencies are common across all librarian positions and in all library settings, it could be interpreted that all LIS graduates would face these weaknesses in working in any library setting. This implies that the LIS departments should revise the curricula giving due attention to the information technology competencies.
Research competencies
The respondents in the sixth part of the questionnaire were asked to indicate whether the existing LIS curricula covered the research competencies. For the Associate degree, as shown in Table 7, there was no validated competency statement in this category. However, the results of this stage of the study show that Ability to write reports was covered in the curriculum.
Coverage of research competencies by Associate, Bachelors and Masters Degree curriculum.
Note: The
As the table shows, five out of the six validated knowledge statements and all the six validated skill statements were covered in the Bachelors degree curriculum. Overall, the findings indicate that the existing Bachelors degree curriculum properly equips the students with the required research competencies.
In addition, as indicated in Table 7, all the competencies are covered in the Masters degree curriculum. According to the findings, Familiarity with the fundamentals and methods of research, Knowledge of research methodology, Familiarity with research techniques, Ability to present research questions and hypothesis, Ability to design a research project, and Ability to produce and present literature review are completely covered in the curriculum. The rest of the competency statements in this category were properly covered in the curriculum. Based on these results, we can say that the Masters degree curriculum has been well designed to equip the students with research competencies.
Communication and interpersonal skills
The last part of the questionnaire asked the respondents to mark whether the existing LIS curricula covered communication and interpersonal skills. In this category, there were 14 competency statements, which were validated as necessary competencies for special librarians with the Associate degree qualification. Based on the results of this part of the study (Table 8), only two competencies were covered in the curriculum, which were Ability to perform both oral and written communication, and Ability to read in English language.
Coverage of communication and interpersonal skills by Associate, Bachelors and Masters Degree curriculum.
Note: The
Table 8 shows that the Bachelors degree curriculum did not adequately cover the necessary communication and interpersonal skills. In addition, although all the competency statements were highly validated as being among the required competencies for the Masters degree, the curriculum did not cover them at all.
These findings indicate that despite the importance of communication and interpersonal skills, there are serious weaknesses in the existing LIS curricula. Hence, it could be argued that the graduates are not equipped with the required communication and interpersonal skills. Therefore, LIS departments should pay special attention to preparing the students with these skills.
Summary of the findings and discussion
This study sought to illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of the existing Iranian LIS curricula in relation to the competencies needed by special librarians at three different levels of education. This objective was achieved by comparing the results from the validation phase of the competencies with those obtained in this study.
The results indicate that, in general, for the Associate degree, 18 (32.72%) out of the 55 validated competencies were covered in the curriculum. As shown in Table 9, unfortunately, most of the competencies, which were validated as necessary competencies for special librarians with the Associate degree qualification, were not covered in the curriculum. These weaknesses are more obvious in the management competencies, communication and interpersonal skills, information technology competencies, and information services competencies. The current LIS Associate degree curriculum places emphasis on equipping the students with the competencies in the areas of collection development and information organization. Among the collection development competencies, the curriculum covered most of the necessary competencies. However, some competencies were not validated as necessary competencies by the panelists, but were covered in the curriculum. In information organization, the results show that the curriculum emphasized the traditional approaches. For example, although Familiarity with modern tools of information organization was highly validated by the panelists, it was not covered in the curriculum at all.
Coverage of competencies in the Associate, Bachelors and Masters Degree Curriculum.
Note: M refers to Management; CD refers to Collection Development; IO refers to Information Organization; IS refers to Information Services; IT refers to Information Technology; R refers to Research; CI refers to Communication and Interpersonal.
As Table 9 shows, from the 122 validated competencies, 77 were covered in the curriculum of the Bachelors degree program. This means that LIS students in the Bachelors degree program acquire 63.11% of the needed competencies. Based on the findings of the study, the competencies in the areas of communication and interpersonal skills, information organization, information technology, and management are not sufficiently acquired by the special librarians with the Bachelors degree qualification. The results also indicate that the Bachelors degree curriculum emphasizes preparing the students with the competencies in the areas of information services, collection development, and research.
As indicated in Table 9, 83 out of the 122 validated competencies were covered in the curriculum for the Masters degree. This result shows that, in general, the LIS departments have helped the students in acquiring 68.03% of the needed competencies. At this level of education, although all the communication and interpersonal skills were validated by the panelists, based on the results, LIS departments could not help their students in acquiring these competencies. In addition, the competencies under the management category were not adequately taught to the graduates, whereas, the necessary competencies in the areas of research and information services were exclusively covered in the Masters degree curriculum.
Generally, these results are in agreement with those from the different studies mentioned in the literature review that report the weaknesses of LIS curricula, especially in terms of ICT competencies (Bosque and Lampert, 2009; Ebrahimi and Alipurnajmi, 2009; Holt, 2005; Saroja, 2006; Singh and Mehra, 2013; Tahavori and Fattahi, 2004; Torkiantabar, 2010). The results of this study are important because they generally confirm the weaknesses of the LIS curricula in Iran, as well as determine their strengths and weaknesses in relation to equipping the students for work in special libraries.
Conclusion
This study determined the extent to which the existing LIS curricula at different education degree levels cover the competencies required by special librarians. The results provided an understanding of the core content of the existing LIS curricula based on the workplace-based needs of special librarians with different education degrees. The findings also addressed the strengths and weaknesses of the existing LIS curricula, and identified the exact areas of the curricula, which need to be re-assessed and updated. The results suggested that the LIS departments in Iran should attempt to re-evaluate the curricula at different levels of education, giving more attention to generic competencies, such as communication and interpersonal skills and information technology competencies as ‘Technology competency is not an option, it is critical for all librarians and staff’ (Thompson, 2009: 24). In this situation, LIS departments seem to recognize that: ‘technology competency is not just a preferred skill set for new librarians to possess; it is a required skill set’ (Neal, 2009: 52). Similarly, Ameen (2011: 175) highlighted that: ‘a vast majority of the professionals need extensive ICT competencies learning’. Although LIS departments can further incorporate information technology competencies into the programs easily, improving communication and interpersonal skills would require more careful planning. DeArmond et al. (2009), quoted by Peyvand Robati and Diljit (2013: 127), suggested that:
LIS programs must introduce communication and interpersonal skills in a practical way such as role play or drama, since it is difficult to teach these elements in a classroom setting. The introduction and use of such activities as group work and presentations can contribute towards improving interpersonal skills.
Recommendation
Although the results of this study and evidence from the literature indicate that the LIS curricula in Iran have some weaknesses in different competency areas, and that they need to be reviewed and revised, it is not expected that LIS education can provide a comprehensive foundation for all competency areas. Therefore, it is recommended that special librarians should be engaged in undertaking self-education and life-long learning with the competencies in mind, and that they keep up with developments and changes. They may be able to use the results of this study to evaluate themselves and identify the areas in which they may need to acquire new competencies. It is also recommended that a similar study be conducted to examine the current LIS curricula in relation to the requirements of the librarians in other library settings to determine the existing strengths and weaknesses and to present a comprehensive view of existing LIS curricula.
Footnotes
Acknowledgements
The authors are very thankful for the managers of special libraries and LIS departments for taking time from their busy schedule to participate in this study. Furthermore, we would like to express our appreciation to Professor Diljit Singh and Associate Professor Dr Najla Hariri for their guidance, feedback and suggestions.
Funding
This study draws on Peyvand Robati’s doctoral research which was conducted at the University of Malaya and receives finance support and fellowship from this university. We would like to acknowledge the support.