Pedagogical roles for librarians in the changing information environment

1. Pedagogical roles for librarians in the changing information environment Kaisa Sinikara, ThD Director of Information and Library Services University of Helsinki CK V, Turku August 21st 2008

2. Content • The changing information environment • The library in its parent organization • the bond between library and University • essential differences in values • The challenges of the pedagogical role of the librarian • teacher's perspective and librarian's perspective • strengthening the pedagogical role • prerequisites of pedagogical tasks • challenges of the fourth wave • expanding duties • Conclusion: changing metaphors

3. The first wave: A few early adopters utilize IT • about from the late 60s to the early 80s • the libraries automated some operations • joint catalogues were created (enabling copying of records). • IT only affected a select few who were interested in the possibilities. • (See: Lynch, Clifford, From automation to transformation : Forty years of libraries and information technology in higher education2000, 60-68).

4. The second wave: ILS changes everyone's work in the 1990s • the libraries were often pioneers in providing IT systems for customers • ILS enabled libraries profit from each other's work, but it also meant stricter standardization • as IT affected everyone's work. The libraries became divided into those who • were able to adopt the new technology • were in danger of becoming marginalized and unable to function in their work environment.

5. The third wave: The electronic information environment at the turn of the millennium • an essential catalyst for change came from outside the libraries: the Internet and the move from printed to electronic resources. • library functions had to be re-evaluated and reorganized. • Information networks have brought change to everyone in the universities • The changes have affected the basic values, conception of time and organizational hierarchies and values. • The third wave has changes the libraries in the direction of the networked community

7. THE LIBRARY AND THE PARENT ORGANISATION- SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCIES IN VALUES

8. The framework (Sinikara, Profession, Person and Worldview at a Turning Point, A Study of University Libraries and Library Staff in the Information Age 1970 – 2005, 2007) http://ethesis.helsinki.fi/en/ Society University Library as Community Global Library world Individual

9. The bond between library and university • A broad, common value basis • The universities emphasize truth, critical thinking and creativity • The libraries emphasize intellectual freedom and unrestricted access to information • Both value culture and education

10. The core international values in libraries • stewardship • service • intellectual freedom • rationalism • literacy and learning • equity of access to recorded knowledge and information • privacy and democracy. (Gorman, Michael; Our enduring values: librarianship in the 21st century, 2000)

11. Essential differences in values • University • Competition is part of the university as an academic institution. • Autonomy and freedom are central to the university in research, teaching and development work • Library • The core value of the libraries is service. Service provides the work ethos on all levels of library work • The value "service" manifests in customer service, in user training and guidance, in increasingly better databases and in developing better tools for users. • The global value - sensible and efficient operations.

12. Challenges of the pedagogical role of the librarian • we have to know our various partners within our parent institution. • We have to recognize the library's own values • We have to work boldly to change mental images when they become obstacles

13. Teacher's, research worker's and librarian's points of view on information literacy • Researchers and teachers emphasize the socio-cultural nature of learning, enquiry-based learning and that learning is always linked to context • the context and theories of each academic field • In the teachers' writings: concern that librarians place too much fate in standardization and quantified learning and view IL as an independent skill without the context of the academic field • problem-based learning, evidence-based learning.

14. Prerequisites of pedagogical tasks • The role of the teacher has changed during the past few years, both in education and in information retrieval • instructor/teacher/planning officer, provider of services/expert, leader/manager, researcher, student, educator (see Leckie, Pettigrew & Sylvain 1996; Jokiniemi 2006, Sevón 2007 • The library directors must support IL and must be committed to renewing their policies

15. An example: University library directors in Finland have facilitated the development: • IL and teaching as a function of the library has been included in significant strategic plans • the directors have acknowledged that tasks and staff structure have to be systematically changed • the directors have defined the skills and knowledge needed in the future libraries (competence map)

17. Core Competences in University Library Network by 2010 International relationships Operational environment CUSTOMERCOMPETENCE COOPERATIONAND COMMUNICATION Support for production of information resources Pedagogical competence Knowledge of collections and their contents Acquisition Control over information resources Organising Securing usability Service Information technology and systems Creative working attitude Strategic competence LeadershipFinancial competence Juridical competence Process competenceMarketing competence

18. Pedagogic competence is defined as follows on the competence map : • The ability to plan both occasional training and extended courses • Knowledge of the basic principles of learning and ability to take them into account in planning and executing tuition • Ability to organize orientation and training courses that promote learning • Profound knowledge of the principles of IL and the ability to utilize them while teaching to promote scientific thought and activity • Knowledge of networked learning • The ability to produce materials for learning • The ability to accommodate various customer groups with different needs and capabilities

19. CHALLENCES OF THE FOURTH WAVE • The New Library 2010 – at the University of Helsinki

20. Challenges of the fourth wave • The ongoing e-science expansion refers to research conducted with the aid of networked supercomputers (the internet of the internet); (www.prace-project.eu) • Immense digitization schemed for cultural heritage and library collections, developing the European digital library • Open Access publishing and the development of institutional repositories • Web 2.0 (swarm intelligence) • The Google-generation - the tools and technology have been mastered, but not necessarily the content • See http://www.bl.uk/news/2008/pressrelease20080116.html • Organizational change, demands for greater efficiency.

21. Challenges of the fourth wave (2) • the ways that information is now produced and utilized a revolutionary change (See Tuominen, Savolainen & Talja 2005, Tuominen 2007). • A fundamental change is the erosion of information contexts, information is produced collectively • The born-digital document types and genres (such as e-mail, wikis, blogs, RSS –feeds), SecondLife and social networks are changing the information environment. • The author may, if he wishes, use a pseudonym or a pseudo identity • It is increasingly difficult to evaluate information based who the author is or on his affiliations.

22. Challenges of the fourth wave (3) • Information literacy practices are closely entwined with social filtering solutions and services. • They form an emerging social information ecosystem that is a precondition for practicing IL effectively in the future • Therefore we information professionals have to be active in developing this ecosystem. • We should give our users frames of reference to think, reflect and act in current and emerging information environments.

23. Sociotechnic filtering (See: Tuominen 2007, 6-12)

24. How the changes in the environment challenge the libraries? • Many University Libraries have a traditional model • Library pulls readers into library space • In a networked and global environment, library is just one content provider • Many researchers hardly ever set foot into a physical library space • Digital material is pushed to them electronically at their desktop • Should the Library push stuff out to where the student is (e.g. Facebook)? • Thanks to Paul Ayris (UCL) for this discussion

25. We have to view the pedagogical role as extending further than just a library task of teaching • We need to broaden our definition of pedagogy beyond the teaching of information literacy sessions and think critically about how we describe our pedagogical work • In a changing information environment the pedagogical role entails extensive and reflective cooperation, learning about the context of development work and pedagogical theories, preparing information and learning materials and acquiring communication skills. • Open Access, digital research data and e-science: the libraries must be active and participate in the development work while expanding their own skills. • Lifelong learning, equality and global wellbeing.

27. Conclusion: Changing metaphors • In the 21st Century the future has become a central metaphor • Future orientation also means risks and the need to accept uncertainty as a basis for developing operations. It is imperative to find new, creative solutions instead of traditions. • In the 21st Century, future orientation will also determine the ideal of the librarian. • The basic values of the libraries: service, intellectual freedom and equality provide an excellent starting point. Should creativity be added to these?

28. Conclusion: Changing metaphors • Enthusiasm and persistence help us create the future and a positive pedagogical role for the libraries in a changing information society

29. Thank you for your attention! Kaisa Sinikara kaisa.sinikara@helsinki.fi University of Helsinki Finland IL-website http//www.helsinki.fi/infolukutaito UH Libraries: http//www.helsinki.fi/kirjastot/eng