Page 67 - 4188

65

The fourth change, the need for new directions in education is self-
evident. In such a rapidly changing field, educating future colleagues,
sharpening skills, and keeping up with new developments are essential.
The Department of Education’s study on New Directions in Library and

Information Science Education should provide insights into what is
needed to educate and train our future colleagues. Continuing education
is needed both for practicing information professionals and library

educators. It is also needed for library users, who are called upon to
adapt to the many changes and new services available. Educators need to
have well-funded sabbaticals to return to practical experience every few
years. All information professionals should remember that they, too, are

educators. One example of an effective cooperative project which may
lead to new directions in continuing education and, it is hoped, to a
program involving graduate education also is a new program initiated by

the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science
(NCLIS). NCLIS is now involved in a pioneering program with IBM in
which IBM has loaned NCLIS two information professionals to examine

both the anticipated information environment of 1985- 1990 and the
impact of information technology on various segments of the population.
These information professionals will also help identify those qualities

that make technology more useful and acceptable. In a related project,
IBM and NCLIS are working with the Drexel University College of
Information Studies to develop a program that will encourage bright
young students to enter the information field by providing an

opportunity for work experience in industry. NCLIS is also currently
examining ways to encourage companies to establish exchange
programs with library and information schools. Cooperative projects

among educational institutions, commercial companies, and government
agencies at all levels are one way of expanding education programs.
The Changing Image of the Information Professional
The fifth change in our role is that information professionals are

being taken more seriously. In part because of the growing awareness of
the importance of information in today’s world, publicized through the
media, the information profession is being seen as a profession similar to

law and medicine. The business press is filled with articles about the
need for skilled information workers and the growth of the industry.
This should help both the public image of the profession and the self-

image of those in it.
Implications for Education