Tag Archives: lifelong learning

Reflecting on Lifelong Learning: Insights from the Celebratory Conference at HKU by IFLA CPDWL Chair, Helen Chan

As the Chair of the IFLA Continuing Professional Development and Workplace Learning Section (CPDWL), I recently had the honor of attending a landmark event commemorating the 35th anniversary of the Comparative Education Society of Hong Kong at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), alongside the 40th anniversary of the HKU Faculty of Education, and the 30th anniversary of the Comparative Education Research Centre. This convergence of milestones provided a rich backdrop for profound discussions on the evolving needs of lifelong learning in our rapidly changing world, particularly highlighted during the keynote address on November 24, 2024.

Prof. Wing On LEE, former Executive Director at the Institute for Adult Learning, Singapore, provided the keynote speech on November 24th, titled “Comparative Lifelong Learning: Emerging Programs and Pedagogies for Developing New Knowledge and Practice for the Changing Economy”. He offered critical insights into how lifelong learning must adapt to meet the demands of what is variously described as Industry 4.0, the knowledge economy, and the future economy. The future economy includes the gig economy and platform economy, characterized by short-term contracts and the prevalence of freelance work over permanent jobs.

Prof. LEE’s insights are particularly relevant to the field of library and information science, a domain where continuing professional development and workplace learning are already integral. Lifelong learning is not a new concept for library practitioners; however, the idea of the 60-Year Curriculum (60YC) introduces a new paradigm that encourages educational models to serve an agile labor market more effectively.

Prof. LEE delivers keynote address.

60 year curriculum slide displayed with Prof. LEE at the podium.

Prof. LEE discusses 60 -year curriculum.

Lifelong Learning and Library Science

The 60YC proposes a lifelong educational pathway that encourages a new paradigm of thinking about learning and the education process and seeking to be relevant for people across a broad range of life and career transitions. It offers ongoing learning opportunities crucial for adapting to technological advancements and economic shifts. For library professionals, this could mean continuous training in digital literacy, data management, and other emerging areas crucial for staying relevant in the profession.

Workplace Learning and Library Professionals

The closest concept to the 60YC in our field is workplace learning, which, as articulated by Prof. Justina TAN and Prof. Wing On LEE in their 2024 book, Making Employee-Driven Innovation Achievable: Approaches and Practices for Workplace Learning, emphasizes the importance of learning that continues throughout one’s career. This approach is vital in library settings where the ability to innovate and continuously improve service delivery can significantly enhance user experience and operational efficiency.

Addressing Challenges and Inequalities

Furthermore, the Third International Handbook of Lifelong Learning (Evans et al., 2023) highlights several challenges, such as the low skills equilibrium and the social exclusion of vulnerable young adults. Library professionals can play a critical role in addressing these issues by providing accessible learning resources and programs that help bridge the skills gap and foster a more inclusive society.

Library and information science professionals, by leveraging their expertise in knowledge organization and dissemination, can also help mitigate the under-utilization of talents among migrants, as discussed by Marie Macauley, Ruud Duvekot, and Yann Jakub Bertier in the handbook. Making certain that prior qualifications and skills are recognized and valued is crucial for integrating migrants into their new communities.

Prof. LEE and Helen Chan

Reflection

The discussions and learnings from the conference serve as a potent reminder of the critical role that lifelong learning plays in the library and information science field. As we move forward, it is clear that embracing models like the 60YC will be essential for developing resilience and adaptability among professionals. This approach not only supports personal and professional growth but also ensures that libraries continue to serve as essential pillars of lifelong learning in their communities. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have participated in such an enriching event and look forward to implementing these insights to further enhance the continuing professional development and workplace learning within our field.

References:

Evans K., Lee W. O., Markowitsch J., and Zukas M. (Eds.) (2023). Third International Handbook of Lifelong Learning. https://link.springer.com/referencework/10.1007/978-3-031-19592-1

Tan, J. and Lee, W. O. (2024). Making Employee-Driven Innovation Achievable: Approaches and Practices for Workplace Learning. London: Routledge.

Meet Our New CPDWL Standing Committee Members

We are thrilled to introduce you to the new members of the Continuing Professional Development and Workplace Learning (CPDWL) Standing Committee. Each member brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and commitment to lifelong learning in the library profession.

Helen Chan

Helen Chan, the current Chair of the Continuing Professional Development and Workplace Learning (CPDWL), is an accomplished academic and professional in the library and information science sector. Prior to her current role, she chaired the IFLA Professional Division Committee of Division F and the Action Plan Review Committee, which introduced the widely used ‘Infinity’ platform within IFLA at WLIC 2023. Helen’s strong academic background, including over a decade teaching the Master of Science in Library and Information Management (MsLIM) program at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), enriches her role in CPDWL. Her passion for accessible information led to the creation of a new course for Bachelor of Science in Information Management (BsIM) students at HKU. Beyond academia, Helen supports teacher-librarian training in Hong Kong and participates actively in local non-profit work, holding directorship roles in an educational fund and a local secondary school board.

Joan Weeks

Joan Weeks is the Head of the Near East Section and Turkish Specialist in the African and Middle Eastern Division (AMED) at the Library of Congress where she supervises a staff of seven, including Arab, Persian and Armenian specialists with responsibility to acquire, process, and serve the Near East Collections. Prior to this, she was a Sr. Instruction Librarian at the Library of Congress where she designed and taught courses on the Library computer systems to staff. Joan is an elected member-at-large of the American Library Association (ALA) Council, and chairs the Near East and Southeast Asian Committee of the International Relations Committee of ALA. In IFLA, she was the Information Coordinator for the Section on Education and Training (SET), promoting programs such as the webinar series for LIS students. She has a strong interest in library professional development instruction, making her a valuable addition to the CPDWL as the newly appointed Information Coordinator.

Julia Gelfand

Julia Gelfand, a staunch advocate for global communication and cooperation, has been a vibrant part of the ALA’s IRRT Roundtable throughout her career. Julia’s international experience, from Europe and Asia to the Middle East and Africa, has enriched her work with IFLA for over 30 years. She’s been a pivotal part of the Science & Technology Section, the Acquisitions & Collection Development Section, and has contributed to numerous engaging programs. Now joining the professional development section, Julia looks forward to addressing the vast changes in libraries and librarianship, from technology to open movements, in innovative ways.

Tina Yang

Having worked in the library and information industry across China, Australia, and Hong Kong for nearly three decades, Tina Yang now serves as the Associate Librarian at the University of Hong Kong Libraries. In her role, Tina leads a dynamic team in providing diverse information, learning, and research services. Tina has witnessed the transformative power of technology in libraries and emphasizes the importance of mindset and capabilities in embracing this digital shift. As a library manager, Tina values continuing education and is excited to join CPDWL, where she can collaborate with passionate professionals in fostering lifelong learning in the library profession. Tina has also served in various roles within the IFLA Regional Standing Committee of Asia and Oceania.

Jorun Systad

Jorun Systad, Library Director in Sunnfjord municipality, Norway, brings her experience from IFLA’s Libraries for Children and Young Adults section to her current role. She’s particularly interested in enhancing public library services for smaller municipalities, focusing on collaboration with local organizations. Jorun has previously worked as a reading-motivator for “Foreningen!Les” and is an active member in the Norwegian Library Association and National Library’ strategic committee for 2020-2023. Her work emphasizes the need for libraries to facilitate ongoing staff development and workplace training.

Svetlana Gorokhova

Svetlana Gorokhova, an active participant in IFLA since 1994, firmly believes in the importance of continuous learning within the library community. She is excited to join the CPDWL in providing a seamless space for professional development across all sectors of the library community.

Anne Reddacliff

Anne Reddacliff began her rewarding library career in 2001 as a volunteer. Today, she contributes to the Australian Library and Information Association’s (ALIA) Rainbow and Sustainable Libraries groups, remaining connected and inspired. With a love for writing and meeting new people, Anne is excited to bring her skills to IFLA CPDWL, expanding her influence internationally. She eagerly anticipates making new connections and contributing to the profession on a global scale.

Mingyan Li

Mingyan Li serves as the Metadata Librarian and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. With over 15 years of diverse library experience, she specializes in metadata workflows. A graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Bradley University, Mingyan is dedicated to advancing metadata management through innovation and accessibility.

Susan Cherono

Susan Cherono, a Librarian at the United States International University-Africa, brings over 14 years of experience in the field of Librarianship to CPDWL. With her passion for innovation and learning, she looks forward to contributing to CPDWL meetings and trainings.

Florian Forestier

Florian Forestier is in charge of social innovation and diversity politics at the French National Library and is also the project manager for the creation of the research center. He is passionate about training and development of staff skills, particularly regarding preventing discrimination and changing managerial attitudes.

Simona Marilena Bursasiu

Simona Marilena Bursasiu is a librarian at the Politehnica University of Timișoara, Romania, and an associate lecturer in the field of library and information sciences. As a former president of the Education and Training section of the Romanian Library Association, she is committed to providing online training for librarians around the world through CPDWL.

We welcome a group of dedicated professionals to the Continuing Professional Development and Workplace Learning (CPDWL) Standing Committee. Each individual brings a wealth of knowledge, expertise, and a commitment to ongoing professional development within the library and information sector. We eagerly anticipate the valuable contributions and fresh insights they will undoubtedly bring in the coming years.

For those interested in learning more about our new members, stay tuned for the upcoming issues of the CPDWL Newsletter. We will be featuring self-introductions from different standing committee members, offering you an in-depth look at their professional journeys, their passions within the field, and the unique perspectives that they bring to our committee.

Watch out for these enlightening features, and please join us once again in extending a warm welcome to our new members of the CPDWL!

Stay tuned and connected with CPDWL!

Supporting new leaders globally through coaching

Again in 2023 CPDWL and M&M sections are very happy to provide

in person coaching for at least 30 minutes with experienced coaches at the

WLIC in Rotterdam on Wednesday August 23, 10.00 – 11.30 in room Rotterdam A. https://iflawlic2023.abstractserver.com/program/#/details/sessions/268

If you are interested to be coached, it is a walk-in session for all registered delegates and we’ll offer the coaching in different languages. Hosts will guide you to the appropriate coach.

If you are interested to serve as a coach, please fill in the form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfJc01AAA70Nqp3h6HlYD8gAXh5gc7CFwlkL1o9MtQ3rdUL_A/viewform

For further information please feel free to contact us.

Hope to meet you in Rotterdam!

Ulrike Lang

Convenor of the IFLA Coaching Initiative

[email protected]

Librarians in the borderland between professionalism and amateurism

I know – the title may provoke, but by the end of this text, it will hopefully seem comprehensible and justified.

As senior lecturer at a Swedish university offering educational programs in Library and information science (LIS), I sometimes get questions and comments about the training of future librarians. Often it is about what aspiring librarians should know and how this is best taught. It is striking how engaging the issue of librarians’ competence is – the various opinions come from widely different quarters. Sometimes librarians’ work is even proposed as the answer to major societal challenges such as reawakening young people’s lust to read and strengthening citizens’ digital skills.

In addition to the outside world’s expectations of the profession, there is an internal tendency to problematize the professional role and competence. That debate has recurred over decades in trade press, mailing lists and social media. In parallel, research is conducted with the aim of understanding, challenging, equipping and ideally inspiring the profession, and the production of Bachelor and Master theses at our universities testifies to the interest in profession-related topics among students. Their small-scale research contributions are quick-footed and likely to delve into the field’s hottest questions.

Debate and recurring discussions are sometimes interpreted as the profession facing a crisis. For my own part, however, I am both optimistic and incurably curious (the researcher’s occupational injury?). I see vivid discussion as an expression of the importance of libraries for the country’s inhabitants, and internal debate as a sign of vitality. Few professions show such spark! The need for discussion can be linked to the history of the profession; the professionalization process of the past century, amalgamated professional organizations, academisation of training and the establishment of the LIS discipline. Today the profession is powerfully organized, but at the same time it spans disparate activities.

As a natural reaction to societal developments, and perhaps as a backlash for the unifying professional project, new competences are called for in libraries, and more specialized training.

Another important aspect of the position of librarianship today, is its quality as a welfare profession; one of the female-intensive occupations that have thrived within the Nordic welfare hub. Ambivalence towards the profession’s theoretical basis is typical, and compared to classic professions, the welfare professions are less hierarchical, more collaborative and highly focused on the clients. I know from experience, that responsiveness to users’ needs and interests is a shining beacon for aspiring and active librarians, regardless of library type.

Surely that sounds nice? But every medal has its flip side. The emphasis on responsiveness, commitment, and (often) idealism, can make librarians stretch far in their compliance. Always being prepared to tone down competitive thinking and professional pretensions out of consideration for the interests of others, is an attitude that risks backfiring. For an illustration of this dilemma of a welfare profession, we may turn to the children’s librarians – a group that was early associated with selfless work of the “vocational type”. We’d like to think that image faded decades ago, but my research into the competence of children’s librarians was an eye-opener.

The participants in my study said they appreciated the rich opportunities for competence development as well as their chance to influence its content. But several librarians also described dissatisfaction with the overly free choices and the perceived lack of managerial steering of the knowledge-developing activities. Rather than seeing the collective competence as a strategic resource for the workplace, competence development was often treated as an encouraging ‘salary benefit’. Several managers also hesitated in connection with my interview question concerning what incentives they saw for children’s librarians’ competence development. Their answers were that the librarians’ heartfelt meetings with the users – in this case children who love to read – were to be regarded as both a driving force and a reward.

Get me right – trusting relationships and personal appreciation are worth their weight in gold in everyday work, but should we really, in 2022, regard professional work as its own reward? Such an approach, with the logic of the old “vocation” just below the surface, undeniably brings to mind non-profit and amateur work.

There is no room here for the follow-up questions that need to be asked. I end by stating that those concerned with how the librarian profession can be strengthened for the future, should pay attention to where the boundaries are drawn between professional and personal commitment. As a representative of research and higher education, I want to promote a reflective professional practice, where sensitivity to the outside world is complemented by research-oriented and proactive working methods; an ambition that probably applies to most universities offering LIS education around the globe.

What do you think – is there reason to push the discussion about the prerequisites and the future of librarianship one step further? I think so.

Jenny Lindberg
Lecturer at the Swedish School of Library and Information Science, University of Borås, Sweden

Note: This article has previously been published in Swedish at http://www.noll27.se

The study on children’s librarians mentioned in the blog entry is accessible (in Swedish): https://regionbiblioteket.se/publicerat/barnbibliotekariers-kompetens/

Future-proof librarian, part 2: Co-operation with Wikimedia – Ideas from Sweden

Writer: Jarkko Rikkilä, coordinator, Tampere City Library – Regional Development Task, Finland

How can libraries co-operate with Wikimedia – Ideas from Sweden

Besides enhancing our skills in evaluating, the libraries could also participate in organizing, producing and creating information. One of the interesting methods of doing so would be co-operating with the Wikimedia Foundation. There’s a lot of similarities between libraries values and the goals of the free encyclopedia Wikipedia. The aim of both is to make information accessible to as many people as possible. In addition, the professional ethics of the library staff has similarities to the principles recognized by Wikipedia volunteers.

One of the library development organizations that has opened up doors concerning this kind of co-operation is the Sörmland Library Development Unit in Sweden. I interviewed our Swedish colleagues Malin Klintholm and Victoria Lagerqvist, who shared kindly their thought to CPDWL blog readers. We met with Malin and Victoria in the Next Library 2019 -conference in Aarhus Denmark and we’ve been in touch since. Malin’s and Victoria’s ideas were the inspiration to our own Wikipedia related training sessions for librarians in our area. That’s why I think these are good tips and tricks for everyone working with professional development!

Malin and Victoria

Tell us some examples of the co-operation with Wikimedia?

“In 2020, together with Sörmlands museum and Wikimedia Sweden we initiated Project LBTQI on Wikipedia, where we improve Wikipedia from a LBTQI perspective in regarding content and representation of editors. Our co-operation is a way to work with democracy, sustainability and equality online, in line with the mission of the public library.”

“Because of Project LBTQI we had a lot of interactions with Wikimedia Sweden as well as the museum. These led us (Sörmlands museum and Biblioteksutveckling Sörmland) in getting a Wikimedian in Residence during for six months in 2022. With this position we want to explore how librarians can work with Wikipedia, how the museum and library can collaborate, and also strengthen our own organization as one that empathizes with a sharing culture, and accessibility to free knowledge. Both us and Wikimedia Sweden have also been contributing with courses and articles to the theme Wikipedia on Digiteket, the national learning platform for librarians in Sweden.”

How could the librarians participate in creating and editing information?

“Librarians can participate in many ways, like enhancing Wikipedia with better sources as well as help others to find sources. It’s like being a reference librarian in a digital setting. Working on Wikipedia is a way to meet the users where they are and where they seek information, but also participate in building a community, making sure it’s a community for and by all. It’s also a great way to teach literacies.”

“The library could organize Wikipedia activities, for example edit-a-thons on different topics and gather people who are interested or have a lot of knowledge on the chosen topic. Maybe on the climate issue or local authors? Since Wikipedia is a global movement, librarians could also take advantage of the different languages spoken in a community, working together to improve articles in different languages at the same time creating a learning space for language development.”

“We encourage librarians to take part in #1Lib1Ref (which stands for one librarian, one reference) which is a campaign happening every year. Librarians could also join a Wikipedia project of relevance, for example in Sweden, they could join our Project LBTQI, in order to either learn more about how to identify and bridge gaps on Wikipedia, or to raise awareness of LBTQI knowledge in their own library and in the community.

“We see that librarians through Wikipedia could play a part in the work where underrepresented groups gain the visibility they deserve. If you put a light on more stories that matters in our understanding of the world, we contribute to broaden our collective knowledge, making it a much better and more relevant knowledge development.”

What kind of new skills or learning have you detected with the co-operation?

“Libraries and the Wikimedia share the common purpose of providing free public access to resources and knowledge for everyone. With our co-operation we’ve deepened our understanding of Wikipedia itself as well as all the other Wikimedia-platforms, and all the possibilities related. It’s been helpful for us to be more open-minded to different ways of thinking. Also through co-operation librarians are learning how and why it’s a good idea to be a librarian on Wikipedia. For example, increasing the understanding of open linked data, put on the role of being a reference librarian in a digital environment, skills regarding copy right and open source are in our findings.”

Since working on Wikipedia is a kind of never-ending story, it’s also a perfect fit for lifelong learning – for you, your colleagues and your local community.

German library conference 2019

The German library conference took place this year in Leipzig. It is the biggest annual librarian`s conference in Europe. More than 260 lectures, workshops and hand-on-labs were presented together with a huge exhibition of hard-, software and services. Under the title “Libraries for change” 4000 librarians from Germany, neighbouring countries and abroad met to discuss a huge variety of topics. Societies are changing and libraries have to follow these dynamics with innovative concepts and lifelong learning staff members.

The last three years ALA was partner of the German library associations. This year the official partnership switched to the Netherlands where the libraries are very active to promote “the library as a third place”.

One of the recurring themes were fake news and the best way to deal with. “Put the focus on the victims and the outcome instead of only looking at the offenders and give them another platform to be famous” a journalist proposed.

More and more frequently, false information is scattered across all communication channels in order to influence public opinion or to discredit other-minded people. Portrait photos with quotes take out of context, which are often distributed via social networks, are just the tip of the iceberg. In their role as information brokers, libraries must counter this and empower more and more people to distinguish fake news from actual news. There were plenty of suggestions for such formats for work on the ground – especially for the youth. And of course the education and strengthening of our own staff is very important not only in this context.

More than 400 presentations are already uploaded online for those who want to recap or had not the chance to participate in Leipzig. Most of the follow-ups are in German but some are in English, too. And more will be uploaded in the next weeks. At the BIB Opus publication server you can also find the presentations of the past German and Austrian library conferences, the articles of some German library journals in fulltext and more.

IFLA Continuing Professional Development and Workplace Learning (CPDWL) Section Blog

Inspiring information professionals write about continuing professional development and workplace learning in order to build strong librarians and libraries for the future!