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Purpose – This chapter will utilize the apprenticeship model developed by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in their Preparation for the Professions series to study how American Library Association (ALA)-accredited Master of Library Science (MLS) programs could be reformed to better integrate the interests of educators with those of the practicing profession and the public they serve.

Design/Methodology/Approach – The Carnegie model uses three “apprenticeships” to distinguish the three areas professional education must address, labeled in this chapter as knowledge, practice, and identity. Each of these three areas is explored as it relates to the education of librarians, with an emphasis on what constitutes the general knowledge, skills, and identity of librarianship. Examples of how these three components could be integrated into an MLS program are given.

Findings – Current ALA-accredited MLS programs differ widely on the number and content of required courses. Applying the model developed in the other Carnegie studies to the field of library education yields a clearer vision for the professional education of librarians and to a reorienting of the educational experience students encounter in their MLS studies.

Originality/Value – Using examples from other professional education programs allows library educators to see the means by which a holistic education is achieved in other professions. The novelty of this approach is in the breakdown of the various components of a professional education program. The tripartite approach to professional education also provides a useful framework around which to build an MLS program.

This study takes the position that the vitality of academic libraries is grounded in the working experiences of its librarians. It suggests that a full understanding of problems facing contemporary information professionals in the post-industrial workplace requires an analysis of the labouring aspects as well as the professional nature of their work. The study of changes in the academic library work experience thus depicts the state of the library, and has implications for other intellectual workers in a social environment characterized by expanding information technologies, constricted economic resources, and the globalization of information production. Academic librarians have long recognized that their vocation lies not only in the classical role in information collection, organization, and dissemination, but also in collaboration with faculty in the teaching and research process, and in the contribution to university governance. They are becoming increasingly active in the protection of information access and assurance of information quality in view of information degradation on the Internet and various compromises necessitated by interaction with third party commercial information producers.

The multitasking phenomenon has been prevailing in the technology-driven information environment. People are engaged in multitasking to process information and deal with personal and professional information tasks. This study aims to explore the external predictors of multitasking information behavior (MIB) of library and information science (LIS) professionals from Pakistan.

This is a quantitative study based on a questionnaire survey, and data was collected through Google Form; the link was shared via e-mail and WhatsApp to get maximum responses. The sampling includes the LIS professionals working in Higher Education Commission-recognized universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan. A total of 126 responses were received from 41 universities of KPK.

Pearson correlation and regression were applied by using SPSS for data analysis. The findings revealed that time pressure (TP) is a good predictor of multitasking because when professionals got tasks with deadlines, they try to perform multiple activities at a time. Therefore, TP is a predictor of human MIB. This study also revealed that the work environment is a less significant predictor of MIB, and the use of multiple information resources is a weak predictor of MIB. It is noted that individual covariates were not predictors of the multitasking information. However, TP was the most significant predictor among all the contextual and individual factors predicting MIB.

This research line is significant because MIB is a new dimension of human information behavior among LIS professionals. The findings are beneficial for LIS professionals to increase their work productivity and performance by rationalizing the significant predictors.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no such study is available that highlighted the MIB among LIS professionals. Therefore, this study will highlight external factors’ effects on LIS professionals’ MIB. This study will contribute to the literature on libraries and information management as this study describes the LIS professionals’ behavior.

The key purpose of this study is to explore digital information literacy (DIL) possessed by South Valley University (SVU) library and information professionals. It also tries to identify the various types of DIL and find constraints affecting the related skills and competencies of those professionals.

A quantitative research methodology was adopted in the form of a survey, which was undertaken from February to March 2016. As stated by Kerlinger (1986), the survey research is a useful instrument for educational fact-finding, and a means by which much information can be acquired from the study’s population. The survey instrument was a self-administrated questionnaire, which was adopted for data collection. A pilot questionnaire was first sent to a small random sample of the respondents, with feedback being used to fine-tune the final questionnaire. The targeted population of this study included library and information professionals (n = 127) belonging to SVU libraries that spread over three provinces/campuses: the Qena campus (number of libraries = 22), the Luxor campus (n = 3) and the Hurghada campus (n = 2). The library and information professionals are described to be librarians, library assistants and library directors. Of 127 questionnaires, 101 (79.5%) responses were received. To collect data, the study used a questionnaire, which has six sections reflecting the research objectives of the study.

The findings showed that over two-thirds of SVU library and information professionals are males, and almost one-third are females. Majority respondents are aged between 26 and 40 years, and most possessed bachelor’s degrees, of which nearly two-thirds held library science degrees. Regarding the respondents’ professional profile, the study also showed that majority were librarians, followed by library assistants and library managers, and nearly half had 10 years of experience, followed by those who have work experience of 6-7 years. This study showed that there is a significant relationship between some of the respondents’ demographic characteristics (age and education) and their DIL. The respondents’ gender had no effect on their DIL. The study also showed that there is a significant relationship between all the respondents’ professional characteristics, particularly their discipline, followed by job title, work experience and DIL. Regarding the level of respondents’ knowledge of the types of computers, many showed that their knowledge of using mobile devices, followed by PCs, workstations, portable media players/digital audio player and personal digital assistant was, at the least, high. The respondents’ knowledge of other types ranged between moderate to non-proficient. A large number of the respondents showed that their proficiency in using output devices, followed by input devices, processing devices, storage devices and communication devices was also, at the least, high. While the largest number of the respondents showed that their proficiency in using application software was, at least, high, the largest number of them showed that their proficiency in using system software was moderate. Regarding the respondents’ knowledge-based competencies, as well as skills-based competencies, especially when these competencies related to the integration of ICTs into the library work, this study showed that such kind of competencies possessed by SVU library and information professionals ranged between competent and somewhat competent. Regarding the challenges affecting the respondents’ acquiring skills and related competencies, the study revealed that the lack of funds, training, physical facilities, connection to the internet, subscribing to e-databases, lack of time as well as challenges related to SVU library system regulations, were significant to them. Other challenges such as the lack of incorporating and exploiting the new technologies and products into library integrated systems educators’ services, as well as challenges related to psychological barriers, lack of current curricula in the area of ICTs and a shortage of experienced LIS counselors, were also significant to them. This study reached conclusions that the SVU library and information professionals should be qualified and get adapted to ICTs and related competencies. They need to be provided with sufficient training to update their knowledge regarding the use and integration of technology in their library work.

This study investigates DIL among library and information professionals at SVU, an Egyptian university. Any findings and conclusions resulted from this study are limited in scope to only the library professionals of this university. Such a topic has limited previous research. The size and homogeneity of the sample limit the generalizability of this study.

The study aims to investigate DIL acquired by SVU library and information professionals. The potential results of this study would be useful for library schools, library associations and other pertinent authorities for the planning of training programs and courses. The findings may also be helpful for library educators to develop curricula that meet the needs of library and information professionals.

This study is one of the few studies conducted on this topic in Egypt. The literature on the topic of this research revealed that extensive research has been undertaken on DIL in higher education in developed countries, but very limited research has been conducted on this topic in Egypt and similar developing countries, particularly among academic library and information professionals. No definition for the concept of DIL has yet been produced, and many Egyptian academic institutions define this concept based on their own needs depending on existing models.

The problems of One‐Man‐Bands (OMBs) began to be taken seriously in the early 1980s when the Aslib OMB group was formed. The group received considerable attention in the professional press, and became the object of a study by Judith Collins and Janet Shuter who identified them as “information professionals working in isolation”. Many of the problems identified in the Collins/Shuter study remain — not least of these being the further education and training needs of OMBs. These needs are studied in this report. The author has firstly done an extensive survey of the literature to find what has been written about this branch of the profession. Then by means of a questionnaire sent to the Aslib OMB group and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (INVOG), training and education needs have been pinpointed. Some of these needs have then been explored in greater detail by means of case studies. The author found that the most common deterrents to continuing education and training were time, cost, location, finding suitable courses to cover the large variety of skills needed and lastly, lack of encouragement from employers. The author has concluded by recommending areas where further research is needed, and suggesting some solutions to the problems discussed.

The purpose of this paper is to explore different health care professionals’ discourse about privacy – its definition and importance in health care, and its role in their day-to-day work. Professionals’ discourse about privacy reveals how new technologies and laws challenge existing practices of information control within and between professional groups in health care, with implications not only for patient privacy, but also for the role of information control in professions more generally.

The authors conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with n=83 doctors, nurses, and health information professionals in two academic medical centers and one veteran’s administration hospital/clinic in the Northeastern USA. Interview responses were qualitatively coded for themes and patterns across groups were identified.

The health care providers and the authors studied actively sought to uphold the protection (and control) of patient information through professional ethics and practices, as well as through the use of technologies and compliance with legal regulations. They used discourses of professionalism, as well as of law and technology, to sometimes accept and sometimes resist changes to practice required in the changing technological and legal context of health care. The authors found differences across professional groups; for some, protection of patient information is part of core professional ethics, while for others it is simply part of their occupational work, aligned with organizational interests.

This qualitative study of physicians, nurses, and health information professionals revealed some differences in views and practices for protecting patient information in the changing technological and legal context of health care that suggest some professional groups (doctors) may be more likely to resist such changes and others (health information professionals) will actively adopt them.

New technologies and regulations are changing how information is used in health care delivery, challenging professional practices for the control of patient information that may change the value or meaning of medical records for different professional groups.

Qualitative findings suggest that professional groups in health care vary in the extent of information control they have, as well in how they view such control. Some groups may be more likely to (be able to) resist changes in the professional control of information that stem from new technologies or regulatory policies. Some professionals recognize that new IT systems and regulations challenge existing social control of information in health care, with the potential to undermine (or possibly bolster) professional self-control for some but not necessarily all occupational groups.

The purpose of this study is to determine the type of information Library and Information Science professionals share in the WhatsApp groups in Nigeria.

The study adopted a quantitative content analysis research design. With a total of 739 participants, 1,385 posts of six different WhatsApp groups of Library and Information Science professionals for three months were analyzed.

The study found that the most shared information among the Library and Information Science professionals in Nigeria is post on professional information. This demonstrates that librarians are determined to share professional information among them to promote the profession. This was followed by political information basically on the Nigerian Library Association national executives’ election, and job advertisements related to the library. Although a few members violate the rules by posting the kind of information not required in the WhatsApp group, the erring members are quickly called to order and warned by the WhatsApp group administrator.

Professional ties can grow among information specialists and library practitioners through participation in virtual communities such as WhatsApp group. The implication of this work is in showing that social media especially WhatsApp groups can be used as a knowledge sharing mechanism to share timely, current and relevant information among professionals in different occupations.

Findings on the use of WhatsApp group in sharing professional information will inform several other Library and Information Science professionals in other countries of the need to adopt this channel to disseminate timely information related to up-coming conferences, training opportunities, workshops, call for papers and so on among the professionals. The results of this paper are valuable for anyone interested in an avenue to share or receive much quicker and pertinent information that saves the time of professionals in any occupation.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate what types of information are crucial to support investment decisions, how investment professionals find information that they use to advise their clients, what types of sources of information are available to them, what sources they prefer, and what difficulties they experience in finding investment information. The study also explores the preferred ways and means to improve the information finding skills of investment professionals.

Survey method was used to collect data about information‐seeking behavior of investment professionals. An online questionnaire was used as a data collection instrument. The questionnaire contained eight questions about types of information required for investment analysis, information‐finding practices of professionals, tools and services frequently used, and perceptions of investment professionals about the importance of sources of information. Participants were also asked about the use of social media and social software, and frequently‐used information sources on investment opportunities.

Investment professionals in Kuwait are relying heavily on electronic and digital sources to find investment information. Participants indicated that a wide variety of financial and non‐financial information was needed to support their work. They reported frequent use of e‐mail and smartphones to access internal and external information. While they benefitted from social media and social software, they considered company intranets and portals, external web sites, and business information services more important to fulfill their information needs. They appeared to be confident about their information‐finding skills but considered training helpful in database and internet searching techniques.

This study has made valuable information available on information‐seeking practices of investment professionals, as very few previous studies could be found in the literature. The first phase was an exploratory study. The second phase of the study will use multiple methods such as interview and focus group discussions to probe further in certain areas.

This paper aims to present an overview of the current library and information service in UK professional associations. Challenges in the sector are identified and some of the best information services are examined in order to construct useful models for best practice.

A mixed method approach is used: literature review, sources‐based research, content analysis of web sites, statistical analysis, and open‐ended interviews. A total of 50 web sites of professional associations were analysed and 13 association representatives were interviewed. Models of best practice in professional association library and information services are proposed.

The professional associations with the best web site information provision often have excellent in‐house libraries and a growth in membership between 1999 and 2007. Challenges include: attracting and retaining members through the information services, sufficient marketing and promotion of information services, generating or attracting enough funds, keeping information up‐to‐date, creating benchmarks and standards, and developing information policies and strategy.

The proposed models can be used by professional association library information services to improve their service delivery.

The study contributes to the under‐researched area of library and information services of UK professional associations. The paper outlines original models for building information strategy and best practice.

This paper aims to explore the phenomenon of the hybrid information specialist in the academic library setting. It does this in relation to curriculum development for preparatory and continuing professional education for librarianship and makes particular reference to the contemporary iSchools movement.

The paper reviews trends and developments in academic information services and the information science academy in the context of continuing technological advances and educational change. It presents a case study of curriculum development and portfolio renewal, using the specialist roles of digital library manager and information literacy educator to show how the principles of interactive planning can be applied in articulating an academic strategy to meet the changing demands of educational institutions, professional bodies and employers.

There are significant parallels between professional education and professional practice in the shifting boundaries, expanded portfolios and challenged identities evident in the current information marketplace. A combination of continuous incremental development with periodic fundamental review enables professional educators to meet the changing mandates of different stakeholder groups. When combined with a strong professional focus, the breadth and depth of multidisciplinary expertise found in a research‐led iSchool facilitates the design of specialised pathways and programmes for practitioners moving into blended roles.

Practitioners intent on careers in academic libraries should consider the opportunities and demands of hybrid blended roles when choosing educational programmes and pathways.

The paper provides a conceptual framework to illustrate the nature of emergent professional roles and current challenges facing professional educators. Ackoff's interactive planning theory is used to illuminate the problem of academic planning in complex pluralist contexts.