    |
||
|
|
Education and Training SectionFeasibility of International Guidelines for Equivalency and Reciprocity of Qualifications for LIS Professionalsby Terry L. Weech and Anna Maria TammaroBackgroundIssues such as the equivalency and reciprocity of the qualifications of the information professional, which IFLA and the Education and Training Section have been concerned with for years, still have not been resolved. While the internet has been well developed for nearly two decades, the pace of the internationalization of information and its impact on information professionals has increased considerably in recent years, in large part because of the increase of digital information resources. The need for resolving questions of quality of graduates of LIS education programs to provide guidelines for equivalency and reciprocity for assessing the qualifications of information professionals is even more crucial in this time of digitalization and internationalization of information than it was in the twentieth century as there is greater mobility of graduates than ever before in the context of the globalization. More librarians are seeking employment and further education outside their own countries, there are no clear guidelines for determining the equivalency of degrees and certificates. A learning outcomes/competencies approach could help with the communication between the stakeholders involved in lifelong learning of library and information professionals and those involved with the academic programs of education and training of library and information professionals. This project will be coordinated with relevant activities of other IFLA sections and groups, including but not limited to CPDWL (Continuing Professional Development & Workplace Learning Section) and the LIS Education in Developing Countries Discussion Group.Goals and objectivesThe project will determine the feasibility of establishing guidelines for equivalency and reciprocity of LIS professional qualifications to facilitate the exchange and mobility of LIS professionals across national boarders. This project will focus on determining if a common framework for LIS professional qualifications, competencies and learning outcomes necessary for different levels of professional employment and for a variety of job profiles is possible for LIS professionals in the international context of the information society. The specific objective will be to develop and test the feasibility of guidelines that will assist employers and LIS education programs to assess the equivalency of earned degrees and certificates internationally and establish criteria for establishing reciprocity in assigning placement in educational programs and employment. If the proposed study determines that guidelines for equivalence and reciprocity of qualifications are feasible, efforts will be made to enlist the assistance of national library associations to approve the proposed international guidelinesMethodologyThe literature on equivalency and reciprocity of qualifications for LIS professionals will be reviewed to provide the historical and research context for the methodology. The various current methods of assessing quality of LIS programs and competencies of LIS professionals will be analyzed. The survey on Quality Assurance models, completed in 2005, presented evidence that a learning outcomes orientation could be helpful for improving quality in LIS schools. The learning outcomes of graduates of academic programs are a critical indicator of how effectively LIS schools are defining and instilling the skills and attributes needed by their graduates, with success in the labour market being the most obvious indicator of good outcomes. The identification of appropriate learning outcomes and competencies would also facilitate the ability of employers and academic institutions to establish international reciprocity and equivalency of qualification guidelines in the global world of library and information professionals. The validation of learning outcomes orientation as a basis for establishing the feasibility of Guidelines for Equivalency and Reciprocity of LIS Professional Qualifications will be explored along with other quality assessment tools, by surveying leaders in LIS education and librarians and information professionals on the cutting edge of the application of the internationalization of information in the twenty-first century. The survey will be conducted by email and focus groups will be held at regional and international conferences and workshops. The resources of the Education and Training Section of IFLA will be utilized to facilitate the data gathering. The final result of the project will be a draft Guidelines for Equivalency and Reciprocity document for review and discussion by the professional community.TimescaleThe feasibility study will be completed in one year (2007). Activities:
ReferencesDalton P., Levinson K. (1999), An investigation of LIS qualifications throughout the world, 66th IFLA Council and General Conference, Jerusalem Daniel E., Lazinger S., Harbo O. (2000) Guidelines for Library/Information Educational Programs Fang J. R., Nauta P. (1987) Guidelines to equivalence and reciprocity of professional qualifications, "IFLA Journal" 13,2. Huckle, Marion. (2002) Driving Change in the Profession: Subject Benchmarking in UK Library and Information Management Libri, vol. 52, pp. 209-213. Tammaro, A. M. (2006). Findings of the survey of quality assurance models in LIS programs. IFLA SET Bulletin January, 2006. Aug. 27th, 2006 | |
