Benefits and challenges for special librarians

Information Outlook, Oct, 1997 by Katherine Cveljo

In adding global professional issues into the curriculum, there would be a wide choice of issues to select from:

* information activities of UNESCO and the organization's efforts in bringing to an appropriate level of education worldwide, including education and training for library and information service;

* information on communication and behavioral aspects of the Third World societies that determine the production, distribution, and utilization of graphic and nongraphic records in contrast to those of the Western Society;

* situations in lesser developed countries that affect the development of collections in libraries and cultural institutions;

* issues that are characteristic of numerous countries worldwide, including the issues of illiteracy and semi-illiteracy, resulting in special considerations in building library collections and in providing specialized services;

* the critical issue of resistance to technology that relates to employment problems in some countries, including the resulting problems for libraries and their potential solutions;

* the critical question of bibliographic control in numerous countries worldwide.

Diffusing international issues and materials as widely as possible throughout the LIS curriculum in addition to creating specialized courses dealing primarily with international subject matter has also been strongly recommended by E. J. Josey during the International Doctoral Student Conference at the University of Pittsburgh, School of Library and Information Science, held during September 23-25, 1988. In response to the question, "What can faculty members do to bring more international perspectives into the curriculum?" Josey suggests, "Faculty members can take the diffusive approach, that is, diffusing international materials as widely as possible throughout the library and information science curriculum as contrasted with creating specialized courses only dealing with international subject matter. While we may use the diffusive approach by bringing the international perspectives throughout the curriculum, nevertheless, we would still need specialized courses such as seminars and the introduction to international librarianship. But the specialized courses would only reach a small percentage of the students in library and information science schools, that is, those who opt to take the course. The diffusing of the international perspective throughout the entire curriculum will mean more students will become more internationally oriented and this will be very helpful to the international students."[11]

Dispersing international materials and relevant global issues - including issues and materials pertaining to a foreign country or countries - throughout the LIS curriculum, in addition to creating several courses and seminars dealing primarily with international subject matter, and having several faculty members with strong international expertise would indeed constitute the characteristics of a strong internationally oriented LIS program. Since most international students that come to study in LIS schools in the United States come from the lesser developed countries (hereafter referred to as LDCs [12]), we should briefly refer to the information needs of these countries in the context of their economic, social, and professional conditions. While the populations in developed countries - especially in the United States - enjoy a high level of sustained economic growth and technological development as a result of having devoted a large amount of resources to education and training, populations in numerous LDCs are simultaneously living in different socioeconomic systems and at several stages of technological development. Numerous LDCs continue to be predominantly characterized by illiterate or semi-illiterate populations living in rural communities that are without access to library or other information services. Although the revolution in computers and communications technology offers hope for the LDCs to catch up with the developed world, some LDCs have been unable to profit to their full extent from the new age of information.