A survey of networking education in North American library schools - Libraries and the Internet: Education, Practice & Policy

Library Trends, Spring, 1994 by Constance Wittig, Dietmar Wolfram

INTRODUCTION

The explosion of networked information resources and access tools, many developed only in this decade, has presented a new set of tools for information professionals. The rapid development of new resources and technologies has left schools of library and information science (LIS) scrambling to keep up with these swift changes. The newest wave of computer-based resources represents the latest influx of information technology spawned by the growth in access to computer networks, particularly the Internet.

The changing role of the information professional--from one dealing primarily with print-based resources to one successfully confronting the growing number of electronic resources--has been underway for several decades. The development of online bibliographic databases in the late 1960s marked an important turning point for the profession. These centrally located resources have permitted timely retrieval of information from large databases using computing and telecommunications technologies. The latest information storage and retrieval tools now permit access to decentralized resources with uniform ease.

The passage of the High Performance Computer Technology Act in December 1991 authorized funding for the development of the National Research and Education Network (NREN) which will include connections to libraries and the resources in those libraries. The library community's recognition of the importance of networked resources and interest in facilitating access is evident in its recent lobbying efforts (Brunell, 1991). In September 1989, information professionals testified at a congressional hearing that increased access to information through a national supercomputing network could expand the role and usefulness of libraries in the future (McClure et al., 1991). Pending legislation in the form of Senate Bill S 2813 and House Bill 2772, which authorizes funds for an electronic gateway to government databases, specifies free access to this information for libraries (Quindlen, 1992). This newest information resource should further the commitment libraries have to accessing electronic information.

The purpose of this article is two-fold. The authors first explore the current state of networking concepts, tools, and resources in American Library Association (ALA) accredited programs in library and information science in North America. The study also examines faculty attitudes toward the place of networking education and their perceptions of its impact on library and information science. Questions of concern to the authors include: Have LIS faculty kept abreast of the rapid developments in networking? What aspects are being taught? Where in the curriculum have they been adopted? How significant will these developments be to LIS education?

THE LITERATURE

The professional literature has seen a proliferation of monographs, particularly in the last two years, dealing with overviews of networking, networked resources, and specific applications in library and information science. This growth of literature supports the need for educating information professionals in the new networked resources. General guides to the Internet have become quite popular, beginning with Kehoe's Zen and the Art of the Internet: A Beginner's Guide to the Internet (1992) and continued by guides developed by Krol (1992); Tennant, Ober, and Lipow (1993); and the Internet Resource Guide, which is produced by the National Science Foundation (1993) and made available on the Internet.

The professional periodical literature has also seen a considerable increase in coverage of networking resources and tools since 1991. Current literature covers the spectrum from general overviews of the Internet and its capabilities (Chadha, 1992a, 1992b; Lynch & Preston, 1992; Page, 1993; Polly, 1992); to specific access tools and resources (Bailey, 1992; Bickley, 1991; Kalin & Tennant, 1991; Nickerson, 1991a, 1991b, 1991c; Simmonds, 1993); to library-specific applications (Notess, 1991; OCLC, 1992; Dillon et al., 1993; Jackson, 1993; Zeeman & MacKinnon, 1993).

A small base of literature focuses on professional knowledge and proficiencies of networked resources and tools and their use in libraries. Larsen (1991), in a paper on the role of libraries in providing access to networked information services, espouses the need for library reference staff "to know how to find materials on the network and how to utilize those resources. Network-based resources are not limited to computers, libraries, and databases; people also are an invaluable network resource" (p. 44). In a study on public libraries and the use of Internet/NREN information services, McClure, Ryan, and Moen (1993) found that 92 percent of the public librarians surveyed felt that librarians have a limited knowledge of what is available on networks. This resulted in a recommendation for research on "how best to develop and implement a national education program for practicing librarians on the importance, uses, and applications of national networking" (p. 29). Tillman and Ladner (1992) report the use of Internet resources by special librarians mentioning that, "the Internet has a special value for special librarians" (p. 127) due to their isolated working conditions and the rapidly changing "world of libraries and the workplace" (p. 131).