Making the inquiry into student learning a key component in Library and Information Science (LIS) education and increasing learning by fostering individual inquiry and developing a community that will support such an inquiry fits well within a field of LIS where dealing with inquiries on a daily basis is a major part of our work, providing more flexibility and developing and engaging in different communities of inquiry with people from all walks of life. The authors are trying to explore and demonstrate a strong connection between inquiry-based learning (IBL) concepts in LIS education and a development of scholarship of teaching and learning (SOTL). Building the parallels between the Ernest Boyerâ s paradigm of scholarship and John Deweyâ s cycle of inquiry, they put forward an argument that inquiry-based learning in LIS is a new approach to a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in LIS education. Presentation consists of the following parts: (1) A short overview of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning which will include some background information, definitions and characteristics of SOTL including Boyerâ s paradigm followed by a brief overview of the SOTL-related activities at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) as well as a Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) (2/3) Inquiry and inquiry based learning and how we bring an inquiry approach to LIS education. A description of inquiry related work and activities at GSLIS including newly launched Community Inquiry Initiative (CII) linking them to SOTL (4) Report on the results of a pilot study of the students taking the Community Inquiry (CI) track courses

The focus of the information profession (LIS profession) has been and continues to be: providing access to and delivery of information needed by end-users. Until the arrival of the Internet and online era this activity was largely library-centered. But there is increasing ‘dis-intermediation’ and ‘deinstitutionalization’ of the process of information search, access and delivery. This has implications for manpower development programmes. The composition of the emerging information market also needs to be understood in order to design and implement appropriate manpower development programmes. Based on an examination of ‘market indicators’ this paper suggests that the ‘divide’ between products of educational programmes and the requirements of the market place needs to be bridged.

Text in Chinese. English abstract translated from Chinese. / The community of libraries and information centers is demanding professionals who are equipped with skills in personal communication, leadership and creativity, besides professional expertise. However, library and information science schools are not cognizant of this; students lack particular training in this regard. To meet industry market demand, library and information schools need to incorporate this kind of generalist training into their curriculum.

This is the introductory presentation (of 7 slides) by Lynn Connaway on Thursday, January 13, 2005 to the session "Intriguing Interdisciplinary Initiatives" convened by the Research SIG at the ALISE 2005 Conference. Lynn Connaway and Marie Radford were the 2004 Research SIG session organizers. In this short introduction Connaway highlighted the framework for collaboration, the barriers and benefits of collaboration.

The author began working by asking a question: how well are library schools preparing students for future participation in the library profession? She thought that one year is not long enough for students to gain what they need to become a library and information science professional. She suggested library schools to undertake a major restructuring of their programs and recommended a two-year M.L.S. program.

It is generally acknowledged that university graduates in library and information science are generally expected to hold management positions at some point in their career. It is also understood that a key role managers play is that of leader and in particular, visionary. But current LIS programs in the Asia Pacific region tend to place little emphasis on leadership education. And the field in general suffers a handicap in this regard, due both to the negative stereotypes, real and perceived, that surround the profession. Librarians are perceived to be timid, bookish and retiring. Recently of course, librarianship has evolved to encompass a wide range of potential occupational roles under the all-encompassing label information professional. Nevertheless, information professionals still find themselves obscured by other more ap-parently alluring domains (computer science, life science, business administration). In this paper, we argue that a powerful means to inspire a visionary approach in LIS students, which will create capabilities for successful leadership and expose students to a more empowering view of the profession, is to consciously develop role models from the past and use them as teaching exemplars. We set ourselves the task of arguing the potential and value of infusing biographies of these figures into the curriculum. However, before moving to those tasks, we present some evidence to support our views as to the validity of our approach.

The importance of Information and Communication Technologies in distance learning has been acknowledged as an essential component of strengthening LIS education in the remote areas of the north eastern states of India. (Rath). The same could be said of the use of ICT for LIS education in remote areas of Australia, South Asia and in America. A global infrastructure of physical, human and financial resources will continue to attract students to the LIS profession and add dimension to the concept of information literacy for all as a universal concern. Beyond ICT and distance platforms, LIS education can also be strengthened by faculty knowledge of cultural differences experienced by their students and the impact of the digital divide. With knowledge comes sensitivity. This reflective essay was based on a literature review of barriers in LIS international education. In 1999, Robert Stueart wrote of the challenge to information access in Asia: “One of the most important activities is information society is to maintain a cadre of qualified information professionals”. How can India maintain a cadre of qualified information professionals? Library education in India dates back to 1911. Dr Ranganathan was the major force in the introduction of librarianship courses at the University of Madras, Bombay, Banaras, and Delhi. This essay concludes that information professionals themselves are the channel of globalization of LIS education because they see the need for standards in computerisation initiatives and are sensitive to the benefit of promoting communities of practice within and without their own country of origin. Students everywhere may have overcome great difficulties and personal sacrifice to pursue their education. Universities need to develop students who possess not only discipline knowledge but a high level of personal and interpersonal skills The subject of information ethics can be part of the library and information science curriculum in developed and developing countries worldwide. This subject forms a common boundary which is open to student interpretation.

This paper provides a brief overview of the present status and problems of Library and Information Science (LIS) education in Indian universities with an emphasis on the need for its internal quality assurance and accreditation by an external agency. The University Grants Commissionâ s (UGC) efforts for the improvement of quality of LIS education have also been highlighted. A set of objective indicators has been developed on the basis of an understanding of the global developments in the activities and services of libraries and information centers, the national environment, the outcome of National As-sessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and the observations and recommendations arising from different national level seminars and workshops to facilitate the assessment and accreditation of LIS education.

As a part of LIPER research, a questionnaire survey was administered to Library & Information Science instructors in Japanese universities. In quantitative terms, this research revealed the characteristics and teaching goals of LIS instructors, the similarities of librarian certification courses, and the overlap with instructors of those courses. Also, an analysis of freeform question responses about LIS education revealed the instructorsâ varied thoughts on LIS education and also revealed awareness of problems related to profession and curriculum issues and education goals.

A considerable amount of research has been done into studentsâ first year experiences at university: their transition from school to university studies and their social needs and experiences. The work described in the literature has concentrated on students who attend school on campus. If on-campus students are experiencing problems with feeling isolated, a lack of identity and feeling part of a community, then how do distance students deal with these same issues? A research project conducted at Edith Cowan University in 2004-2005 sought to discover the issues affecting first year students and the problems they experienced when beginning studies in online professional education programs for librarians, library technicians, teacher librarians, archivists and records managers. Many of these students in the School of Computer and Information Science (SCIS) study by distance education and are wholly dependent on elearning. There are others who attend on campus but undertake a significant proportion of their studies through elearning. Communication and IT skills and preparedness must be added to the list of major first year experience issues for this group. Two separate studies were initiated to find out how the online environment differs from the on-campus experience, how students feel about studying online and what needs to be included to facilitate a more supportive experience at university. The results of these two studies - First experiences of online university study and Using discussion forums to create an online learning community - are reported here.