The Future Librarian: A Diverse and Complex Professional

The library professional is an active actor in the information society and the professional identity is affected by societal and cultural phenomena as well as technological changes. The library users’ changing information behavior, different forms of information, and information overload challenge the professional perspective; what is the core expertise of the library profession and what new skills are needed in the future? The library profession meets a growing complexity in its role and it becomes difficult to balance the generalist and expertise level of the profession (Stover 2004). Desirable future skills are related to operating and navigating on the Internet, and being open for interaction with the users on the Internet. At the same time the professional identity is firmly anchored in the traditional core values and competences of librarianship (Huvila et al. 2013). This paper discusses the challenge of the diversity of the expected qualities of librarians. The paper has both a professional as well as an educational point of view. How do we educate library professionals of tomorrow in a society where information and information related activities are continuously growing and changing? What are the core competencies, what are the key challenges, and how do we find a balance between technical and social skills? This paper is based on empirical work looking into expectations of the future library profession among library directors, as well as LIS-students

Language engineering - a champion for European culture

Language is key to culture. It is a direct cultural medium as well as a means of recording and providing access to non-lingual elements of culture. Language is also fundamental to a sense of cultural identity. For this reason, it is vital, in a changing Europe, that we preserve the multi-lingual character of our society in order to move successfully towards closer co-operation at a political, economic, and social level. Language engineering is the application of knowledge of language to the development of computer software which can recognise, understand, interpret, and generate human language in all its forms. The paper provides a high level view of the ‘state of the art’ in language engineering and indicates ways in which it will have a profound impact on our culture in the future. It shows how advances in language engineering are an important aid in maintaining cultural diversity in a multi-lingual European society, while enabling the development of social cohesion across cultural and national divides. It addresses issues raised by the prospect of the Multi-lingual Information Society, including education, human communication with technology and information management, as well as aspects of digital cities such as tele-presence in digital libraries, virtual art galleries and electronic museums. The paper raises the issue of language as a factor in cultural domination, showing the contribution that language engineering can make towards countering it. The paper also raises a number of controversial issues concerning the likely benefits arising from the ways in which language is likely to influence the culture of Europe

Marketing library services to children and young people

This paper discusses the future of Schools Library Services in the North West region of England based on a research project recently undertaken by the Centre for the Public Library and Information in Society at the University of Sheffield on behalf of MLA North West. The research has revealed somewhat of an identity crisis for Schools Library Services in the region, encouraged by educational policy, changing public library service priorities and subsequent issues surrounding service perceptions, awareness and ownership. The research has revealed a desire within the sector for a more visible alignment of Schools Library Services within the empirical services to children and young people agenda. Particular opportunities exist within the literacy development remit, building upon best practice examples in the region concerning reader development projects and family learning initiatives. Recommendations include the formation of a regional professional network designed to promote a seamless library service to children from early years to young adulthood including staff training, advocacy and proactive service marketing under a strong and identifiable regional brand

ORAL INFORMATION DOCUMENTATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY INFORMATION AND SERVICES

History is a body of knowledge derived from the past lives of a society or an individual. The documentation of oral information in the 21st century without doubt is essential. Oral information is transferred from one individual to another verbally and as such there is need to document these information based on their importance. There are different types of oral information passed within a society and this information contains various values such as religious, social, historical, indigenous knowledge and culture of a community as well as genealogy of a community or family. Oral information are received, developed, and shared to future generations through a wide variety of oral tradition known to the society or community. Nonetheless, in the 21st century, concerns are raised because people’s culture and identity are being abandoned and forgotten then comes the need for information professionals and librarians to identify, collect, preserve and actualize the oral information, particularly the information contained in the oral tradition. The paper views information services’ provision as a wheel which provides access to oral information that supports a long or short-term preservation of oral tradition information via documentation. Through the review of scholarly literature and studies, this paper aimed at showcasing 21st century documentation as a symbol of preserving oral tradition to sustain continuity

Users as professionals: A study of IT deployment and its relationship to professional Autonomy

It has been argued that the rise of professions in society has been on the increase for over a century, to the extent that they are seen as integral to post-industrial society. Yet, within information systems minimal research has considered users as professionals. Instead, professions and professionalism as units of analysis have usually been intertwined with discussions of IT workers and systems development. In this paper, we focus on professionals as a user group and consider the implications of the deployment of IT in such contexts. In particular, we attend to the influence of technology on a central feature of professional identity – autonomy. In order to do this, we discuss the deployment of a module of an enterprise-wide student information system in a department of a UK university. From this come insights into regulation through inscription, the deskilling of work, system acceptance in the face of self-interest, the retention of autonomy in a regulated environment and the overt exercise of professional power. Whilst the student information system had an effect on professional identity, within our study, it appears that any encroachment upon autonomy has, overall, been viewed as minimal or easily managed. We suggest that future work might focus upon much more contentious sites of IT roll out where professionals exist – where they feel and experience much more significant effects

The impact of war in Ukraine on the national identity of Russian-speakers in Estonia: the case study of Narva

The purpose of this master’s thesis is to find out how the war in Ukraine affected the level of national identity of the Russian-speaking residents of Narva. Did the inhabitants of the border city become more tied with Estonia or, on the contrary, turned towards Russia after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. A high level of national identity is important for any state, because it shows the unity of the population, its cohesion, a look in one direction. International and Estonian scientific literature was used as a theoretical basis for this master’s thesis. Empirical analysis is based on 50 individual interviews with residents of Narva of different ages and genders, and interviews with three focus groups consisting of residents of the city. All interviews were analyzed, and the respondents were divided into 3 age groups based on common features: the young generation, the middle-aged generation and the older generation. The study revealed that the society of Narva is not homogeneous, different age groups have different levels of national identity (from strong to weak), while even in the same age group there can be diametrically opposed attitudes towards Estonia. The main trend is that the younger respondents are, and the better their level of knowledge of the Estonian language, the less they are engaged in the Russian information field, the higher the level of their national identity. However, changes in the level of national identity are also noticeable among the older generation. In the Conclusion part, the author will share their thoughts on how to improve the national identity of those age groups in which the majority of respondents were with a low level of national identity. The results of thesis can be used in the future to develop strategies for integrating Narva residents into Estonian society, enhancing their national identity

Acculturation Strategies and Arab Youth Cultural Identity Development: A Review

As youth immigrate to a new country, they tend to acculturate in various ways. By definition, acculturation is “the processes through which immigrants gradually adapt their language, behavior and/or values as a result of their contact with the mainstream culture” (Wang et al., 2012). Immigrant youth adopt one of four acculturation strategies, namely assimilation, separation, integration and marginalization (Berry & Sabatier, 2010; Coatsworth & Maldonado-Molina, 2005; Wang et al., 2012). Research has shown that adopting an integrated profile with a balance between both heritage and mainstream cultures translates into greater psychological and socio-cultural adaptation. Synthesized information from research on immigrant youths’ adaptation also holds that the acculturation strategy that they adopt influences their cultural identity development, stability or change. Cultural identity is composed of the immigrant youth’s ethnic identity; shaped by their culture of origin; and their national identity; identity supported by the larger society (Berry & Sabatier, 2010; Berry, 2006; Britto & Amer, 2007; Wang et al., 2012). The purpose of this poster is to provide a greater insight into existing research on Arab youths’ identity development and how this is shaped by the acculturation strategy that they adopt. This can be a base for future research on the stability or fluidity of Arab youth cultural identity development and factors leading to youths’ successful acculturation. Key words: Acculturation strategies, cultural Identity, social goals, Arab youth, immigratio

Marcas, identidades e imagens face aos desafios das tecnologias e da globalização

Este trabalho pretende discutir os pressupostos teóricos acerca dos conceitos de marca, identidade e imagem, no contexto dos desafios colocados às organizações pelo uso das novas tecnologias e da globalização. Partiremos do questionamento sobre o futuro das marcas perante as mudanças que resultam da emergência da sociedade da informação. Propomos apresentar um quadro teórico de referência para o tema das marcas, abordando o assunto a partir das questões de identidade e de imagem de marca, como mote para preparar reflexões e apontar pistas sobre os novos estímulos que alteram modos de produção e de divulgação de informação e de publicidade na sociedade atual. As novas tecnologias e a globalização constituem, pois, um novo terreno simbólico-instrumental onde as marcas da atualidade proliferam e se recriam.This paper intends to discuss the theoretical assumptions regarding brand, identity and image concepts, in the context of the challenges placed before organizations by the use of new technologies and globalization. We will begin by questioning the future of brands considering the changes resulting from the emergence of the information society. We propose a theoretical reference exposition for the topic of brands, starting from the issues of identity and brand image, to prepare reflections and to point to clues about the new stimuli that alter the means of production and information dissemination and advertising in the current society. The new technologies and globalization constitute therefore a new symbolic-instrumental terrain where current brands multiply and recreate themselves

Advanced Computer Ethics: A Study of Artificial Intelligence

Justice, Autonomy, Freedom, Democracy, Equality, Privacy and the Common Good are all values that can be supported or threatened by computer technology. Considering that computer technologies are the fundamental infrastructure of the Information Age, ethical questions arise regarding access and control, privacy, property, identity and professional responsibility. It is important as a future Computer Scientist and Game Developer that I understand the ethical boundaries involved in software development. In this course, I will examine these values as issues that arise at the intersection of ethics, computers, technology, and society are addressed. I will also be closely studying (and presenting a project) on Artificial Intelligence