New Pathways To Learning: A Toolkit For Enhancing Professional and Personal Development

1. Cheryl Ann Peltier-Davis, The Alma Jordan Library
UWI, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
Kumaree Ramtahal, The Alma Jordan Library
UWI, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
Niala Dwarika-Bhagat, Medical Sciences Library,
UWI, Trinidad and Tobago

2. Presentation Summary
Pathways to Learning - Toolkit of Online Resources for Enhancing
Professional and Personal Development
Niala Dwarika-Bhagat
Professional and Personal Skills and Competencies in the 21st
Century Environment
Kumaree Ramtahal
Overview of the 21st Century Environment in which Information
Professionals Operate: Challenges and Opportunities
Cheryl Peltier-Davis

3. What I will cover today …
 Trends in the 21st Century Environment …
 External Environment – Global Landscape
 Internal Environment - Libraries
• Library Users
• Library Collections
• Library Services
 Caribbean Libraries in the 21st Century
Environment: Opportunities and Challenges

5. Exponential Growth In
Internet Users
 Top 3 Internet activities in
developing nations:
1. Socializing with friends,
family (staying in touch,
sharing views)
2. Searching for information
(politics, health care,
government services)
3. Career and commerce
Source: (Pew Report, March 2015
http://www.pewglobal.org/2015/03/19/2-online-activities-in-
emerging-and-developing-nations)
3.2 billion Internet users (40% of
world’s population using the Internet)
Source: International Telecommunication Union
http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-
D/Statistics/Documents/facts/ICTFactsFigures2015.pdf
Source: Internet World stats
http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats11.htm

6. Mobile Revolution
 Expanded and diversified
mobile device market
(smartphones, tablets,
smartwatches, iOS,
Android, BlackBerry)
 Evolution of Mobile Apps
(entertainment, technology,
education, library services)
 Browsing behaviours
shifted from desktop to
mobile (users spending
most of their digital viewing
time on mobile devices)
7 billion mobile subscriptions
worldwide (end of 2015)
Source: International Telecommunication Union
http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-
D/Statistics/Documents/facts/ICTFactsFigures2015.pdf

7. Advances in ICT
(technologies for the
communication of
information)
Developing countries are
harnessing the transformative
power of ICTs to make services
more efficient, catalyze
economic development and
strengthen social networks
Source: World Bank report
http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/ict/overview
 Facebook - 1.4 billion users
 YouTube - 1 billion users
 Twitter - 302 million users
http://acuril.uprrp.edu/index.php

8. Internal Environment –
21st Century Libraries
Library Users
Library Collections
Library Services
Alma Jordan Library, The University of the West
Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago

9. Baby Boom Generation: 1946 – 1964 (48 – 65)
Generation X (Gen X): 1965 – 1979 (33 – 47)
Millennial Generation (Millennials, Gen Y, Digital
Natives): 1980 – 1999 (13 – 32)
Who Are Our
Library Users?

10.  Information-addicted, eager for quick access to current and
personalised online resources.
 Increasing expectation for device-neutral mobile access to
materials in collections.
 Expect 24/7 access to library resources.
 Format agnostic (move seamlessly between electronic, print,
virtual environment).
 Obsessed with instant messaging, social media, mobile apps,
gaming, online shopping.
 Completely wired & multi-tasking (laptops, smartphones,
smartwatches, tablets, MP3 players, wearable technology).
 Increasingly self-sufficient, navigating resources making
choices with no expert guide.
Patron Profile

11.  Library Collections
are a mix of traditional
materials (printed books,
serials, audio-visual) and
e-formats (e-books, e-
serials, e-theses, internet
resources, digital
collections/objects,
streaming audio & video).
 Search & Discovery
portals provide one-stop
discovery and delivery
access to these
collections
 e-information portal
 Enables search and
discovery from a single
interface:
 UWI's subscription
resources
 Unique Caribbean
resources
 Scholarly intellectual output
(UWISpace institutional
repository)
 Catalogues four UWI
campuses
http://libraries.sta.uwi.edu/ajl

12. Library Services Serving
the Needs of 21st Century
Users
 Information Literacy
 Ask A Librarian
 24/7 Access
 STARRS (St. Augustine Research &
Reference Services)
 User Education Centre (UEC)
 Information Commons
 Virtual Orientation Tours
 Wireless Access
 Openly accessible scholarly
resources (UWISpace)
 Digitised Special Collections

13. Caribbean Libraries in the 21st Century
Environment Challenges and Opportunities
 Proactive response … developed programmes and services:
 Responsive to emerging technologies
 Relevant to and reach diverse communities
 Emphasize the library’s role as centers for life-long learning and
self-development
 Underscore the social responsibilities of libraries in bridging
cultural gaps
 Publicize libraries as enablers, providing information for
decision and policy making

14.  Information Professionals
 ACURIL 2015 conference: Collaborative Continuing
Education: LEARN, ACT and INSPIRE
 Strong advocates of and remain committed to developing
core competencies (Professional and Personal) to
survive 21st century challenges and maintain relevancy.

16. WHAT IS A COMPETENCY?
1. Skill: ability to choose and perform the right
technique at the right time
2. Knowledge: theories, facts and procedures, and
the ability to apply this information in different
situations
3. Attribute: is an inherent characteristic or quality
Source: www.uvic.ca/coopandcareer

17. COMPETENCIES
 Observable
 Measurable
 Linked to the workplace, academic
environment and other life experiences
 Transferable
 Based on performance
Source: www.uvic.ca/coopandcareer

18. COMPETENCY STANDARDS
AMERICAN LIBRARY
ASSOCIATION
SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION
Foundations of the Profession
Information Resources Managing Information Resources
Organization of Recorded Knowledge
and Information
Technological Knowledge and Skills Applying Information Tools and
Technologies
Reference and User Services Managing Information Services
Research
Continuing Education and Lifelong
Learning
Administration and Management
Source:
http://www.ala.org/educationcareers/sites/ala.org.educationcaree
rs/files/content/careers/corecomp/corecompetences/finalcoreco
mpstat09.pdf
Managing Information Organizations
Source: Special Libraries Association. 2003.
https://www.sla.org/about-sla/competencies/

19. Source: Special Libraries Association. 2003. https://www.sla.org/about-sla/competencies/
DEFINITION: SPECIFIC SKILLS
Practitioner’s knowledge of
information resources, access,
technology and management, and
the ability to use this knowledge to
provide the highest quality
information services.
• Managing Information
Resources
• Applying Information Tools
and Technologies
• Managing Information
Services
• Managing Information
Organizations
PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES

20. PERSONAL COMPETENCIES
DEFINITION: EXAMPLES
Set of attitudes, skills and
values that enable
practitioners to work
effectively and contribute
positively to their
organizations, clients and
profession.
Source: Special Libraries
Association. 2003.
https://www.sla.org/about-
sla/competencies/
 Seek out challenges and new opportunities
 See the big picture
 Communicate effectively
 Present ideas clearly
 Negotiate confidently and persuasively
 Create partnerships and alliances
 Build an environment of mutual respect and
trust; respects and values diversity
 Teamwork, collaboration
 Think creatively and innovatively
 Networking and personal career planning
 Balances work, family and community
obligations
 Flexible and positive
 Celebrates achievements for self and others

21. TECHNOLOGY COMPETENCIES
 Online computer automation systems, cataloguing tools
and resources, research guides, information literacy
resources, metadata schemas, email, internet, social
media tools and mobile apps, database searching
techniques, e-books and other e-resources.
 Emerging technologies that may become relevant tools
for implementing future library services.

22. Second Life
(virtual
world)
Librarian
Shushing
‘stereotype’
Librarian
Embedded
Librarian
OUR CHANGING ENVIRONMENT LIBRARIAN.0

23. Librarian.0 (2.0/3.0) - Profile
 Understands the power of
emerging technologies (self-
publishing; wearable technology,
MOOCs, Makerspaces, crowd-
funding, QR Codes, infographics,
open source, big data, e-
resources, digital objects)
 Does not shy away from non-
traditional metadata in providing
access to collections (tagging,
tag clouds, folksonomies, other
user-driven content descriptions)
 Tech-Savvy, sees the
potential in using non-
traditional online
resources (social media,
mobile apps, repositories,
digital collections)
 Connects with patrons
using their
communication mode of
choice (smartphones,
smartwatches, tablets,
Skype, Google Hangouts,
instant messaging, e-mail)

24. New Job Titles to Reflect Changing roles and
Competencies
 Digital Services/Scholarship Librarian
 Emerging Technology Librarian
 Electronic and Continuing Resources Librarian
 Head, Information Delivery and Library Access
 Head, Resource Acquisition, Management, and Discovery
 Instructional Services Librarian
 Metadata Librarian
 User Experience Librarian

25.  Develop programmes and services to enhance access to resources.
 Use emerging technologies to continue to deliver innovative
services to our users.
 Proactive at exploring free and fee based continuing education
opportunities to develop the core competencies (professional and
personal) to survive in this technologically driven landscape.

26. ACURIL 2015 COMPETENCIES
TOOLKIT
URL:
https://www.pinterest.com/acuril2/

27. Contact
 cheryl.peltier-davis@sta.uwi.edu
 kumaree.ramtahal@sta.uwi.edu
 niala.dwarika-bhagat@sta.uwi.edu
 ACURIL 2015 Competencies Toolkit
https://www.pinterest.com/acuril2/
 Download presentation on Slideshare:
http://www.slideshare.net/cdtrini/acuril-2015-
suriname-davis-ramtahal-dwarikabhagat