Designing A Specialist Post-Graduate Qualification and Continuing Professional Development Structure For The Health Librarian Workforce of The Future

Abstract

Through a grant received from the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), Health Libraries Australia (HLA) is conducting a twelve-month research project with the goal of developing a system-wide approach to education for the future health librarianship workforce. The research has two main aims: to determine the future skills, knowledge, and competencies for the health librarian workforce in Australia; and to develop a structured, modular education framework for specialist post-graduate qualifications together with a structure for ongoing continuing professional development. The paper highlights some of the drivers for change for health librarianship as a profession, and particularly for educating the future workforce. The research methodology is outlined and the main results of the second stage of the project are described together with the findings and their implications for the development of a structured, competency-based education framework.

E-portfolios support continuing professional development for librarians

“…HLA has been vocal in its concern that within the health environment, health librarians who are not required to present evidence of professional competence for registration or revalidation risk being viewed as somehow diminished in professional status (Ritchie 2008). HLA has suggested, therefore, the development of a structured, competency-based framework for health librarian education and ongoing CPD (Ritchie et al 2010). Further, the requirement amongst health professionals to record mandatory CPD, and the instigation of an auditing process, has emphasised the importance of maintaining e-portfolios for evidence of practice and CPD achievements (Andre 2010).…”

“…The recent ALIA/Health Libraries Australia project report -Health Librarianship Workforce and Education: Research to Plan the Future (Hallam et al 2011a) -examined both the current and future roles and skills of health librarians, with reference to seven competencies identified by the US Medical Library Association as specific to health librarianship. Health Libraries Australia (HLA) added a further competency: to maintain currency of professional knowledge and practice (Ritchie et al 2010). While the focus of the ALIA/ HLA project was health librarianship, maintaining standards of professional knowledge and practice and engaging in CPD is vital to the library profession as a whole.…”

Twenty‐first century librarians: time for Zones of Intervention and Zones of Proximal Development?

“…The same applies to continuing professional development, life-long learning and adoption of technology (Keiser, 2012;Ritchie, 2010). Collaboration between libraries, libraries and faculty and libraries and other partners is reported (Ferer, 2012;Connolly, 2011); this stresses the importance of collaboration in becoming more effective and productive, with an overall emphasis on effective change for the better.…”

“…The importance of the affective, emotion, passion and motivation in the workplace and in designing information systems are noted along with the need to be productive and excel, to change habits and to commit to life-long learning and continuing professional development and dealing with the challenges of the 21 st century (Julien, McKechnie & Hart, 2005;Keiser, 2012;Kuhlthau, 2008;Ritchie, 2010). For most people, time and energy are, however, limited resources.…”

Evidence based library and information practice in Australia: defining skills and knowledge

“…The first stage of the project, consisting of a literature review and environmental scan, surveys of health librarians and health library managers, and in‐depth interviews with industry employers of health librarians, has been completed. Research results have been presented to an international audience of LIS educators at an International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) satellite event in Boras, Sweden in 2010, 8 and published in two papers 7,9 . Results of the interviews with employers will be presented in a paper at the 6th International Evidence Based Library and Information Practice Conference in Salford, UK, in June 2011 10…”