The education and training of information and library staff in the UK

Abstract

When I began to consider this topic I was struck by the number of times I wrote the word ‘change’ in my preliminary notes, and change is really the theme or leitmotiv which runs throughout this paper. I shall look first at a number of issues which are changing the use of information and the nature of information work Those changes have implications for the future information workforce and for the education and training of that workforce. Next, I shall briefly describe the way in which the main providers of information education and training are themselves changing to meet the new demands. Specifically, I shall discuss developments within library and information schools, the provision of continuing education against the ever present backcloth of reduced budgets and inadequate funds, and finally I shall touch on the development of the New National Vocational Qualifications in library and information work.