The value of qualifications in the modern information world

Abstract

The value of qualifications for information professionals operating in the modern information world is considered, pointing out that, with the growth in interest in knowledge management, skills such as thesaurus construction, abstracting and indexing have actually come back into vogue. The fact that the information world is developing rapidly and attracting increasing numbers of people, many of whom have had no formal information training is used as the focus for discussion of the issues involved. Since the relevance and value of a library school qualification have been brought into question an attempt is made to establish the potential value of this qualification and explain why qualified professionals are the most eligible candidates to continue the maturation of the information profession in the twenty-first century. It is concluded that the information profession, like most professions, has room for a whole spectrum of people with different qualifications and skills. However, the distinguishing factor is the necessity to recognize librarianship and information work as a profession.