Understand global perspectives on effective information practices that are supportive of culture, economic, educational, or social well-being
Introduction
Understanding global perspectives on effective information practices that are supportive of cultural, economic, educational, and social well-being is critical to the future of the LIS profession. “Librarians and LIS professionals are essential to the health and well-being of communities worldwide” (Hirsh, 2022, p.8). With growing technological advances, the information landscape is expanding which means more access to information globally. LIS professionals need to consistently survey the information environment, identify trends, and be aware of the effects it has on the global information landscape. LIS professionals also need to be locally aware of their role in providing information access including being knowledgeable of the diverse populations in their communities and the unique needs of their users and how to meet these needs (Hirsh, 2022). “To thrive in today’s global information landscape, information professionals need to adapt to the evolving environment, remain resilient, and continually evaluate their relevance in responding to the community's needs” (Hirsh, 2022, p.7). By understanding these requirements, following set standards, and critically working for the betterment of the global information community, librarians and LIS professionals can help increase access to information and be the bedrock of meeting global needs in interpreting and using information for the betterment of their communities.
Global Information Landscape
The global information landscape is continuously changing thanks to evolving technological access. The increasing interconnectedness through technology has grown information access to be a top priority of the LIS profession. Librarians and the LIS profession can assist this growing process by educating, transforming, and empowering global communities through information access (Ford, 2018). “Information organizations have an instrumental role in this global agenda (UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development) as they are able to provide…increasing access to information and knowledge across society, assisted by the availability of information and communication technologies, supporting sustainable development, and improving people’s lives” (Hirsh, 2022, p.8). One battle Ford (2018) noted is being able to combat governments who want to censor or control the access to information. It is acknowledged that people who have free access to information, who are able to interpret misinformation and propaganda from other information sources, will have more control in the global information marketplace (Ford, 2018). Another barrier to free access to information is access to technological advancements, there is a global digital divide that limits access for some communities to information and technology (Ford, 2018).
IFLA’s Global Vision (which will be discussed in the next section) has identified three aspects for the LIS profession to focus including “the challenges posed by society that render the future uncertain, the library’s role in society, and the transformation necessary to fulfill this role (Tammaro et al., 2020, p.333). Librarians are called on to be facilitators of knowledge by creating and improving the learning capabilities and levels of knowledge in their communities (Tammaro et al., 2020). Libraries must be in the community, engaging with them, and facilitating their knowledge (Tammaro et al., 2020). Librarians in the global information landscape take on an ethical role in guaranteeing the right to free information access and the freedom of expression (Tammaro et al., 2020). Librarians and LIS professionals contribute to sustainable development goals through providing access to information and communication technologies, educating their communities in information literacy, providing a safe space for learning and growth, supporting equity, diversity, and inclusion, and by providing access to a global network of knowledge, resources, and expertise (Hirsh, 2022).
International Standards
Libraries are a natural provider and supporter of information access through set standards and regulations, so the LIS profession is perfect to assist the growth of the global information landscape. The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) puts libraries on a global stage and helps them develop. (IFLA, 2022). IFLA works to set the professional agenda and develop standards to improve access to information and cultural heritage resources, and to place this work at the heart of the local, national, and global policies (IFLA, 2022). IFLA “standards such as regulating best practices, conceptual models, bibliographic records, digital formats, and guidelines for various types of libraries can be used to support local efforts to enhance information access” (Ford, 2018, p.271). IFLA created a Global Vision in 2017, that involves the entire LIS professional community in agreeing to an idea of a library, a shared vision of what a strong and united library field looks like, and the steps to achieve this vision (Tammaro et al., 2020). IFLA has also worked to incorporate their findings and global vision into the LIS curriculum globally to bring more globally aware librarians into the field (Tammaro et al., 2020).
IFLA publishes trend reports to provide further data and information for libraries to use that is geared toward newer discoveries and trends in the global information landscape (IFLA, 2022). The most recent report is from 2022, and the recommendations include the LIS professionals need to:
See libraries as players in policy
Be more open with and improving library advocacy
Embrace and share innovation
Connect with others in our field and support emerging leaders
Invest in connections with partners and supporters
Understand the links between global issues and individual experiences
Understand the field and its needs and how to support it
Encourage learning opportunities that build sustainability and leadership
Deliver innovative and attractive ways to build connections in our field
IFLA guidelines also reach to setting values on an international level to safeguard people with different backgrounds, ethnicities, religions, but also other communities such as people in prisons, braille users, persons with disabilities, or hospital and long-term care patients to develop services on local needs (Ford, 2018).
Cultural Competence
It is essential for LIS professionals to have cultural fluency, which includes the “ability to listen, learn, exchange ideas, and understand local diverse needs in an abstract context” (Ford, 2018, p.274). A need to understand cultural issues within the LIS profession such as discussing multiculturalism, diversity, the importance of appreciating and recognizing ethnicity, and the multicultural, multiethnic, and multilingual nature of society has been discussed for decades (Overall, 2009). In order to support a global information landscape, librarians and LIS professionals need to understand and actively work on addressing inequalities in their own communities and internationally. They can do this through cultural competence. “Cultural competence is a term used in the literature to describe the ability of professionals to understand the needs of diverse populations'' (Overall, 2009, p.176). Cultural competence includes understanding and respecting cultural differences and addressing issues of disparity among diverse populations (Overall, 2009). To ensure the well-being of communities, it is important for librarians to understand and support equity, diversity, and inclusion. Ameen et al. (2020) stress the importance of academic libraries combating institutional racism and creating a more culturally knowledgeable and equitable system through eliminating disparities in equal access and contribution to knowledge, by supporting the cultural heritage of communities such as the Māori in New Zealand, by countering inequalities, promoting open scholarship, publishing in non-European languages, and being a physical space where students find belonging and representation. Most importantly, to create positive change and advance global change, librarians and LIS professionals need to place social justice in the forefront (Ameen et al., 2020). It is critical to embrace cultural differences, provide open and free access to various information sources, and to be a cultural and social support space for both local and global communities.
Evidence
Info 200 Blog #6 - Global Issues and the Online Book Nerd Community
My first piece of evidence is a blog post for Info 200 Information Communities. This link will take you to the blog post on my WordPress site created for this course. In this assignment, we were to discuss issues our information community faces on an international and global scale. My information community was the Online Book Nerd Community. In this post, I discussed the technology that my community depends on particularly social media and Web 2.0 technologies. I discuss the inequities of the digital divide in this post, particularly in the aspect of how leisure readers do not have the same access to social media in some areas of the world as in the more “developed” areas. I describe the access international libraries provide their communities in response to the digital divide, such as providing access to the internet, technology loaning such as hotspots to access the internet from home, and other ways libraries can support the needs of their communities. I also discuss social media regulation and the impact it has on my community, particularly with the leisure aspect of information discovery through social media scrolling that may be unavailable in certain areas of the world where heavy regulation and restrictions are placed. This piece of evidence shows my knowledge on the global information landscape, particularly how it affects various communities with information seeking needs, and how libraries can assist these communities to bridge the gap and fix inequities.
Info 246 - Social Media Around the World Infographic
My second piece of evidence is an infographic for Info 246 Information Technology Tools and Applications - Advanced - Web 2.0 and Social Media. This link will take you to a document with a link to the infographic and the reference list for my research. For this assignment, we were to create an infographic detailing a social media tool and an international library's use of the tool. We were to describe the library, our target audience, and using data discussing the usability of this tool. I chose to focus on the University of Toronto Libraries and their use of Instagram. Through this infographic I discuss the demographics of the university, including the international student population and how the library can showcase their value to students. Being the largest library in Canada, the University of Toronto Libraries showcase their vast information access with digital and physical collections and resources. This piece of evidence shows my knowledge of libraries on a global scale by researching and describing how the University of Toronto Libraries promotes library value, student involvement, and a sense of community and belonging through their use of social media tools such as Instagram. For academic libraries, showcasing value through social media marketing to students is an important way to create a space where students feel a sense of belonging and representation which is important for developing a sense of social well-being.
Info 282-14 - Public Libraries as Change Agents
My third piece of evidence is a paper titled Public Libraries as Change Agents for Info 282-14 Change Management. The goal of this paper was to identify current change research impacting libraries and how they affect rural towns and global communities in dealing with meeting the demands of educating their communities. In this paper, I focused on technological advancements and how rural or economically challenged countries work to meet the needs of their communities and the creative change solutions libraries can enact. Through research and understanding of global community needs, I recommended more elaborate training for LIS professionals, providing access to technological advancements such as wifi hotspots or cell phone lending, and embracing partnerships to assist in meeting the needs of library communities. This evidence shows my knowledge and understanding of limitations to the global information landscape and how libraries can assist their communities in meeting their needs such as through providing digital access to information through hotspot or cell phone lending programs.
Conclusion
As a future academic librarian, I will use my global perspectives to understand the impact on information intermediation libraries have in the world. I will grow my understanding and knowledge of cultural competencies and work to support and grow library services and collections that represent the broad multicultural communities we serve. In order to remain up to date and knowledgeable, I will review any ALA, IFLA, and ACRL webinars and conferences that discuss these topics, but also stay on top of academic literature that grows my understanding and perspective of the global information landscape.
References
Ameen, K., Chu, C.M., Lilley, S., Ndumu, A., & Raju J. (2020). Multiple ways of knowing: Global perspectives on academic libraries re-imagining systems of knowledge. College & Research Libraries News, 81(9), 426-433. https://doi.org/10.5860/crln.81.9.426
Ford, B.J. (2018). LIS professionals in a global society. In K. Haycock & M.J. Romaniuk (Eds.), The Portable MLIS. (2nd ed., pp. 267-276). Libraries Unlimited.
Hirsh, S. (2022). What it means to be an information professional today. In S. Hirsh (Ed.), Information Services Today (3rd ed., pp. 3-14. Rowman & Littlefield.
IFLA. (2022). IFLA trend report 2022 update: A call for radical hope across our field. https://trends.ifla.org/update-2022
Overall, P.M. (2009). Cultural competence: A conceptual framework for library and information science professionals. The Library Quarterly: Information, Community, Policy, 79(2), 175-204. https://doi.org/10.1086/597080
Tammaro, A.M., Manfredi, A., Berloco, A., De Castro, G., & Distilo, M. (2020). Educating professionals for global vision: No past, no future. Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, 61(3), 332-341. https://doi.org/10.3138/jelis.61.3.2020-0020