The Profession Is A-Changin'
New web site looks at library careers
Staff -- School Library Journal, 11/1/2000
Librarians wondering where their profession is going and students considering a career in libraries will find an engaging discussion of the changing world of library careers at a new Web site called Librarians in the 21st Century (istweb.syr.edu/21stcenlib). The site, which went online in May, was created by nine Syracuse University library school students, who collected articles and online resources that describe a profession undergoing massive changes. Jana Bradley, director of Syracuse University's library science program and coordinator of the site, guided the students through online discussions and design sessions. Bradley notes that her students now "realize that one of the important jobs of the librarian is communicating the balance between print and digital information." Yet even as digital resources fill the current librarian's world, "the students we see are still book people," she says. The site includes information on careers in K-12, academic, and public librarianship, links to articles on topics such as censorship and Internet filtering, and a linked list of library school programs. Bradley says she plans to have succeeding students update the site. A section on issues in digital librarianship, for example, will soon appear. She says that the site is a resource for anyone interested in the profession of librarianship, and she hopes to add resources such as discussions and library cybertours to make it more attractive to students who might not have considered library work as a career.--W. M.
