I ran across this article by Mark Moran on Forbes.com and it caught my attention as a manager of people. The article is titled, "Young Learners Need Librarians, Not Just Google" and hits on some of my personal concerns about how the next generation of researchers are being trained (or not) to use information in a data-rich environment.
The article points to all the characteristics that I am looking for in a new recruit:
- The ability to pick out reliable sources from an overwhelming heap of misinformation
- The ability to find relevant material amid an infinite array of options
- To navigate the shifting ethics of creative commons and IP
- The ability to present conclusions in a manner that engages modern audience
The article basically outlines a world of the technology "haves and have nots", which really ties back to the funding of libraries and the importance of librarians that embrace the technology changes.
This is not specific to special libraries, but it provides a perspective on where the professionals just entering the workforce are coming from in how they do research.
Link to the referenced report by Harvard's Berkman Center: Empowering Parents and Protecting Children in an Evolving Media Landscape
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