New Research Article: “Technology Skills in the Workplace: Information Professionals’ Current Use and Future Aspirations”
The following article appears in the latest issue of Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL).
Title
Technology Skills in the Workplace: Information Professionals’ Current Use and Future Aspirations
Author
Monica Maceli
Pratt Institute
John J Burke
Miami University Middletown
Source
Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL)
Vol 35, No 4 (2016)
Abstract
Information technology serves as an essential tool for today’s information professional, with a need for ongoing research attention to assess the technological directions of the field over time. This paper presents the results of a survey of the technologies used by library and information science (LIS) practitioners, with attention to the combinations of technologies employed and the technology skills that practitioners wish to learn. The most common technologies employed were: email, office productivity tools, web browsers, library catalog and database searching tools, and printers, with programming topping the list of most-desired technology skill to learn. Generally similar technology usage patterns were observed for early and later-career practitioners. Findings also suggested the relative rarity of emerging technologies, such as the makerspace, in current practice.
Direct to Full Text Article (28 pages; PDF)
Filed under: Journal Articles, Libraries, News, Productivity
About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.