Education and training of Library and Information Science professionals in digital scholarship in South Africa

Abstract

Dynamics in the library and information science (LIS) job market brought about by the fourth industrial revolution, including digital scholarship, calls for LIS schools to reconsider their curricula in line with the job market. This study explored the education and training of LIS professionals on digital scholarship in South Africa. Concepts from two frameworks on curriculum development and the Gap Service Quality Model were used as conceptual underpinnings for this study. This study used the qualitative research approach through the adoption of a multiple case study method. Content analysis was used in examining the course outlines in the LIS school’s course outlines and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from the five LIS schools’ Heads of Departments (HoDs) and five lecturers teaching digital scholarship. Five directors in academic and research council libraries were interviewed to find the perceptions of LIS employers of digital scholarship. Additionally, five digital scholarship librarians were interviewed. The data collected were analysed thematically following the methods by Braun and Clarke (2012) using ATLAS.ti 9. The study showed that most LIS schools were not offering content on digital scholarship due to a lack of relevant 4IR infrastructure and the available workforce to offer such education. The study revealed that the LIS schools that were teaching digital scholarship lacked the practical component. Academics indicated that a shortage of literature on digital scholarship led to a poor infusion of the concept in the curriculum. It was discovered that the LIS school failed to consult with relevant stakeholders when developing the curriculum. This study recommended that LIS schools should develop a curriculum that accommodates the current trends in digital scholarship. The study recommended that the LIS schools should procure the 4IR infrastructure relevant to digital scholarship. Capacity-building workshops should be offered to academics to develop knowledge and skills in this area. Consultationrelevant stakeholders such as LIS practitioners, interdisciplinary fields, and the Department of Higher Education and Technology on digital scholarship were identified as the strategy that can help improve the LIS curriculum. A framework that could be used when developing an LIS curriculum, inclusive of digital scholarship, was proposed.