Role and Competency of Librarian in Digital Era

With the application of information technology, the networked information is available to the users and can be accessed from any place by any formats, any time. As well, information technological advancements are helping the professionals in serving users better, and it has brought the globe people so close. The ICT have changed the ways in which people think, communicate and share knowledge. Thus, Librarians play a key important role and have big challenges in the knowledge dissemination process and management by facing the major transformational changes due to the advancements of information and communication technologies. In this digital era, librarians must be able to work with digital technologies, and must be able to curate electronic collections, including the ability to select, acquire, describe, organize, reference, and preserve these digital works. In the present situation, the librarian is compelled to assume new roles and perform activities like guiding, facilitating, processing information resources and preserving information materials.

Librarians are compelled to adapt with the fast growing digital technological changes that took place in the library services such as infrastructure, content creation, collection development, user interface, information and knowledge management strategies etc. Users could access the information at any place, anytime, anywhere and in any format. Librarians play a unique role in gathering, organizing and coordinating access to the best available information sources for the organization as a whole. The user needs and expectations have increase into a high level, as well, the librarians are trying to provide with continuous learning. In the process, the following are the roles library professional in digital era: 1. Information Management: The work of librarians is increasing with the flow of information. Librarians create and manage web sites and intranets for the library. Librarians have to analyze, describe and organize the digital resources such as e-books, scanned images etc for efficient retrieval by the users. The librarian manages the information resources, the infrastructure and staff to meet the information needs of the users. 2. User Guidance: Librarian can guide users to enhance the information literacy and also plays the role of information access guide. Library users still need to be educated regarding their understanding of essential information gathering skills and tools. The librarian therefore, has a critical role in the digital library as educator or end-user guide so that users can access information more efficiently and effectively. 3. ICT knowledge: The librarian must have ICT knowledge in this revolutionized digital environment with emerging trend in information and communication technology and new provision of information services. Librarians will have to be familiar with key

as RSS (Really Simple Syndication) Wikis, Blogs, Web tools, Technology standards and protocols. 4. Knowledge Management: Librarian should be able to handle the process of knowledge creation, knowledge capture, processing and protection. The Librarian should also possess an ability to work with high level of skill and expertise, and should be able to extract, filter and disseminate vital external knowledge, and work side by side with users in collecting and analyzing strategic intelligence. He can be the knowledge manager by using the technological infrastructure, in the library to communication, facilitation, training and management skills. 5. Specialized Librarian: A Librarian should have specialization in locating information on the Internet and effective information handling in cyber world. The librarian should familiarize with new gadgets and methodology of locating information for majority of users, as well librarians can easily handle and do best with the resources available in cyber space and access information.

Information professionals contribute to the knowledge base of the profession by sharing best practices and experiences, and continue to learn about information products, services, and management practices throughout the life of his/her career. Information professionals commit to professional excellence and ethics and to the values and principles of the profession. In the process, librarian may perform the profession the following with their personal competencies: 1. Alertness: In the digital environment, the Librarian should alert on new professional knowledge and skills solve a variety of information problems comes up in a wide range of information resources. Alert with changes in information seeking and it uses. As well, Librarian helps others to develop their new ideas and new technologies. 2. Adaptability: Librarian should adapt with different uses of new technology as an enabler of new information ideas, products and services. He should also understand the environment in which library is operating and how the library or information services contribute and adapt with towards library and in a Web-based environment. 3. Preparedness: The library and its information services are keep changing, preparedness on part of librarianship is very much important and be prepared to informed users and give the highest quality information to demands and needs of the users. Besides, librarian must prepare for major trends, development and world events that may impact the library profession; 5. Communication skill: Librarian should be able to presents ideas clearly, and enthusiastically, either verbally or in writing. always in the ―language‘ of the audience, and with an understanding of their perceptions and perspectives. And , Conveys effective, clear and assertive messages and coaches others to do the same. Communicates openly, directly, clearly and respectfully with users and colleagues, demonstrates active listening skills with customers and colleagues. 6. Friendliness: Librarian should have an ability to act as a friend for the different kinds of users .Further he may also seeks alliances with book and technology suppliers and other information providers to improve products, services and operations. Librarian may established alliances with researchers in faculties of library and information studies to conduct relevant and practical studies. 7. Flexible Librarian: Changes have taken place at any time and any service in the library, Librarian have to assume different responsibilities at different points in time that respond to changing needs and maintain a positive attitude and helps others to do the same. Besides, librarian should seek solutions and initiates problem-solving processes, creates and contributes towards new achievements. 8. Life- long process: Anticipates and manages change effectively pursues learning opportunities, personally or through formal training. Actively participates in the professional community. Remains knowledgeable and aware of current events and flexible, adapting to new situations, systems, tools.

The ability required for the profession remains the same, the methods and tools for information delivery continue to grow and change dramatically. In this context, the Librarian must have an ability for information acquisition, access, preservation, and management that became more and more significant for librarianship in digital era.

ENVIRONMENT:

The environment in which librarians work is changing in terms of greater access to a range of information, increased speed in acquiring information, greater complexity in locating, analyzing and linking information, constantly changing technology and adaptation, lack of standardization of both hardware and software, continuous learning for users and staff, management of financial investment for technology. In another way, the rise of digitized information is an opportunity to elevate the role of librarian and leads to the emergence of a new breed of librarian:

CONCLUSION:

In the digital era, librarians must be able to work with digital media, and must be able to curate electronic collections, including the ability to select, acquire, describe, organize, reference, and preserve these digital works. Thus, the role of the librarian is evolving to network specialist, information broker, systems designer and knowledge manager to mention only a few directions. In essence, an overall intensification of specialization both in the technological aspects of library and information services, as well as stronger subject-oriented competencies and evaluative abilities are being demanded from the information professionals and should be taken into consideration both in the training and education of professionals as well as in in-service continuing education to meet the changing technological demands at the organization. The role of librarians is continuing to evolve with the adoption of Internet and World Wide Web into the librarianship. Though it is difficult to predict with certainty how active the role of librarians would be in this evolving scenario, it can be said with confidence that their services cannot be dispensed with because they have the necessary qualification and historically the first right to attend to the information needs of the seekers.

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Government Aizawl North College, Mizoram University