LIBRARY STUDIES
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? OPEN POLYTECHNIC KAIMAHI TO RESEARCH ALUMNI LEARNERS
Open Polytechnic academic staff, Jan Irvine and Pam Bidwell, are planning an exciting study of the career paths and graduate perceptions of Open Polytechnic library and information graduates since they entered the workforce.
“This will be the first research to explore the career paths, knowledge and skills of library and information studies alumni from the Open Polytechnic, over a 20-year period,” says Jan.
“We hope to find out the most useful skills for information professionals and use this knowledge to future-proof the curriculum,” says Pam. “We also expect to find out answers to related questions such as the professional development needs of library and information professionals, and their thoughts on building skills through micro-credentialing.” Micro-credentials certify achievement of a coherent set of skills and knowledge and are smaller than a qualification.
The researchers hope to learn more about the occupations and roles that alumni are currently employed in – inside or outside the library and information profession, and to establish which knowledge and skills gained from study have been most useful. This includes how transferable those skills proved to be and how they have been used outside library and information workplaces.
Other areas to be explored include whether learners develop a sense of whanaungatanga (relationships or kinship), as they moved through their qualifications, and if they have maintained and extended any relationships and networks after graduating from Open Polytechnic.
The research will be standing on the shoulders of giants, drawing on existing research including Lynley Stone’s 2013 in-depth career survey of library and information professionals in New Zealand. As part of
the development of the Open Polytechnic Bachelor of Library and Information Studies and associated diplomas, Stone also conducted two major in-depth research studies on library and information education in New Zealand in 2016.
“We will also use the work of Open Polytechnic Research Development Leader, Amanda Cossham. As part of her role as lead facilitator for the Mandatory Review of Qualifications, she explored the current and future workforce needs for information management and services. In other related research, Senior Lecturer Brenda Chawner reviewed the challenges of library and information studies and curriculum changes at Victoria University of Wellington. More recently, in 2021 Amanda and Jan reflected on the challenges involved in participatory design and development of the Bachelor of Library and Information Studies (BLIS) degree, offered since 2017.
One outcome the researchers hope to find out is whether a kāhui ākonga onamata alumni association of Open Polytechnic LIS graduates would be useful for learners.
“We hope that our alumni may also be interested in supporting professional development in different ways, such as through mentoring current learners, or as advisors on our stakeholder advisory committee, and that’s something we’ll be exploring in this research,” says Jan.
It is expected that the research will begin during 2023.
If you are interested in finding out more about Open Polytechnic Library and Information Studies qualifications, you can find out more here: https://bit.ly/3zsgy2z