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The LIS International Perspective: Real, Needed, and Supported
By Yin Zhang, Associate Professor, School of Library and Information Science, Kent State University, and Chair (2004-2005), Special Interest Group of International Information Issues, American Society for Information Science and Technology

An international perspective of the library and information science (LIS) profession is increasingly important nowadays given global access to information, as well as the trend among libraries and information institutions worldwide to share information resources and collaborate. Through their discourse, in person and via the written word, information professionals across generations are contributing to the ever-evolving international perspective.

Associations, Schools, and Libraries Offer Support

The LIS profession has seen remarkable growth in international associations. Baldwin (1997) reported the number of international associations increased from 33 in 1973 to 76 in 1990. Besides IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions) which serves as the “global voice of the library and information profession” and whose members represent 150 countries (IFLA, 2005), ALA (American Library Association) supports development of libraries everywhere and global librarianship (ALA, 2001).

International librarianship has been part of curricula in American LIS programs. The University of Hawaii at Manoa, St. John’s University, and Dominican University offer courses titled “International Librarianship,” and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign offers the graduate course “Global Perspectives in Library and Information Science.” These courses prepare next-generation librarians to address issues in our global information society. Such issues range from information policy making and international information standards development, to technological advancements and their social, economic, cultural, and political impacts.

Libraries and information institutions are aware of the importance of the international perspective to the LIS field. LIS professionals are benefiting from exchange and training programs involving developed and developing countries. For example, Simmons College is helping prepare a new generation of Vietnamese librarians to run some of Vietnam’s largest university libraries. The Luce Summer Institute for East Asian Librarianship at the University of Pittsburgh recently staged a rigorous training program for mid-career Chinese-studies librarians and library managers from North American institutions (University of Pittsburgh, 2003). And the International Summer School on the Digital Library, held in Europe, has annually brought together information professionals from different corners of the world, including librarians whose tuition has been paid by donors such as Elsevier.

International Librarianship Literature Is Growing

A visible volume of published literature addresses international librarianship. A quick search on international librarianship and related topics revealed over 800 published articles locatable via scholarly literature. Search terms used were international librarianship/librarian, global librarianship/librarian, international/global audience, and international/global library. More on results of the search appears in the table.