Eighteenth International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations

Abstract

We all are living in a period of significant change. Change is the only stable variable in human practices. Technology has touched unimagined dimensions in a very short span of time and will continue to develop. Library and information centres are constantly adapting significant technological innovations of ICT and are in an ongoing transition phase. This involves such bits of e-information which are not held or owned by the library - rather access to the same is provided through interconnected networks. This transition phase is one of the most welcome and significant developments, but it also calls for comprehensive changes in many practices. If library professionals lack the techniques of retrieving the e- information, this in turn affects the efficiency of the users. Librarians have to rethink about their place in the scheme of things in witnessing the dominance of ‘Google it’ phenomenon. In order to survive and prove their worth, librarians are required to sharpen their competencies and develop new skill-sets, which are wider and more diverse than ever before for offering enhanced services. To thrive in information age, there is only one option left, which is to ‘master the change’. This paper explores how librarians are evolving their professional skills to remain relevant and effective in this current information age.