The Librarian in the Information Society

Abstract

There are many forces impacting on our profession, and in this short paper, I can examine only some of them. I want to begin by drawing attention to some the implications of the multi-faceted nature of our profession; the challenge that faces us in a society that is overloaded with information; the emerging career opportunities; and the roles that we need to play in the struggle for social recognition. These will lead me, finally, to some suggestions about the qualifications that I believe would be most appropriate for librarianship within the framework prescribed by the "Bologna declaration". Paper presented at the workshop "Il bibliotecario nella società dell'informazione", Parma 31st January 2003.