AUSTRALIAN LIBRARY AND INFORMATION ASSOCIATION
RESPONSE TO REVIEW OF
HIGHER EDUCATION FINANCING AND POLICY
The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) is the professional association for the Australian library and information services sector. It seeks to promote and improve the services of libraries and other information agencies, and to improve the standard of library and information personnel and to foster their professional interests and aspirations. The Association was established in 1937, and has 6,500 personal members and 1,500 library members.
The Association, through its Board of Education, has a long tradition of involvement with course recognition of library and information courses offered through the higher education sector. The Association has been involved in the recognition of first award professional courses in library and information studies since the first course (Diploma in Librarianship) was established at the University of New South Wales in 1961. Prior to that, the only recognised Australian qualification for professional librarians was the Association's Registration Examination. The Registration Examination was discontinued in 1980 as the Association's aim of establishing library and information studies courses firmly within the higher education sector had been achieved. Currently, the Association recognises professional level courses in library and information studies offered in 13 universities. Successful completion of an Association recognised course provides the essential foundation of knowledge to build on throughout one's work experience and as such is accepted by industry as a requirement for employment as a professional librarian. The attached Education Policy Statements set out the criteria for recognition of courses.
ALIA's commitment to quality outcomes in higher education is evident in our conducting an Education Forum on the 7-8 October 1997 to identify and canvass strategic outcomes that are expected to shape and develop future education in library and information studies and related areas. The two themes of the Education Forum are: (i) future work knowledge and skills to meet future opportunities; and (ii) critical knowledge and skills for entry level education. Issues to be considered include current and forecast changes in work practices in the library and information services sector and related areas; developments and initiatives in education and training in library and information studies and related areas, in Australia and overseas; government education, training, employment and information policy directions; and the linking of knowledge and skills to changing work practices.
The key points made throughout this submission are:
· the strategic role the library plays in providing access to services which underpin learning and research within the higher education sector;
· the necessity for information literacy skills;
· the impact of technology on library services and course delivery;
· ensuring access and equity is maintained; and
· a quality learning environment in terms of course delivery and access to information resources.
Theme One: the role of higher education in Australia's society and economy
· what social, cultural, economic and community functions does the Australian higher education sector perform, and how might this mix change over the next 20 years?
The library is an important component of the higher education sector as it plays a strategic role in the development of a quality learning environment. The library services a varied clientele ranging from undergraduates, postgraduates, academics and administrative staff. Libraries support the university's mission through assisting staff and students to access information and knowledge within the library, on campus, within Australia and throughout the world.
The Association believes that the library, as part of the higher education sector, performs the significant social, cultural, economic and community function of developing and enhancing generic skills, such as, information literacy skills of students and staff that will assist them in various facets of life, for their professional and personal growth. Information literacy skills are defined as having the skills and knowledge to identify, access, use and manage information and knowledge. In the long term, improving information literacy skills throughout the community will contribute to Australia's economic and cultural development.
The nation's workforce is becoming concentrated in the collection, processing and manipulating of data and the organisation and transformation of this information and/or knowledge. Information literacy skills are recognised by the Association, and increasingly recognised by industry, as a generic competency required for lifelong learning.
The trend in the higher education sector is towards a mass system; that is, increased participation by post-experience (continuing) as well as school leaver students (in 1996 41% of students were aged 25 or more). It is essential that graduates possess information literacy skills if they are to pursue lifelong learning and continually update their knowledge base.
Over the next 20 years, the role of the library will be more central in the intellectual life of educational institutions within the higher education sector. Libraries will play a strategic role in facilitating access to information resources, and in equipping individuals with the necessary information literacy skills that will enable them to respond innovatively to changes in their knowledge base. It is essential that libraries are well resourced if they are continue to contribute to a quality learning environment which the community demands and expects.
· what are the key social, economic and technological developments shaping the environment in which higher education institutions operate, and affecting the composition of the sector in areas such as private and public provision, globalisation and complementarities with the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector?
There are two educational pathways for those choosing a career in the library and information services sector: through the higher education sector, or through the VET sector. Individuals can either be trained as professional librarians in the higher education sector, or as library technicians in the VET sector. There are differences in course content and delivery reflecting the distinctive roles of professional librarians and library technicians within the library and information services sector. The librarian focuses on management, direction, policy formulation and application. Library technicians are para professional staff who support librarians in providing library and information services. The role of a library technician has an operational focus and is primarily concerned with the operation and maintenance or control of established systems. There has been, and remains, a two way movement between the two pathways for career and professional development purposes.
In the higher education sector students may complete an undergraduate degree or graduate/masters degree course to acquire professional librarian qualifications. The Association strongly supports these two entry points of undergraduate or graduate degrees as the diversity of disciplinary knowledge of students entering librarianship through the graduate level enhances the professionalism of the sector.
Qualified library technicians (diploma level) can articulate into an undergraduate course in library and information studies offered by the higher education sector. Through the AV-CC Credit Transfer Project, depending on particular educational institutions, students may be eligible for credit for their previous studies undertaken in the VET sector.
There is an increasing trend for undergraduate and graduate diploma courses to comprise a core of study covering the foundation of knowledge and specialisation strands, such as library and information services, information management, archives, record management and teacher librarianship.
In terms of globalisation the internationalisation of library and information schools in the higher education sector has resulted in an increase in enrolments by overseas fee paying students. The increase in demand for these courses is due to the quality of courses on offer and amongst the international library profession, the courses are recognised as international standard qualifications.
Advances in technology are changing the environment in which higher education institutions operate and deliver education. This is impacting on the library and information services sector in a number of ways. Library services and collection management are being redesigned. Course units are starting to be available electronically, which has an added benefit for library and information services students of familiarising them with electronic delivery of information. It is notable that the electronic delivery option is often exercised by on campus students, as well as off campus students, as it provides flexibility in study formats which better suit their social or economic needs. These advances do though require significant investment by the institution in the information infrastructure.
· what attributes will higher education graduates need to operate effectively in their personal and professional lives in this emerging environment?
Higher education graduates will need to acquire information literacy skills to equip them to operate effectively in their personal and professional lives. Librarians have the potential to add value to each university's educational purpose by working with teaching staff to provide students with information literacy skills. In some cases, it is possible for a student to utilise only course materials provided and graduate without ever having undertaken personal information research and evaluation. Consequently, a quality university will be one which develops the skills of their students to control their own learning, knowing how to access and evaluate the information sources and to use it critically and creatively. If graduates are to pursue lifelong learning and continually update their knowledge base, they must be able to identify, access and manage relevant information and knowledge.
· what role should government play in ensuring the higher education sector makes the best contribution to Australia's society?
The government's role in ensuring that the higher education sector makes the best contribution to Australia's society is through access, equity and infrastructure. The following issues should be considered by government when developing policy in this area.
· Librarianship is a feminised profession. Students enrolling in a first award Graduate Diploma/Masters course will be disadvantaged if there are only fee paying courses on offer. This cohort includes those seeking to return to the workforce by establishing or re-establishing a career path in library and information services. The Association believes that for access and equity reasons HECS funded positions be maintained for first award higher degree courses.
· It is important that access and equity is maintained between HECS funded students and fee paying students. It would be inequitable for fee paying students to have greater access to services than HECS funded students because of the level of fees paid.
· Whilst network access to information, and the potential this provides for resource sharing both nationally and internationally, is providing some alternatives to the development of print-based collections, it has to be recognised that existing library services remain essential as they continue to be heavily used despite the increase in electronically available material, for example, via the Internet. Students in particular, have limited access to networked information, so for equity reasons alone, the government must continue to fund print based collections for the foreseeable future. However in the long term, as access to electronic delivery becomes more readily available, there may be a case for reviewing the funding mix.
· Networks and advances in work station technology offer many exciting opportunities to redress existing inadequacies and to improve the quality of information and knowledge access for university staff and students. This can only be achieved with policy support and appropriate infrastructure funding to develop adequate access to networked resources for all university staff and students. Without this infrastructure funding to support the changes in information access and in information technology, there will remain an "information poor" and an "information rich" divide within the higher education sector.
· More nationally coordinated projects are required to access the large amount of print information required for research which is located outside of Australia. Access to this material requires the development of technological infrastructure to enable the cost effective location and transfer of information.
Theme two: factors affecting the demand for and provision of higher education over the next 10 to 20 years
· what factors are likely to influence the demand for higher education places over this period
The quality of education provided by the library and information schools has resulted in the internationalisation of the library and information schools in the higher education sector with the resultant increase in university enrolments by overseas fee paying students. There is a increasing demand for Australian qualifications delivered offshore, particularly Masters degree courses, that are recognised by the Association and consequently recognised as international standard qualifications. However, if this trend is to remain viable the provision of these education services will depend on the establishment and maintenance of a viable technological infrastructure.
As technology and information needs change, there is likely to be an increase in mature age enrolments in the higher education sector from those seeking to update their knowledge base at various stages during their career. Also, increased flexibility in delivery of courses, particularly in access to library services, will place demands on funding for the expansion of infrastructure for access to library facilities.
· what scope is there to improve the flexibility and responsiveness of higher education providers through systemic, organisational and technological changes?
It is absolutely essential if we are to compete in an international marketplace that there be a systemic approach to the development and management of technological infrastructure for the management of information and delivery of information services. This could be achieved through cooperative projects and sharing of resources, for example, from national digitisation projects to cooperation in licensing agreement. This may be difficult to realise if an increasingly competitive environment evolves in the higher education sector.
Consultation between the higher education sector, industry and the government is necessary to ensure that policies address the bigger picture at both the national and international level rather than just at the institutional or regional level.
· what is required to ensure that Australian institutions are well placed to compete with their overseas counterparts on the basis of cost, quality and contribution to community goals
Australian institutions will be able to compete with their overseas counterparts providing that the following conditions are met:
· The quality of education is continually improved. The Association contributes to maintaining academic standards within the library and information schools by its involvement in course recognition and development of education standards for practice.
· A benchmarking policy is established at all levels of the higher education sector. It is important that targets are met, monitored and modified as changes occur.
· Government and industry need to fund research and cooperative projects in information provision to the extent that is occurring in the United Kingdom and United States.
Theme three: regulatory and administrative framework for higher education
· how effective are existing accountability and reporting requirements in ensuring that higher education institutions effectively respond to the policy goals underlying public investment in them? What alternatives are there?
ALIA believes that, as representative of both the employers for whom university graduates work, and individual graduates, this Association has a legitimate role to play in the recognition of courses offered in the higher education system. The Association's involvement in the higher education sector coupled with its involvement with industry ensures the higher education sector remains accountable to industry.
The Association believes that, taken in conjunction with the institution's own quality assurance procedures, the Association's educational standards ensure that academic standards are maintained throughout the sector and in industry, and as such are an essential element of quality education.
· how should the quality of higher education courses and teaching be assured, having regard to:
- rapid changes in the knowledge base of disciplines
· The quality of higher education courses can be assured by continued involvement by the Association in course recognition and the ongoing development of educational standards for practice. The Association continually monitors changes related to the knowledge base of the library and information services sector and incorporates these into its standards for education and practice.
· The Association is instrumental in working with educational and industry representatives to identify changes in the knowledge base and to ensure that these are incorporated into learning and practice. Institutions are encouraged to establish course advisory committees including representatives from industry, and to provide students with access to practitioners through guest lectures, visits and assignments. These processes assist in raising the awareness of students and staff of industry needs, and provide industry the opportunity to understand the educative process.
· Libraries must be adequately resourced in terms of service delivery. For teaching and research staff to retain the currency of their knowledge base, they must possess the skills to identify the existence of knowledge, gain access to it and manage it to create an effective learning environment for students and to pursue the development of new knowledge.
- the diversity and expansion of institutions within the sector
The practice of universities replicating teaching and research in highly specialised areas adds to the difficulties of libraries providing adequate support and wastes scarce resources.
Schools of library and information studies are located within different faculties in educational institutions within the higher education sector. This is to be encouraged as the diversity of backgrounds of academic staff broadens the knowledge base of the profession by graduates bringing differing perspectives. Similarly, the provision of the entry level through Graduate Diploma/Masters courses is also to be encouraged as the diversity in disciplines and backgrounds which students bring to library and information studies contributes to broadening the knowledge base and consequently, enhances professionalism within the library and information services sector.
- students and employer demands concerning the content and delivery of higher education
· Consideration should be given to the means and methods of building in adaptability and flexibility so that as the industry changes so the participants can change. Course delivery needs to be flexible in order to allow students to enhance their education by having choices in the time and place for accessing course material and teaching staff.
· The Association supports the inclusion of a practicum component in courses in library and information studies. The practicum serves the dual purpose of providing students with the opportunity to link theory to practice through flexible self directed support forums for sharing and stimulating ideas, and demonstrating to employers that students have acquired the foundation of knowledge that is necessary to work as a librarian and to adapt this knowledge in the workplace. The Association believes that the practicum component should have a unit value and be assessed.
· Much of the print information required for research is located outside of Australia. Access to this material requires the development of technological infrastructure to enable the cost effective location and transfer of information. Some initiatives have been undertaken successfully but more nationally coordinated projects are required. It is increasingly being recognised that "the library will increasingly play a central role in the electronic provision of lectures and related material".
· Courses should incorporate the learning of skills that teach students to think creatively and innovatively so that they can in turn be change agents.
- the need to avoid undue restrictions on innovation and competition within the sector;
In the current environment with institutions introducing fee paying courses care should be taken that courses which cannot demand high fees but meet a need by the community continue to be offered.
The Association encourages increased cooperation by educational institutions in the way of credit transfer arrangements. As electronic material becomes more readily accessible, it is possible for students to enrol in subjects across institutions. This flexibility in study arrangements would allow students, particularly distance education students, to spend contact time at a institution that is close to home while the institution in which they are enrolled may not be.
- what processes and mechanisms should be in place to ensure that there are effective interfaces between the higher education, vocational education and training, and secondary school sectors?
Articulation between library and information studies courses offered in the VET sector and the higher education sectors operate effectively and the current mechanisms in place should be maintained.
Entry prerequisites to the library and information studies Certificate III (Library Assistant) could be met through the secondary school system.
Theme four: financing higher education and research training
- recognising that higher education provides a mix of private and public benefits, what should be the balance between the private and public contributions? To what extent should the public contribution vary in terms of the financing of different levels of award and types of courses.
The Association believes that funding for student places should be available for first award graduate diploma/masters courses on the basis of equitable access to education. It is desirable to have students that come from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds as it enhances the diversity of the profession within the library and information services sector by having people who can offer the profession different perspectives.
The government must recognise that there are industries, such as the library and information services sector, which do not have the capacity to provide industry sponsored education. If the library and information services sector is not to be disadvantaged, this fact must be reflected in government policy.
With the introduction of fee paying students and the current arrangement with HECS, students are making significant contributions to the cost of their education. The cost of provision of a course does not necessarily correlate to the earning potential of graduates. If the quality of education in the higher education sector is to be maintained and improved, government funding to universities must be at levels to resource sustainable quality teaching, relevant research and create a stimulating learning environment.
As the majority of university enrolments are students studying on campus and the consequent heavy usage of these resources, it is essential that current funding for library collections be at least maintained if the quality of education is to be maintained.
Access to funding should also be available for retraining library staff to adjust for the rapid changes occurring in method of provision and sources of information.
· what implications do alternative funding mechanisms have for higher education in regards to access and equity
The Association is committed to the provision of equitable access to quality education programs for the library and information services sector. This commitment is made to ensure that there is continued provision of graduates at the professional and technician level to provide suitably qualified staff for library and information agencies across Australia.
Theme five: funding of higher education research
· how effective is the existing system for allocating public funds for higher education research
National investment in research libraries is declining and will decline further as university funding falls. If the library is to serve its clientele, funding needs to be allocated in ways to maintain the quality of higher education research.
There has been a diminution of discretionary funding available through DEETYA for national projects for the development of library services. Projects funded since 1994 from the National Priority (Reserve) Fund have been influential in improving services provided by university libraries and in facilitating the cooperative use of resources. The continuation of centrally available project funding is essential for the establishment of innovations which have system-wide benefits.
· how should the higher education research and research training funding framework and program structure be developed:
-enhance the development of high level skills
- optimise the contribution of higher education research to the broader innovation system
The Association believes that there is the need for continuing the involvement of industry, academia and the government in pure and applied research programs. Information support for research is far less dependent on ownership. Access is the key rather than ownership of information.
New technological infrastructure and resource sharing must be available if research information is to be accessed and made available so that it contributes and enhances the quality of higher education research. The United States and Britain could provide models for developing a strong national research collection.