-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        Minding the gap
Date:   Fri, 18 May 2012 19:24:40 +0000
From:   Jennifer E Wolf <[log in to unmask]>
To:     [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>



This is going out to my academic library friends in GIS Land. Or is it
my GIS friends in Academic Library Land? If you live and work at this
intersection, I have a couple of questions for you.

I had previously contacted this listserv while investigating current
issues in the delivery of GIS services at academic libraries. I received
a number of interesting responses via the list and had several
interesting phone calls. Such discussions, along with lots of reading,
revealed a picture of increasing interest in and growth of GIS services
at academic libraries and challenges that are proving persistent (e.g.,
in outreach, delivery of services, managing and preserving data, etc.) –
none of which would be revelations to any of you actually doing these
things, I’m sure. What did surprise me, though, was how little in the
way of GIS coursework, even at the introductory level, appears to be on
offer at LIS schools (looking at the top 25). Hence, the subject line of
this e-mail. Why the apparent gap? So, here are my questions to you:

1.Why aren’t library/information schools teaching this stuff, even at
the introductory level (e.g., cataloging and metadata for datasets, GIS
reference work, basic geospatial literacy, etc.)?

2.If librarians aren’t learning it in LIS schools, where are they
learning it (on the job, courses/certification/degree from another
department at their institution, courses/certification from non-academic
sources, etc.)?

Personalexperience/opinions/authoritative answers welcome. Contact me on
or off list, as you wish.

As always, most grateful for your time and expertise,

Jen

Jennifer E. Wolf, M.L.I.S., M.P.W.

Technical Services Cataloging

Alexander Campbell King Law Library
University of Georgia
706-542-6212
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