The future will hold challenges for everyone working in the Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums (GLAM) sector. The application of technologies, many of which are yet to be discovered, will change work patterns and the type of professional employees required. Organisations that support more than one activity in the sector will seek to combine them and have staff who are multi-skilled. This may result in a devaluation of professional qualifications in favour of generalist qualifications supplemented by professional development. Hiring staff with non-traditional qualifications has always occurred and will increase. In future, staff will move more easily across the sector without necessarily having formal qualifications related to their new duties. There will be greater emphasis on structured career-long professional development that is more multidisciplinary than may be currently offered. There is a need to beginning re-imagining what distinguishes a curator, librarian, archivist or other GLAM professional. Is it really necessary to have specialist qualifications to work effectively in the sector? If so, what are those qualifications and how are they best obtained?

This article aims to stimulate discussion about whether the current structure of postgraduate library education, largely unchanged for over 60 years, is still the best option, given the ways in which professional library positions increasingly require specialised knowledge and skills. Comparative cases from selected New Zealand professions, including medicine, law, teaching and accounting, are used to identify common characteristics of practice-based professional education, including education for specialisations which typically follow the basic degree. The article suggests that trends affecting library work create an opportunity to consider alternative models, including undergraduate education and advanced specialised qualifications.

It seems fitting to me that this last issue of the Australian Library Journal in its current form is dedicated to looking forward, exploring the future of Library and Information Science (LIS) educ...

This short book is a joy to read; at once both current and topical, but also innovative and a driving call to action. Co-authors Haines & Campbell have also collaborated on the 2015 ALSC white pape...

Digital library programs for libraries and archives provides a readable and engaging overview of how to plan for a successful and sustainable digital program for collections owned or managed by lib...

The author, Rebecca P. Butler, is a professor currently teaching a library information specialist and instructional technology course. This book was written for two distinct purposes and audiences:...