The Future of LIS and Media Training in the Global Era: Challenges and Prospects

Background

The future of LIS and media training is concerned with educational processes which involve the sharpening of skills, concepts, changing of attitude and gaining more knowledge to enhance the performance of employees and potential employees in the field of LIS and media with the aim of equipping them with requisite skills that will enhance their future operations and work (Reed, 2016). Initially trainees in this field were educated on the conventional way of handling information and knowledge in addition to basic computer skills. However, with the advent of technology especially digital communication soft wares, the conventional mode is at risk and no longer sufficient. Questions thus arise for trainers and trainees, do they move from conventional training models and shift to digital models? If so, what are the challenges? And what are the possible prospects amidst the challenges of this futuristic mode of training?

The above questions highlight substantial concerns in regard to the future practice of LIS and media training. For instance, in traditional libraries the ability to find works of interest is directly related to how well they were cataloged by the staff in that library while cataloging electronic works digitized from a library's existing facilities or any other avenues may be as simple as copying or moving a record from the print to the electronic form. In addition, people are now accessing books, cheaply and easily over the internet using myriads of tools and avenues such as Channels in communication applications like Telegram whereby someone asks for a particular book and is availed to him or her instantly in both digital print and audio format, or e-books site where all you need is to sign up and ask for a book you need and you get it impromptu.

Globally trainers and their trainees can no longer face the future with founded certainty bearing in mind the current wave of technological and digital changes which is constantly disrupting the norm in the practice of organization and management of knowledge (Mills, 2017). The role of these practitioners in the coming future is no longer definite. This is because currently their major role is acting as intermediary between knowledge/information and users who would wish to access and derive such information. Consequently, they are being trained on intermediary related processes such as storage, access and retrieval of information, a feature which is being continuously replaced by technology, specifically digital communication and access systems.