Job requirements and challenges of LIS graduates in public libraries in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
type: CreativeWork
description: This dissertation investigates job requirements and challenges of Library and Information Studies (LIS) graduates in public libraries. It is of paramount importance that a workplace recruits a workforce with requisite competencies to offer professional services. Having requisite competencies/employability skills help in keeping with the demands and challenges of the unfolding knowledge society whilst meeting the mission of the library and information services respectively. This study is aimed at investigating required competencies from LIS graduates by public libraries. The study emanates from skills gap, which is a concern to most public libraries. Skills gap relates to candidates with inappropriately skills that were placed in professional positions in some public libraries. It is also noted that drastic changes in the entire LIS market have constituted a daunting challenge, which eventually demands the revision and re-orientation of LIS curricula. Curricula revision and re-orientation is a process that cannot be achieved overnight. To understand the nature of required competencies for workforce in public libraries, the following objectives were set and investigated: to determine the job functions and requirements of the public libraries, to find out the perceptions of employers and LIS graduates on job requirements of the sector, to find out the perceptions of employers and LIS graduates about the LIS curriculum and to determine the challenges facing LIS graduates regarding their functions/duties in the work place. Post-positivism paradigm was employed through triangulation of both qualitative and quantitative methodologies in data collection and analysis. Content analysis and survey as research methods/designs were employed. The study collected secondary data from four (4) newspapers (Sunday Times, Ilanga, Mail and Guardian and Sunday Tribune) covering a three- year period (from January 2015 to December 2017) of job advertisements. This data was collected throug…
abstract: This dissertation investigates job requirements and challenges of Library and Information Studies (LIS) graduates in public libraries. It is of paramount importance that a workplace recruits a workforce with requisite competencies to offer professional services. Having requisite competencies/employability skills help in keeping with the demands and challenges of the unfolding knowledge society whilst meeting the mission of the library and information services respectively. This study is aimed at investigating required competencies from LIS graduates by public libraries. The study emanates from skills gap, which is a concern to most public libraries. Skills gap relates to candidates with inappropriately skills that were placed in professional positions in some public libraries. It is also noted that drastic changes in the entire LIS market have constituted a daunting challenge, which eventually demands the revision and re-orientation of LIS curricula. Curricula revision and re-orientation is a process that cannot be achieved overnight. To understand the nature of required competencies for workforce in public libraries, the following objectives were set and investigated: to determine the job functions and requirements of the public libraries, to find out the perceptions of employers and LIS graduates on job requirements of the sector, to find out the perceptions of employers and LIS graduates about the LIS curriculum and to determine the challenges facing LIS graduates regarding their functions/duties in the work place. Post-positivism paradigm was employed through triangulation of both qualitative and quantitative methodologies in data collection and analysis. Content analysis and survey as research methods/designs were employed. The study collected secondary data from four (4) newspapers (Sunday Times, Ilanga, Mail and Guardian and Sunday Tribune) covering a three- year period (from January 2015 to December 2017) of job advertisements. This data was collected throug…
author: Mthembu, Mpilo Siphamandla
keywords: Library and Information Education, LIS graduates
license: https://uzspace.unizulu.ac.za/bitstreams/2003605d-dc17-4ad6-b624-68dac3323f4c/download
date published: 2019
date modified: 2026-07-24T06:16:50Z
provider: University of Zululand
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Zululand