A Proposal for a Framework for Library and Information Science Education and Training: the Case of the Gambia

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to propose a framework for Library and Information Science Education and Training (LISET) in The Gambia. The objectives were to establish the current status of LISET in The Gambia; identify the key stakeholders and their responsibilities in the development of LISET; propose a training framework for all levels of LISET; and suggest sustainability initiatives for LISET programmes. The research design was a case study because it deals with a phenomenon called LISET. Data collection and analysis was largely qualitative in nature. The qualitative data was analysed using the Nvivo analytical software and thematically presented in descriptions and narrations. Quantitative data was also analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Software Version 23 and reported in frequency tables, bar and pie charts. The two data sets were therefore triangulated where appropriate because they complemented each other. The findings revealed the current state of LISET in The Gambia, and identified stakeholders in LISET development and their responsibilities. It also identified existing challenges in the development of LISET and informed the suggestion for a sustainable framework for LISET in The Gambia. The findings also suggested critical information that will address challenges in the development of LISET and improve the quality of librarianship in the country. Practical implications are that librarians are very important in supporting education and research. In the face of recent advances in technology and the transitions in the information landscape, improvements to LISET have become imperative. The social implications are that libraries are critical to supporting sustainable development through information provision. The development of a sustainable framework for LISET in The Gambia will accelerate the attainment of development objectives through timely information provision as The Gambia transitions to a knowledge-based economy. The originality or value of the study is that librarian training in The Gambia has been largely informal, and limited investigations have been carried out to explore the development of a framework for LISET. In the context of current advances in the information environment, access to information has become critical and relies on the quality of information service providers and their ability to support information users with relevant information needs and services.