The training offer in library science in Colombia: current analysis of the sector

Abstract

This study seeks to identify, describe, and analyze the setting, characteristics, and trends of the library sector in Colombia, emphasizing the occupational and educational aspects of the labor force. Given the fact that the objective of this research project was to shed light on a particular phenomenon or ecosystem, the study as it was carried out was observational, that is, descriptive, in the collection of specific information on the technological, educational and occupational settings of the sub-sectors analyzed. A survey was developed and applied in the libraries. The study revealed marked differences in the development of educational programs in the library sector compared to other sectors in information science and documentation, as well as a high concentration of educational programs in the principal cities (Bogotá, Medellín, Ibague, Tunja, Cali, Bucaramanga, Cartagena, Barranquilla). Along the same lines, the study showed a stratification in the curriculum to the degree that demand was located far from these centers. In some regions, the only offerings of this type are not formal and in most cases are taught in public institutions. Finally, this study identified useful means of defining the job competencies of library personnel, which is also fundamental to the analysis of the evolution of knowledge in librarianship and in the understanding of educational development associated with the information disciplines, as well as the demand for qualified personnel in this professional field.