Educating the Future Information Professional

A number of prominent educators, executives of professional associations, and business leaders address the positive and negative characteristics of contemporary library education. They stress the need for professionals to have a broad understanding of the field, vision, orientation to the future, and a balance of traditional and new skills. Information professionals of the future must have a broad understanding of the organization of knowledge, communication and interpersonal skills, management ability, and orientation toward problem solving and decision making. They must also be able to analyze, synthesize, interpret, and evaluate information and knowledge. Technology is mentioned by all contributors to the forum; most emphasize the need for information professionals to be able to manage and use technology as a tool—a means to an end, but not an end itself.