To comment on the changing demands of library professionals, the 2011 Information Without Borders (IWB) conference held a Library Management Panel on February 3rd to talk about this topic. The speakers were selected from a broad variety of library environments and included: Jeremie LeBlanc from NRCan-RNCan, Ryan DesChamps from Halifax’s Public Library System, and Kate Greene Stanhope from the Law Library of McInnes Cooper.

The changing technology within libraries was a major theme of this panel. This is not surprising as many of the other IWB speakers also focused on technology as part of the change management strategy in information professional workplaces. This panel however, highlighted the role of librarians in initiating this change in their own workplaces, and what future information professionals (of which the audience was largely comprised) can do to adapt to, and thrive in, these new library environments.

Ryan DesChamps kicked off the session with a mathematical-esque demonstration using a cylinder and two lengths of string. His goal was to comment on the perception of libraries, and more particularly the lack of understanding which often exists in the public’s perception of these institutions and their staff. His contributions to the panel discussion focused on the need for librarians to connect with their patrons and community, a task which can be much more efficiently and effectively accomplished with the use of emerging online technologies such as social media and networking tools. As the e-Librarian for the HPL and an active blogger, Ryan was able to offer concrete examples to the audience of how this can be successfully done.

Jeremie LeBlanc had a lot to say on this subject as well, and backed up his support of the use of new technologies in libraries, such as online social media tools (OSM), by talking about his own career development in the library world. Jeremie is extremely familiar with the changing demands of the library profession, and in fact initiated some of this change in the public service sector by helping to initiate and create his position as the first public service media librarian in Canada. He offered many helpful suggestions to the audience on how new graduates can succeed in their future careers. One of his main points was to be innovative and constantly adapt to new technologies in the workplace. This skill was described as in demand by employers across many fields, especially information management institutions, businesses in the private sector, and government departments.

Kate Greene Stanhope also held her own during the panel and had a lot to contribute. As a fairly recent graduate now working in the library profession she had a lot to say about the need for new graduates to be aware of their online presence. Not only does this affect job candidates who are researched online by prospective employers, but also their continuing career, as it is a marker of how up to date and proficient these individuals are with emerging technologies and online tools.

Facebook and LinkedIn were mentioned a number of times by most of the panel and were forecasted as gaining in importance as the new generation of heavy online social media users graduate and take their real-life and online presence to new institutions and careers. The importance of maintaining an active professional online presence was expounded as a huge asset for this group, as was an overall an effort to stay current with new online technologies and tools. This focus on emerging technologies both within and outside the workplace was a major theme of this year’s Information Without Borders conference. This focus was important for the audience of soon to be graduates, but for the current professionals in the audience as well. An important skill of library managers is the constant ability and willingness to learn new skills, and technology is an area where this is especially needed. This idea was reinforced throughout the day-long conference and was highlighted best in this session. The panel session was very informative and ended with a number of in-depth questions, demonstrating the interest of the audience in this topic.