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62nd IFLA General Conference - Conference Proceedings - August 25-31, 1996
Reborn Through Continuing Education In The Case Of Korea
Youngsook Lee
Librarian
Korean Library Association
PAPER
INTRODUCTION
Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, philosophy
crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill. Without books,
the development of civilization would have been impossible.
They are engines of change, windows on the world, and
"lighthouses erected in the sea of time."
They are companions, teachers, magicians, bankers of the
treasures of the mind. Books are humanity in print.
Barbara Tuckman,
historian and lover of books,
in Books in Our Future
The library, created to meet the needs of human society, is changing as
society itself is being transformed. Nevertheless, the original purpose of the
library remains the same: to preserve the intellectual products of human
creativity, and to return this stored knowledge and information to society for
the sake of re creation. Today, the information technologies of
telecommunications and computers are revolutionizing the structure,
management, and services of the library. Amidst these changes the most
important task for us is to develop human resources to match this
technological progress. That is, our most urgent project is to train library
professionals with specialized knowledge and skills. This can be accomplished
by strengthening the continuing education programs in individual libraries,
which requires developing new programs, fundraising, and increasing the
number of specialist trainees. Only within such a structure can we properly
assess the current condition of Korean libraries, identify the problems, and
together solve these problems by sharing information, knowledge, and
responsibilities.
THE CURRENT CONDITION OF KOREAN LIBRARIES
Today there are more than 7,775 libraries in Korea, including two
national libraries, 321 public libraries, 378 university libraries, 418 specialty
libraries, and 6,656 school libraries. The first library open to the general
public was established in 1901, but the history of libraries in Korea can be
dated back to the mid 15th century, when the Royal Library, Chiphyeonjeon,
facilitated active scholarship and research. Indeed, the scholars of the
Chiphyeonjeon assisted King Sejong the Great in developing Hangul, the
native Korean phonetic script, in 1446.
Universities with a department of library and information science
number 38 (31 four year universities and 7 two year technical colleges).
Among these institutions 13 universities offer master's programs in library
and information science and 6 offer doctoral programs. Further, there are 22
teacher training universities with graduate programs in library and information
science education. Graduates of these programs are awarded certification by
the Korean government to be librarians. Finally, there are two special training
institutes designed to educate library workers who wish to earn this
certification via a fixed curriculum.
There are currently more than 15 organizations with ties to libraries,
including the Korean Library Association, Council of Public Libraries, School
Library Organization, Specialty Library Council, National University Libraries
Council, Private University Libraries Council, Medical Libraries Council,
Theological Libraries Council, Librarians' Association of Korea, etc. In
addition, there are the Korean Library and Information Science Society,
Korean Society for Information Management, and other academic groups.
Continuing Education
"Continuing Education" (CE) is defined in the the ALA Glossary of
Library and Information Science in the following manner: "The activities by
which library and other information agency personnel purposefully seek to
improve, diversify, or change their professional or job related knowledge,
attitudes, or skills. Continuing education activities include short courses,
full term courses, institutes, workshops, conferences, home study courses,
learning packages, and other educational activities undertaken by staff
members individually by their own initiative."
Examined from this perspective, the current state of CE in Korean
libraries looks like this :
Table not available, please contact Author.
In addition to these steps, library affiliated organizations arrange their
own meetings, lectures, and seminars to meet continuing education needs.
Finally, many libraries participate in staff exchange with other libraries,
organize academic seminars, and arrange for special speakers.
Computerization
Beginning in the mid 1980s computerization of the libraries became a
top priority. The construction of a library network was selected as a major
project of the Education and Research Information Project in 1989. The library
networking plan, which was originally a part of the overall and integrated
development plan for national library automation, was accepted in 1987 as a
national project. Seeking a balanced development among the different regions,
the Korean government believed that the construction of the library network
would effectively distribute information and eventually make possible
nationwide access. This project began in 1991 and will be completed in 1997.
When fully constructed, the Korea Library Information System
Network (KOLIS NET) will connect 495 libraries within the country, centered
in The National Library of Korea and divided into three sub networks: public
libraries (numbering 132), university libraries (187), and specialty libraries
(176).
Political and Social Factors
As a result of the government's designating it as the highest priority
of from 1960s through 1980s, Korea's economic growth achieved a per capita
GNP of $10,000 last year, while investment in the education and cultural
arenas remained relatively small. However, beginning in the late 1980s interest
and dedication to these areas began to grow, resulting in the independence of
the Ministry of Culture (currently the Ministry of Culture & Sports) from the
Ministry of Culture & Public Information in 1990. Furthermore, whereas
previously there was no specific organ to oversee library policy, the Ministry
of Culture took full responsibility over this duty. In 1991, with the aim of
enhancing its status and strengthening its capacities, The National Library of
Korea came under the full jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture, and even its
organizations was expended. Especially noteworthy was the effort to increase
investment in public libraries as a part of the overall expansion in investment
in the public sector, with the result being that by 1999, there will be one
public library for every 100,000 people, up from the current 130,000 ratio. Head
librarians, too, special recognition will receive special recognition in
contradistinction to the general administrative designations they current hold,
thanks to their placement within the jurisdiction of the Library and Reading
Promotion law beginning in January of 1997. Finally, the peak in interest in
libraries among business and private interest groups has led them to
contribute the latest in library technology and facilities for the purposes of
enhancing the libraries' capacity for information distribution.
PROBLEM AREAS IN KOREAN LIBRARIES
Despite the rise in interest in libraries in the government and general
public, there still remain several problems:
Lack of Library Policy
As mentioned above, only in 1991, with the establishment of a specific
division within the Ministry of Culture responsible for library policy, did a
basis for library development come about. Still, the need remains for a
systemic assurance, in the form of an official organ, that would allow this
new policy to continue. As it stands now, the lack of such a specific organ
responsible for library matters means that while the Ministry of Culture &
Sports is responsible for formulating library policy, the Ministry of Education
continues to oversee the budget and administration. Even as school,
university, and public libraries officially fall under the jurisdiction of the
Ministry of Education, 89 of the 321 public libraries are controlled by the
Interior Ministry. Furthermore, The National Library of Korea is administered
by the Ministry of Culture & Sports, while the National Assemble Library
comes under the control of the Ministry Legislation. Under such a system the
Ministry of Culture & Sports cannot be expected to formulate a smooth and
viable library policy.
Insufficient Funding
The government's budget for the education and public sectors has
increased, but funding for the expansion of library holdings and information
technology (IT) functions, as well as the manpower needed to provide
high quality service in both areas, remain unreasonably insufficient. For
example, the representative national library's budget over the past four years
and current year has been the following: $8,305,000 in 1992, $9,700,000 in
1993, $12,532,000 in 1994, $13,952,000 in 1995, $17,956,000 in 1996. One can
detect a slight increase every year, but in light of the Library's heavy
responsibilities as the representative national library, the funding has fallen
considerably short.
Staffing
In the current system in which librarians fall within the regular civil
service system, the librarians' staffing ranks remain behind those of other
civil servants. Whereas levels 1 to 9 are open to other civil servants, only
levels 4 to 9 are designated for librarians, meaning that the highest rank a
librarian can attain is middle level rank for other civil servants. That is why
most head "librarians" are not really library specialists, but rather general
administrators. This has resulted in the precipitous backwardness in expertise
and specialization within our library administration.
Lack of Facilities and Funding for Continuing Education
The problem of insufficient funding and facilities for continuing
education stems from the larger problem of insufficient recognition of the
importance of continuing education. In every library there is almost no special
allowance for continuing education. when we examine the chart on page (3),
we find that only The National Library of Korea provides a continuing
education program that specifically addresses a librarian's duties. But even
this program suffers from a significant shortfall in facilities, funding, and
other conditions when compared to its demand. This is because the Library
takes on the funding responsibility for this program completely, as the
students themselves cannot afford to pay any tuition. Needless to say, the
Library cannot depend on a sufficient source of funding to help meet this
obligation. Furthermore, there is no separate organ within the Library for
education programs, nor is there even a specialty division to develop and
administer them. And because there is no specialists among the librarians
who are versed sufficiently in the various fields of library science to provide
seminars and lectures, we must depend on university professors to provide
them. But because even these professors are not specialists, we rarely enjoy
immediate results from their programs.
Opportunities to provide such programs for continuing education still
fall short of demand. Of the 38,000 librarians who have certifications
nationwide, for example only 2,788 (7%) have been able to participate in The
National Library of Korea's training programs since they began in 1986. At
this rate, most of the nation's librarians will never be able to participate in
these programs.
In order to strengthen education and training in library science, The
National Library of Korea has taken over full control of continuing education
programs, endeavored to build new facilities including a separate educational
wing, and worked to raise funding, but all of these efforts unfortunately have
resulted in few results.
Lack of Specialists
Due to insufficient societal recognition and accordingly low benefits, the
job of "librarian" is not something that many young people aspire to. In the
universities as well, library and information science remains one of the least
popular majors for intelligent students with a bright future. Even the few
promising students in library and information science program are opting for
the growing private sector enterprises involving information and information
technology, where the pay is higher. This phenomenon can be seen among
current library workers as well: Those who are skilled in computers and
communications technology are increasingly leaving their library posts for
better positions in the private sector. This is especially troubling since these
are the most important areas in our libraries today, and even now we are
barely managing to scrape by.
Weak Ties to Groups
As mentioned earlier, there are many active groups whose interests
are related to libraries. The problem is that these various groups do not
coherently act as a unified interest group, but rather individually pursue their
activities. There is no representative umbrella organization that brings
together all these special interest groups to rally around a unified cause. Thus
it is not possible to utilize the strengths of single, powerful organization
acting as a pressure group on behalf of library specialists, nor is it possible
to increase the recognition for their specialities by strengthening their
educational capacities and refining their specialized skills and knowledge.
Irrelevance of Library and Information Science Scholarship
Library and Information Science is a field centered in the library for
the benefit of library users. The theories and methodologies should be based
on a realistic scholarship that results in practical actions. However, this field
has become abstract and drifted away from the library itself. For example
67% of the articles found in the major library literatures have nothing to do
in development of our library and information science. Even the remaining
33%, upon closer inspection, include many articles that are impractical and
unrealistic, if not superficial.
CONCLUSION
Korea today exalts a culture which can raise the quality of life through
economic growth and greater citizen awareness. The library can serve as one
of the important tools with which to raise this standard of living. The pace of
development of technologies which collect, store, process, and apply
information in this age of information is staggering. When we consider the
development of the library in light of these societal trends, however, the
picture looks bleak. Words such as "information superhighway" and "electronic
library" are often brandied about, but the reality is that most of our libraries,
in particular public libraries, are still stuck in the initial stages of
computerizing their catalogs. Libraries indeed are made to meet societal needs,
but when the libraries themselves are not sufficiently taken care of, they
lose their value and become fossilized institutions.
Up to the present we in the library field have cited weak policy,
insufficient funding, lack of interest, and other external factors as the causes
behind the backwardness of our libraries, believing that only these external
problems needed to be solved. In truth, the internal problems have ben even
more serious. There have been officials in the library, but no
librarians librarians with a high self esteem for their positions, specialized
skills and knowledge, and plentiful experience. We had no leaders with a
vision to take us to the future. To produce such leaders in our libraries is the
most urgent task before us. Only when such leaders emerge can the library
system be fixed, the funding increase, and the library carry out its duties.
These leaders can emerge only through education. However, the lackluster
quality of such a continuing education system can be demonstrated directly
by the following example: In its 50 year history after liberation, the library
literatures has never carries an article that dealt with continuing education.
The closest it has come has been to mention the topic as a side issue;
continuing education has never been a direct object of study.
The purpose of this paper, too, lies here. We have grasped the problem,
but so far our theories and practices for solution have been insufficient. We
must address this issue together and share our experiences, ideas, and
information. The IFLA exists for this purpose and must strive for the proper
solution. Today one country's library conditions can no longer be constrained
to that country; rather, they spread out to affect the surrounding region and,
indeed, the international arena. In other words, the development of Korea's
libraries will be closely linked to that of the Asia Pacific region, and to the
development of libraries worldwide.