UNAIR NEWS – Librarians are expected to change their mindset and be partners of researchers in universities. With a target to improve quantity and quality of published researches, the researchers are impossible achieve it without active contributions of librarians.
It was the main statement of the seminar and workshop of “Innovative Creative Library and Librarian in Digital Era” on Wednesday, May 3, in Swiss-Bellinn Hotel. Ida Fajar Priyanto, a speaker in the seminar held by Universitas Airlangga Library said that in digital era, librarians should befriend the internet development even the social media.
“It not the time to promote website. We should get into the youth community and use Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Librarians should familiarize themselves with search engine optimization (SEO). People nowadays, when they need some information, they look it up with Google and Wikipedia. Karena orang zaman sekarang, ketika mereka membutuhkan informasi, mereka langsung cari di Google dan Wikipedia. If necessary, libraries should collaborate with an organization like Wikipedia,” said Ida.
Furthermore, librarians as the vanguards of information, should also be responsive to the latest issues. “For example, in the frantic condition because of hoaxes, libraries must respond and explained about the hoaxes in social media. We provide the correct information. It is the job of out-of-the-box librarians,” she added.
Ida’s statements are supported by the Head of Institute of Research and Innovation UNAIR Prof. Hery Purnobasuki, Ph.D, who was also a speaker in the seminar. Hery said that librarians have vital roles in research process. For example, to inform about the predatory journals, to summarize scientific references and also to find the right references needed for researchers.
Furthermore, they are also expected to give active contribution to the researchers to achieve the target of research publications in quantity and quality.
“For example, there is a lecturer without publications. Librarians should contact the lecturer and ask if he or she has a difficulty to find scientific references. Librarian should be responsive,” explained Hery.
Librarians are also expected to have scientific or popular publications. As vanguards of information, they have the latest information so they should try to write about the latest issues in the spotlight.
Beside those two speakers, there was also the Head of Library of Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim Faizuddin Harliansyah. Faizuddin explained that librarians are expected to support the academicians to identify information needed by summarizing scientific references of the library collection.
“Before the librarians assisting the academicians, they have to be familiar with the information. They must be able to know the right channel and journal for the best performance,” said Faizudin.
Author: Defrina Sukma S
Editor : Nuri Hermawan
