Continuing professional development (CPD) in state‐owned university libraries in Ghana
| Pages | 292-305 |
| Published date | 31 July 2007 |
| Date | 31 July 2007 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/01435120710774440 |
| Author | Theodosia S.A. Adanu |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science |
Continuing professional
development (CPD) in
state-owned university libraries
in Ghana
Theodosia S.A. Adanu
Balme Library, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
Abstract
Purpose – The aim of the research was to find out if the work environment of professional librarians
in the five state-owned university libraries in Ghana encouraged continuing professional development
(CPD) and to discover who the librarians felt should be responsible for this.
Design/methodology/approach – The research was carried out among professional librarians in
the five state-owned university libraries in Ghana. The study was to find out if their work environment
encouraged CPD. The study further investigated who the employees felt should be responsible for
their CPD. The importance of a plan for effective CPD was also discussed. Finally, benefits of CPD to
the individual professional were looked at. The survey method was used. The instruments for data
collection were the questionnaire and interviews.
Findings – The study found that the library environment in the state-owned universities was
supportive to a large extent of CPD. The study revealed that the professional librarian’s involvement
in CPD was a shared responsibility of the library and the individual. Some benefits derived from CPD
by the professional librarians were job advancement and updated skills leading to competence.
Originality/value – It is hoped that the study will encourage library management especially in
universities to consider formulating and writing down CPD policies and also to adopt management
styles that will make them “learning organisations.”
Keywords Continuing professional development,Librarians, Universities, Ghana
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Information and communications technology (ICT) has had a great impact on the roles
of librarians. According to Missingham (2006), there is stronger emphasis on utilising
IT, collaboration in collection building through consortia and working in learning
environments than ever before. The environment is dynamic, with pod casting, wikis,
SMS and other technologies offering more great opportunities to deliver services in
new ways. These new developments and trends have made the libraries new and
exciting places to work in and resulted in higher expectations from users. In addition,
there are requirements of employers and managers of libraries and information service
organisations as well as competition from information professionals in the broader
information industry to contend with. All these factors emphasise the need for
associations and institutions to be “learning organisations” and to develop their staff
by providing opportunities for continuing professional development (CPD) and
training in the workplace. There is therefore a need for CPD and workplace learning to
meet the challenges and changes that ICT exposes the library profession to. Illeris
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0143-5124.htm
LM
28,6/7
292
Received 29 May 2006
Revised 7 June 2006
Accepted 19 August 2006
Library Management
Vol. 28 No. 6/7, 2007
pp. 292-305
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0143-5124
DOI 10.1108/01435120710774440
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