A Bibliometric Analysis of Soft Skills in LIS Education & Librarianship

Abstract

Libraries are no longer just repositories of books; they are dynamic spaces where information is curated, organized, and disseminated. In this modern era, the field of Library and Information Science (LIS) demands more than just technical knowledge. Soft skills, including communication, empathy, adaptability, and problem-solving play a crucial role in the success of library professionals. This paper explores the significance of soft skills in LIS, their impact on various aspects of library services, and the evolving role of librarians in the digital age.

In today’s context, soft skills are a buzz word to minimize the knowledge gap among the various operational individuals of an organization, which deals with personal attributes, social skills, and qualities. Soft skills are crucial in the workplace and in various aspects of life, as they often determine how well someone can work with others, solve problems, and navigate complex situations. These skills are not typically taught in formal education settings but are developed through experience, social interactions, and self-reflection. This analytical study is based on the research output of the publications on ‘soft skills with reference to LIS education and librarianship’. Today soft skills are need of the hour, as these minimize the gaps, what we preach and practice in the field of library and information science. This analytical study depicted that organizations/institutions are striving for soft skills training and development for their different stakeholders such as students and employees. Authors extracted (n=510) papers for the period 2011 to 2020 using various ontological key words based search. Based on the combination of keywords-based searches, the outcome was that in 2020 (n = 94) had the maximum number of documents. Among the other countries, the USA has the highest number of publications (n = 237) and the most studied document type is article (n = 283).

Based on this analysis, the authors want to examine the inferences the need of soft skills development in the country to minimize the knowledge gap in the field of library and information science.