Appraising the Current Status, Issues and Challenges of Library and Information Faculty Members in the Universities of Pakistan

Abstract During recent times, there is much discussion about the challenges associated with the present and future of library and information science (LIS) education in Pakistan. The present study is aimed to explore the current status, issues and challenges of LIS faculty member who are considered the pillar of academic programs. It develops our understanding of LIS educators’ characteristics by presenting key findings with regard to their designation, gender, academic qualification, teaching strategies and work activities. Various issues and challenges along with faculty development strategies were also explored. Data were collected by employing both quantitative and qualitative approaches. A profile of LIS educators (i.e. budgeted positions for faculty members in different cadres and number of actual incumbents, gender wise distribution and academic qualification) was made by collecting quantitative data through questionnaire. Whilst interviews were conducted with17 faculty members about their teaching strategies, work activities and the overall challenges confronted to LIS educators in the country. Various faculty development strategies suggested by the respondents are also reported. The findings presented in the paper provide a unique insight into the characteristics and challenges of Pakistani library and information educators and will help to understand the needs of this workforce.