Management development for libraries and information services in Latin America and the Caribbean

This paper reflects on the outcomes of a project undertaken in 1997/98, and examines issues relating to the development of the managerial expertise that underpins the library and information services in Latin America and the Caribbean. It reviews the results of surveys of schools of Librarianship and Information Sciences and a small selection of employers in the region, examining the congruence between the needs of the employers and provision by the schools and possible explanations for an apparent mutual lack of awareness of modern management techniques. proposals for developing management expertise include: enhancing access to indigenous professional publications and teaching materials; developing a Hispanic language distance-learning programme for library managers; improving research into the job market and skills requirements; and developing an electronic network for communication between the schools. The role of international. agencies and technical cooperation projects is assessed, and attention is drawn to the need for a more positive approach to overcome the issues surrounding the transfer of management know-how between different cultures. (C) 1999 Academic Press.