Entrepreneurship Education in Library and Information Science: Information Brokerage Perspectives

Purpose: This paper discussed the entrepreneurship education in Library and Information Science from the information brokerage perspectives in the 21st century. Entrepreneurship was defined as individual’s ability to turn ideas into action which includes creativity, sense of initiation, innovation and risk-taking, as well as the ability to plan and manage project in order to achieve objectives. While information broking the other end is defined as the art of providing information services to clientele or customers on demand for a fee. That is, it is a business which is aimed at profit making by providing information-oriented services to those who need them. Areas of both entrepreneurship education and information broking were mentioned.

Method: The research adopted expository and analytical methodology. The expository character will expose some basic elements of Entrepreneurship Education in Library and Information Science from the information brokerage perspectives. The article also highlights who an entrepreneur is, the meaning of entrepreneurship education in LIS, three (3) point enablers were identified by Rosen (2011) [14] for entrepreneurship education and training in information science, basic skills for graduates in LIS were also identified. Factors responsible for the growth of information broking business were also identified as well as the impediments and benefits of information broking to entrepreneurship.

Result: Information professionals if given adequate human resources, training and focus, they will be capable of handling any of the services and this will also require lots of changes in the LIS curriculum. These changes will need a great deal of capital generation in the library schools and the library to purchase relevant infrastructures for effective teaching and research.

Contribution: It has been identified as a solution to the problems of unemployment because, it provides a lot of opportunities for employment, self-reliance, skills and knowledge development and success in life for graduates of LIS.