The role of library science departments of teachers colleges and universities in continuing professional education for librarians in Thailand

This study was designed to investigate the current practice of continuing professional education in the library science departments of teachers colleges and universities in Thailand and the role of the library science department in continuing professional education for librarians. In order to accomplish this task, two questionnaires were developed and administered to 236 chairpersons and library school faculty of 31 teachers colleges and 9 government universities. Of the returned questionnaires, 72.88% were usable. Data were analyzed using percentage and a contingency chi-square test.;A major conclusion of the study was that while the library science departments of teachers colleges and universities in Thailand provide, to some extent, all 20 continuing education items of the Association for Library and Information Science Education model, only two were identified as being provided by more than a majority of institutions. The two items provided to faculty of library science departments were (a) encouragement of faculty to continue their own education, and (b) provision of (unspecified) faculty development opportunities. No overall difference was observed in the existing practices of continuing professional education in the library science departments of teachers colleges and universities. Most chairpersons and library school faculty perceived that the Association for Library and Information Science Education model of continuing education was an appropriate model for the library science departments of teachers colleges and universities in Thailand. No significant difference was found between the opinions of chairpersons and library school faculty concerning the idealized model of continuing education for librarians.