Competencies for California Librarians in the 21st Century
In November 1997, the Library Education and Recruitment Committee of the California Library Association (CLA) was asked to develop a list of core competencies for California librarians, in response to a report called Future Directions for the Library Profession and its Education, compiled by a CLA task force in 1995. As stated in that report, the library profession is facing continuing, unprecedented change and, therefore, librarians must continually update their skills and be proactive about inventing new generations of information tools and services.
A set of core competencies accepted and adopted by librarians statewide provides a spectrum of skills and knowledge for library school students to acquire, as well as a guide for shaping practitioners' continuing education efforts. Skills, which have been acknowledged as the core requirements for competent librarianship, may also be used as a model for job descriptions and as a recruiting tool to attract people into the library and information professions.
Professional competencies relate to the librarian's skills and knowledge in the areas of information resources, information access, technology, management and research, and the ability to use these competencies as a basis for providing library and information services.
Personal competencies represent a set of skills, attitudes and values which enable librarians to provide valuable and valued service, communicate well, survive in the new world of information, and focus on continued learning throughout their careers. These skills, attitudes and values can be acquired through education and experience the same as professional skills and knowledge.
The following list of core competencies is a "work-in-progress," which will be reviewed periodically as the demands of the library profession in California change.
Professional Competencies
Customer-centered
- understands customer preferences for information which, in turn, drive the selection of inventory;
- presents welcoming behaviors and practices effective interviewing skills to best determine the customer's actual needs;
- understands information seeking behaviors that facilitate the customer's successful information retrieval;
- instructs library patrons in basic information gathering and research skills, including how to use and evaluate information sources in order to insure information literacy;
- acts as a user advocate during the development of information products and systems;
- tailors services and information products to support the organization's needs and is a consultant to the parent organization on information issues.
Assessment
- analyzes and investigates the information needs of the targeted customer base, now and in the future;
- assesses, evaluates and selects resources to assure their quality, accuracy, pertinence, authenticity and inclusiveness, and delivers such resources as needed in a form appropriate to the situation;
- evaluates the outcomes of information use and conducts related research toward solving identified information management problems.
Organizational skills
- organizes materials and resources using systems of access that are appropriate to the task and compatible with customers' needs and styles of learning;
- designs and locally produces materials in a variety of formats.
Knowledge of Information Sources
- has the ability to identify materials appropriate to customers' requirements and their ability to understand them;
- has the ability to identify, understand, and access information environments beyond commercially produced materials from mainstream vendors.
Information management
- serves the public good by creating and safeguarding the unimpeded delivery of intellectual property and public knowledge across global and local networks;
- develops and manages convenient, accessible and cost-effective information services that promote and support the organization's mission and strategic direction;
- uses appropriate business and management approaches to communicate the value of information services to decision makers in the organization.
Advocacy
- encourages others to become lifelong library users by helping them discover what libraries have to offer and how to use libraries effectively;
- promotes reading as a fundamental skill;
- promotes intellectual freedom.
Collaboration
- understands and is committed to the mission, values and vision of the library organization;
- is an effective member of the organization;
- collaborates to achieve common goals in a spirit of collegiality and mutual respect.
Political awareness
- belongs to organizations and participates in activities which promote libraries and librarianship;
- is able to identify and enlist the support of strategic partners to complement strengths and weaknesses of the organization and to obtain key resources and assistance to support the achievement of mutual goals.
Administration
- identifies, develops, administers, and evaluates both internal and external resources to support the library's mission;
- develops policies and procedures for the efficient and effective operation of library functions;
- is fully aware of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges to the organization, and is able to develop strategies for dealing with them effectively without compromising vision and values.
Personal Competencies
Service commitment
- is interested in the goals of customers, suppliers and co-workers, and strives to provide effective support in helping them achieve goals;
- demonstrates an understanding of and a respect for diversity;
- demonstrates a sincere commitment to customer service.
Flexibility
- maintains a positive attitude during times of challenge and unpredicted delays;
- is able to adapt personal styles and preferences to the demands of the situation;
- has faith in the organizational vision, is patient in waiting for the appropriate timing and opportunities to act;
- anticipates and manages change effectively;
- is willing to take risks, experiment and make mistakes.
Leadership
- from any position within the organization, sets an example for others to follow;
- values the contributions of others and helps them to achieve their full potential.
Ethics
- treats subordinates, co-workers, customers, competitors and suppliers with honesty, respect, and fairness;
- protects and values patron confidentiality and organizational security.
Vision
- is able to see the long view, articulate the direction clearly and enlist others to achieve it.
Communication
- shares what is learned effectively with others;
- communicates openly and directly.
Self-motivation
- is responsible for managing the development of one's own career within the organization and beyond, including a commitment to lifelong learning and periodic retooling of personal skills set;
- takes initiative and shows innovation;
- seeks opportunities to serve one's personal goals and those of the organization.
Adopted by the California Library Association
November 17, 1998