Competencies

A graduate of the Information and Library Science Program is expected to have learned basic skills in order to perform rudimentary tasks in an entry level librarian position. The Southern Connecticut State University Library Science webpage describes it this way:

"These core competences define the fundamental knowledge and skills to be possessed by a person graduating from an ALA-accredited master's program in library and information studies and, thus, the knowledge and skills of a beginning generalist librarian."1

However, because the student must specialize in either the public, college, school or special library area there are also necessary skills associated with each specialization as well that the student should be understand. Lastly, due to the technological nature of the profession practiced in this "Information Age" an understanding of and competence in technical skills is requisite.

The links below lead to pages describing professional core, college and university specialization and technical skill competencies, acquired by this student while taking courses at Southern Connecticut State University towards the masters degree in Library Science. It should be noted that many of the skills were reinforced by concurrently working in a library while taking the courses.

1 ILS Faculty (2008) Special Project Requirement for the MLS Degree: The Special Project and Capstone Portfolio Requirements. Retrieved May 30, 2009, from: http://www.southernct.edu/ils/specialprojectrequirement/

CORE COMPETENCIES:

"Eight ALA Librarian Core Competencies"

1. Professional Ethics

2. Resource Building

3. Knowledge Organization

4. Technological Knowledge

5. Knowledge Dissemination: Service

6. Knowledge Accumulation: Education and Lifelong Learning

7. Knowledge Inquiry: Research

8. Institution Management

1 American Library Association. (2005) Appendix A: Draft Core Competencies, July 2005.

Retrieved April 19, 2009, from: http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/accreditation/prp/DraftCoreCompetencie.pdf

SPECIALIZATION COMPETENCIES:

"College and University Research Librarian competencies"

1. The research librarian develops and manages effective services that meet user needs and support the research library's mission.

2. The research librarian supports cooperation and collaboration to enhance service.

3. The research librarian understands the library within the context of higher education (its purpose and goals) and the needs of students, faculty, and researchers.

4. The research librarian knows the structure, organization, creation, management, dissemination, use, and preservation of information resources, new and existing, in all formats.

5. The research librarian demonstrates commitment to the values and principles of librarianship.

Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL) (1999) Shaping The Future:  ASERL's Competencies For Research Librarians. Retrieved May 14, 2009 from: http://www.aserl.org/statements/competencies/competencies.htm

TECHNOLOGY COMPETENCIES:

"Technology: Core Skills"

1. Core Email Applications

2. Core Hardware

3. Core Internet

4. Core Operating Systems

5. Core Software Systems

6. Core Web Tools

Reed, L., Winfield, P., Gales, K. and Rosenburg, K. (2008) Technology: Core Skills Webinar. WebJunction. Retrieved May 25, 2009 from: http://www.webjunction.org/catalog/coursecatalog/competencies

Corner Image: Books.gif : GIF Image - Size 6677 bytes - 84X75 pixels. Retrieved August 19, 2006, from:http://build.tripod.lycos.com/imagelib/sitebuilder/pictures/objects/law/books.gif

2008 Capstone portfolio for Master of Information and Library Science Degree for Southern Connecticut State University