ERIC EJ983922: Professional Competencies for the Digital Age: What Library Schools Are Doing to Prepare Special Librarians

3 Pages·2003·0.19 MB·English

by  ERIC

Professional Competencies for the Digital Age:
What Library Schools Are Doing to Prepare Special Librarians
By Jana Varlejs
Rutgers School of Communication, Information and Library Studies
Abstract
What library/information science education offerings are relevant to preparing graduates for
careers in the special library sector? The strengths and weaknesses of education for special
librarianship; the match between SLA's competencies statement and what is being taught in LIS
master's degree programs; and the role of SLA in continuing education are discussed.
Nearly seven years after the Special What Course Catalogs Show
Libraries Association (SLA) approved its
statement, "Competencies for Special The following "snapshot" is based on a quick
Librarians of the 21st Century" review of the Web sites of 53 of the 56
(http://www.sla.org/contenUSLAIprofessional Master's in Library/Information Science
/meaning/comp.cfm), programs accredited by the American
it seemed time to ask whether the document Library Association
was still viable. Given the changes in the (http://www.ala.org/ContenUNavigationMenu
economy, technology, and globalization, /OucAssociation/Offices/A ccreditation 1/ Iisdi
what skills and knowledge are now needed r/LlS_Directory.htm) Almost all programs
by information professionals? These issues offer basic courses in management, online
were addressed by a panel at the 2003 searching as well as information sources
annual SLA conference, sponsored by the and services, information technology, and
Education Division and the Pharmaceutical organization of information (including
and Health Technology Division. . The indexing or something else on controlled
session sought to give the audience an vocabulary). If they do not have courses
impression of what library/information devoted to business and government
science (LIS) education was offering that information, they do have one covering the
was relevant to preparing graduates for social sciences. Most provide a practicum or
careers in the special library sector; the internship, and many allow independent
strengths and weaknesses of education for study. Thus a student with an interest and
special librarianship; the match between the background in a specialized field such as
SLA's competencies statement and what business could focus term projects and
was being taught in LIS master's degree papers and pursue individual research and
programs; and the role of SLA in continuing field experience in that field, and graduate
education. It should be noted that a revision reasonably well-prepared for the chosen
of the competencies statement has since specialty.
appeared on the SLA Web site
(http://www.sla.org/contenUSLAIprofessional Two-thirds of the programs have courses
/meaning/comp2003.cfm). There is one devoted to special libraries/ librarianship in
significant change that is noted below. This general. Almost as many have courses in
paper published is a slightly edited version health sciences, and somewhat fewer have
of one of the 2003 SLA conference courses on legal information and/or law
presentations. librarianship. Other specialties are rarer, but
Education Libraries Volume 26, No. 1 Summer 2003 16
there are over twenty programs that have specialized information resources are
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courses in music, art, and other specialties. covered to some extent almost always;
students have opportunities to
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Seventeen programs offer courses in customize their program of studies;
marketing/public relations; seven offer faculties seem to be able to introduce
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knowledge management, six competitive new topics as they arise;
intelligence, and seven entrepreneurship practitioners are teaching those courses
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(including information brokering and that need to be grounded in current
consulting). Only four have courses on practice.
communication. User instruction is
becoming more common, but it is hard to tell Weaknesses:
whether a given course covers the special MLiS programs for the most part are too
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library settings. All schools have a short to allow students to learn all that is
reasonable array of technology courses, and now required of entry level speCial
quite a few have digital libraries or electronic
librarians;
resources and services courses. Most seem
faculties are stretched thinly, so many
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to have integrated online information into
courses cannot be offered as regularly
their reference courses. Web site and
as they should be;
database design are included in technology
what is offered and how it is taught
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courses, but often are presented as
depends on current faculty interests and
separate courses.
not necessarily on the demands of the
marketplace.
Recent trends include freestanding courses
on information architecture, metadata, and
How Well Does MliS Program
data mining. There are very few courses
Content Reflect
concerned with the economics of information
and the information industry, and there SLA's Competencies?
seems to be a paucity of courses dealing in
depth with financial aspects, such as vendor Except for the subject expertise that must
negotiation. Most surprising is the fact that come from other study, MLiS courses
there are still relatively few courses on user generally address the professional
needs and information seeking behavior. competencies, although no program covers
them all. Some of the personal
The revised SLA competencies statement competencies are also fostered in MLiS
incorporates the Association's statement on courses that promote service orientation,
the importance of evidence based practice good management, and professionalism.
(http://www.sla.org/contenUmemberservice/r Because programs are short and students
esearchforum/rsrchstatement.cfm). In light are often mature individuals, however,
of this addition, which calls for the ingrained attitudes and personality traits are
application of research to decision making, it unlikely to be changed. In regard to the SLA
is important to note the dearth of research competency document, MLiS courses are
methods courses in LIS programs, as probably at their best in honing students'
reported by Dan O'Connor and Soyeon Park technical information skills and shaping their
in American Libraries (January 2002, 50). service orientation, and at their worst in
developing "soft" skills.
What Strengths and Weaknesses What Are Implications for
Exist in MliS Programs Vis-a-vis Continuing Education?
Special librarianship?
SLA does a fairly good job at identifying CE
Strengths: needs and using innovative methods, such
as virtual seminars, to meet those needs.
Core courses have evolved to
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Teleconferences and webcasts on topics
incorporate technology;
such as communication with management,
management is recognized as basic;
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marketing, and vendor negotiation seem to
Education Libraries Volume 26, No. 1 Summer 2003 17
be on target, and do not take librarians far always hire the best prepared person, nor
away from their workplace. There never do they always provide for adequate and
seems to be enough on user behavior, appropriate continuing education. At the
evaluation, and costing/valuing information same time, professionals do not always
within the special library context. Quite a few pursue the career path for which they
of the generic business skills that would prepared. Some personal anecdotes
benefit special librarians are taught in illustrate the point: At SLA conferences, I
workshops offered by organizations such as sometimes run into people who started out
the American Management Association. to be children's librarians, while at the New
Teaching and presentation skills can also be Jersey Library Association conferences I
sought through non-library organizations. come across alumni working in public
The role that the SLA should play more libraries who graduated well qualified to be
aggressively is that of promoter of the entire law librarians. Even when students arrive at
range of CEo It should inform members library school with a solid subject
about learning opportunities emanating not background in a field in which they wish to
only from SLA and other library work as an information professional,
organizations, but from other sources also, accidents of geography, or timing, or hiring
especially those delivered electronically. freezes may militate against success in
SLA might want to consider creating a landing the desired position upon
recognition system along the lines of the one graduation. Meanwhile, good opportunities
. instituted by the Medical Library Association. in certain businesses and industries may go
begging, because there are so few MLIS
Concluding Comments graduates who have appropriate degrees in
the sciences, business, law, or other fields
The snapshot that has been presented here not typically recruited into librarianship.
is somewhat fuzzy -- more courses on Better recruitment strategies and more
special libraries specifically than one might scholarships are needed, and the SLA might
expect, but spotty coverage of some of the want to consider doing something about
skills that SLA thinks are important. One has that.
to remember that MLIS degree programs
are mostly very short, and that the typical
LIS school or department suffers many
Dr. Jane Varlejs is an Associate Professor
constraints, faculty size being the most
at Rutgers University.
significant. On top of that, there are
Email: [email protected]
marketplace failures -- employers do not
Education Libraries Volume 26, No.1 Summer 2003 18