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Although I have been working in the information and library field for over
ten years, I wanted to ensure I had the concepts and skills needed to meet the
competencies of an information professional.
This lead me to pursue my Master of Library Science degree from Southern
Connecticut State University (SCSU). In preparing my capstone portfolio, I
thought about the concepts and skills I had gained during my tenure
as a information and library science student and asked myself if I had gained
the concepts and skills needed to be an meet the competencies of an information
professional?
I reviewed the competencies established by the Reference and User Services
Association (RUSA) of the American Library Association and the competencies
established by the Special Library Association (SLA). The
RUSA defines five competencies - access; knowledge base;
marketing/awareness/informing; collaboration; evaluation and assessment of
resources and services - each competency focusing on the abilities, skills, and
knowledge needed by reference and user services librarians. The
SLA defines four competencies - managing information organizations; managing
information resources; managing information services; and managing information
tools and technologies - each requiring specific concepts and skills. For
all intends and purposes, the RUSA and SLA competencies are the same and each
set of competencies harkens back to Ranganathan's five laws of library science.
What were the concepts and skills I gained as an information and library
sciences student at SCSU that I believe best support the competencies of an
information professional? Also, which of the courses in my program of
study contributed to each of the concepts and skills I gained? Many come
to mind, however the following concepts and skills stand out:
 | Concept: Understand and respond to the needs of patrons by
organizing resources and designing services that are efficient, effective, and
of high quality.
Skills: Identifying specific resources that will meet the patrons
needs; minimizing the barriers that exist for patrons in obtaining the
resources they need; evaluating the needs of individual patron and the
community of users and responding appropriately; reviewing current literature
on patron needs; designing and implementing services; maintaining
collections to meet the patron needs; and approaching each patron as an
individual.
Courses: LSI 501; ILS503; ILS504; ILS560; ILS524; and ILS655. |
| Concept: Continually evaluates the needs and the information
seeking behaviors of the patron to provide the resources and services they
need.
Skills: Developing and analyzing needs assessment; guiding focus
groups; interviewing individual patrons; reviewing literature on information
seeking behaviors; and developing reference interview skills.
Courses: ILS503; ILS504: ILS560; ILS565: and ILS680. |
| Concept: Continually evaluates the resources, services, staffing,
and processes.
Skills: Developing standards; developing policies and procedures;
developing measures of evaluation; developing staff development; exploring and
embracing new technologies; and managing change.
Courses: ILS503; ILS504; ILS506; ILS519; ILS565; ITC575; and ILS680. |
| Concept: Effectively communicates and markets the information
resources and services available to the patron - both the patron who
consistently uses the services, the patron who occasionally uses the services,
and the non user.
Skills: Designing and implementing educational activities, programs,
and displays for patrons; working with community leaders and organizations;
evaluating the effectiveness of marketing and awareness activities; and
seeking, identifying, and creating new methods to advance awareness of
resources and services.
Courses: ILS503; ILS568; ITC575;and ILS655. |
| Concept: Develops and maintains collaborative partnerships with the
patron, other information service providers, other professions, and the
community.
Skills: Creating and working as a team with patrons and the community;
modeling collaborative behaviors; sharing goals and visions effectively with
others; and identifies potential and unexpected collaborators.
Courses: ILS503; ILS560; and ILS565. |
| Concept: Be a lifelong learner, routinely update skills,
participate in professional organizations, and sharing with colleagues.
Skills: Embracing and learning new technology; exploring new concepts;
reading and reviewing current literature; participating in local, regional,
and national organizations; and accepting committee appointments.
Courses: LSI 501; ILS503; ILS560; ITC 575; ILS534; and ILS655. |
Above all, as an information and library science student, I gained the skills
I needed to be a competent information professional in the 21st century and an
understanding of my professional and personal obligations to the field.
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