Chapter 4: Writing the Competency Descriptions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5860/ltr.43n2Abstract
Sarah Houghton-Jan, the author of the second issue of Library Technology Reports in 2007, tackles technology competencies for librarians in the Information Age. “A few years ago,” she notes, “I found myself wanting a work like this to exist. Because it did not, I figured I might as well consolidate all the information about library technology competencies in one place so that others could benefit from my hunting and gathering.”
In her report, Houghton-Jan provides useful technology-training practices, including:
“This work,” summarizes Houghton-Jan, “is an attempt to fill the gap in knowledge about documenting technology competencies with overall guiding principles, examples of successful projects, and project-management guidelines for those embarking upon such a project in their libraries.”
Sarah Houghton-Jan received her MLIS from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MA in Irish Literature from Washington State University. A member of Beta Phi Mu, she has worked in libraries for a decade as a page, reference assistant, reference librarian, e-services librarian, technology trainer, and technology manager.
Sarah is currently the Information and Web Services Manager for the San Mateo County Library in Northern California. She also works as a consultant technology instructor for the Infopeople Project, serves on LITA's Top Technology Trends Committee, is a member of the California Library Association's Assembly, and the past President of CLA's Information Technology Section. In her time as the IT Section President, she led the task force that developed the Association's Technology Core Competencies for Library Workers, building on her previous experience creating competencies for individual libraries.
Sarah is also the author of the blog LibrarianInBlack.net.
References
Nell Marshall, Sue Woodson, and Maureen Beck, “Developing Core Computer Competencies for Librarians” (presentation, Maryland Library Association's Bibliographic Instruction Interest Group meeting, November 1999), www.vjc.edu/library/index.aspx?id=3043nJens Thorhauge, '“New Demands—Old Skills: A Strategy for Bridging the Competence Gap: Building Competencies in a Daily Working Context,”' IFLA Journal 31 no. 2 (2005): 162-8nMarshall, Woodson, and Beck, “Developing Core Computer Competencies for Librarians.”nJosé-Marie Griffiths, “The New Information Professional, “
ASIS Bulletin
, no. 3 (February/March 1998), www.asis.org/Bulletin/Feb-98/griffiths.htmlnDanuta A. Nitecki, “Competencies Required of Public Services Librarians to Use New Technologies,” in Linda C. Smith,
Professional Competencies—Technology and the Librarian: Papers Presented at the 1983 Clinic on Library Applications of Data Processing, April 24–26, 1983
(Champaign, IL.: Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, 1983), 65–6.nRachel Singer Gordon, Michael Stephens, '“Keeping Up with Keeping Up,”' Computers in Libraries 26 no. 9 (2006): 52-4nGriffiths, “The New Information Professional.”nSpecial Libraries Association, “Competencies for Information Professionals of the 21st Century,” rev. ed., June 2003, www.sla.org/content/learn/comp2003/index.cfmnAmerican Association of Law Libraries, “Core Competencies for Law Library Support Staff,” August 2000, http://users.law.capital.edu/ppost/core/intro.htmnOhio Library Council, “Ohio Public Library Core Competencies,” 2005, www.olc.org/pdf/core.pdfnArrowhead Library System, “Systems and Information Technology Competencies,” n.d., www.arrowhead.lib.mn.us/renewal/systems.htmnIbid.nUniversity of Alabama University Libraries, “Core Competencies for Paraprofessional Library Staff,” draft, Spring 2003, www.lib.ua.edu/sacs/core_competencies_staff.htmnIbid.nReaume and Bilsland, “Core Competencies for Technology.”nIbid.nMarilyn Scoville, “Library and Information Services Staff Competencies,” November 1997, http://personalweb.smcvt.edu/mscoville/staff%20comp.htmnIbid.nKing County Library System, “Competencies for Excellence: Reference Librarian,” n.d., http://faculty.washington.edu/jernel/521/kccomp.htmnState Library of Iowa/Iowa Library Service Areas, “Public Library Director/Staff Competencies,” February 2003, www.statelibraryofiowa.org/ld/librarians/competencies/downloadnNew Jersey Library Association, “Core Competencies for Librarians,” March 14, 2006, www.njla.org/resources/competencies.htmlnWestern Council of State Libraries/Continuum of Library Education, “Library Practitioner Core Competencies,” October 2004, www.westernco.org/continuum/final.htmlnAmerican Library Association Government Documents Round Table. (2004). E-Competencies, www.ala.org/ala/godort/godortcommittees/gitco/ecomps.htmnConnecticut Library Association Support Staff Section, “Connecticut Library Association Library Technical Assistants Competencies,” August 16, 2001, http://cla.uconn.edu/archive/class.htmlnPublic Library of Charlotte and Mecklenberg County, “Information Technology Core Competencies,” n.d., www.plcmc.org/public/learning/plcmccorecomp.pdfnIbid.nIbid.nRoy Tennant, “The Most Important Management Decision: Hiring Staff for the New Millennium,”
Library Journal
, no. 3 (February 15, 1998), www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA156490.htmlnRoy Tennant, “Skills for the New Millennium: Managing a Digital Library” Library Journal 124, no.1 (January 1, 1999): 39, www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA156501.htmlnRoy Tennant, Managing a Digital Library (New York: Reed Press 2004)n
