Book Description

To determine the current and future competencies required by librarians and information professionals, a project was undertaken to meet the following objectives: set forth an idealized framework to be used by the librarian and information professional community; determine a first set of competencies which are validated in the workplace to some extent; establish initial education and training requirements; initiate a process for communication among the principal librarians and information professional participants which can be continued after project completion; and describe steps that can be taken in the future to ensure continuation of the competency achievement cycle. To meet these objectives, substantial input was obtained from a large number of organizations, educators, employers, professional societies, and individual professionals. The study results are presented in a six-chapter report and five appendices. Report chapters comprise: Overview of the Project; A Framework for Describing Librarian and Information Professional Competencies; Methods; Information Workers and Librarians and Information Professionals; Librarian and Information Professional Competencies; and Educational Requirements and Implications. Appendices include a literature review; secondary analyses (including analyses of information professional and librarian vacancy announcements); an example of the relationships between competencies, performance, effectiveness, and value in three special libraries; a bibliography; and an annotated bibliography. Twelve supplementary volumes provide detailed descriptions of competencies for the following positions: (1) Academic Librarian; (2) Public Librarian; (3) School Librarian; (4) Special Librarian; (5) Database Producer; (6) Database Distributor/Service; (7) Information Center/Clearinghouse; (8) Records and Information Manager; (9) Archivist/Museum; (10) Information Analysis Center; (11) Information Service Company; and (12) Library System Supplier. (THC)