Essential Skills for Corporate and Special Librarians

Abstract

Library science programs must be responsive to the wide variety of workplace needs to ensure that graduating students are prepared with appropriate knowledge and skills regardless of where their career path brings them, and to do so they must understand the various needs and expectations of the field. Through a nationwide study of over 2,000 current professionals and LIS faculty, this study examines the knowledge, skills, and abilities identified as core for special and corporate librarians. The results help establish a baseline of skills for corporate and special librarians, which will be of interest to current and emerging professionals interested in a career in these settings and could have implications for LIS education.     

Crisis-Management Content in LIS Curricula: Developing a Model for Future Improvement

Abstract

Although the field of crisis management has grown considerably, academic curricula do not seem to have kept pace. This study investigates how library and information science (LIS) programs are addressing the need to provide adequate and relevant crisis management course content, so as to better empower librarians and other information professionals during community-based disasters and unpredictable circumstances. Twenty-eight ALA-accredited MLIS programs were evaluated. A four-phase model for evaluating crisis management content in LIS education (CM-LIS) has been developed. Crisis management topics were identified and categorized under the four phases: landscape survey, strategic planning, crisis management, and organizational learning. Six broad LIS subject modules were also identified to analyze the percentage of coverage of these topics. In the 264 course syllabi evaluated, curricula indirectly prepare librarians on how to meet and respond to crises and disasters within their communities; however, in many cases, this is given low priority. There is not a strong consideration for natural disasters and the societal calamities and unrest that dominate the media and occupy the minds of individual communities. This study gives insight into crisis-management education within LIS graduate degrees and should stimulate additional research to further investigate the preparedness of librarians and other information professionals to interact with communities in need in times of crises.     

Many Voices: Building a Biblioblogosphere in Ireland

ABSTRACT

Blogging has been associated with the Library and Information Science (LIS) community for some time now. Libfocus.com is an online blog that was founded in 2011. Its goal was to create a communal communication space for LIS professionals in Ireland and beyond, to share and discuss issues and ideas. The content of the blog is curated by an editorial team and features guest bloggers from across all sectors and experience levels. Using a qualitative methodological approach, open-ended surveys were conducted with twelve previous guest bloggers, in order to explore how and why Irish-based LIS professionals choose to communicate through blogging. It is hoped that this evidence will provide a greater understanding of both the value and effectiveness of blogging as an outreach and communication tool within the profession, helping both libraries and librarians to be more strategic in their use of it as a medium.     

Evaluating the landscape of digital humanities librarianship

ABSTRACT

As academic librarians strive to meet the needs of their users, it is important to understand the current and constantly changing landscape of digital humanities librarianship. The author of this article investigated areas in which current LIS professionals working in digital humanities came into their various roles, how they have been trained, how they feel about their opportunities for training, and where improvements can be made. The purpose of this study was to provide an overview of the digital humanities librarian skill set and to explore what training and infrastructure are needed in the field. Rather than looking to define digital humanities as a discipline, this study provides a current profile of digital humanities librarians, allowing for the profession to align with this evolving field's scholars and practitioners.     

The African American Male Librarian: Motivational Factors in Choosing a Career in Library and Information Science

A recent American Library Association (ALA) report has shown that less than 1% of credentialed librarians are African American males. This article discusses possible reasons for this dearth; and, in an effort to inform future LIS recruiting and marketing campaigns, the included study attempted to discover which factors lead African American males to choose to pursue a graduate degree in library and information science (LIS) and practice LIS as a career. The study also canvassed African American male librarians’ views on gender advantage in LIS, their career goals, perceived triumphs and challenges in LIS, and level of job satisfaction.     

Web Duplicate Materials Exchange Program: The Library of Congress Takes International Exchange to the Internet

ABSTRACT

Despite demonstrated credentials, vast subject expertise, and knowledge of foreign languages and cultures, immigrants educated in schools of library and information science (LIS) in Eastern Europe (EE) and the former Soviet Union (FSU) face numerous challenges when trying to gain work as professional librarians in Canada. We introduce a model for retraining EE-and FSU-educated librarians to expedite their entry into professional librarianship in Canada without their having to undertake the formal requirements of a host-country graduate LIS degree. Taking into account and building upon their existing foreign-earned degrees, this retraining program will result in an ALA-accredited LIS degree that will allow foreign-educated immigrant librarians to compete on a level playing field with domestically educated librarians, thus eliminating discrimination based on what one labor economist calls the 'national origin of an individual's human capital.'     

The Impact of First Careers on “Second Career” Academic Reference Librarians

Summary

Librarianship represents a second or even third career for a significant number of professional librarians. What are the backgrounds of these second career librarians? What impact do these first careers have on academic reference librarians entering the profession later in their working lives? Does a candidate's pre-MLS career affect how he or she is evaluated by potential employers? A pilot study of academic librarians in Nevada provides some answers to these questions.     

PART IX: THE LIMITS OF MARKETPLACE SOLUTIONS AND THE NEED FOR COLLABORATION

Abstract

As distance education (DE) and its support needs proliferate, schools of library and information science (LIS) need to address the education of librarians for the provision of DE services. This paper discusses current efforts of LIS programs in this regard, difficulties of establishing curricular units in this area, and steps the profession can take to ensure that education for DE services becomes an integral part of all LIS curricula.     

Mentorship programs in academic libraries

Abstract

Academic librarians new to the profession, or seasoned with mid-career changes, have questions and challenges as they progress in their professional careers. Often, librarians need answers and guidance beyond a supervisor and may seek help from their peers. These mentor-mentee relationships can happen either informally or formally, within their home library, or across the profession. Many academic libraries have mentorship programs in place, but mentorship is not a standardized practice and seldom is a one-size-fits-all program. The library and information science (LIS) literature contain articles that describe and analyze the value of these mentorship programs from a variety of interesting angles.     

Building capacity among health care librarians to teach evidence-based practice—an evaluation

Objective:An innovative funding scheme for health care librarians to attend an intensive short course in teaching evidence-based practice was established in the West of England in 2016. This evaluation aims to understand the value of the scheme and the impact of the training opportunity for the librarians, establish an evidence base for continuing with the funding scheme, and inform the development of plans to build additional capacity among health care librarians to provide critical appraisal training.Methods:Seven librarians working in health care system settings were funded by the scheme between 2016 and 2018. Post-course feedback forms gathered initial views on course content and delivery, which informed the development of questions for the qualitative phase of the evaluation. All seven librarians participated in group discussions and individual interviews.Results:The course boosted confidence, provided valuable new skills, and positively impacted careers of the librarians through access to new opportunities. It inspired the development of new approaches to critical appraisal training. An important need was identified among the librarians for more education in teaching. Librarians funded by the scheme have successfully cascaded the training to their colleagues.Conclusion:This evaluation supports the continuation of the funding scheme to further build capacity among health care librarians to teach evidence-based practice. It suggests additional investment in this type of specialist training, as well as in education in teaching skills, would be beneficial for health care librarians. Evidence from this evaluation is informing new plans to support these professionals with the vital service they provide, which contributes to the evidence-based culture of their organizations and to patient outcomes.     

Sprouting STEMs: Recruiting future science librarians through an undergraduate science information internship

The challenge of recruiting science librarians is an ongoing issue, despite efforts to isolate, address, and remedy the deficiency. Most research has focused on investigating why current science librarians chose their careers and on ways library information science (LIS) programs can entice Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) candidates into science librarianship. At Brooklyn College, librarians created a science information internship for undergraduate science majors. By exposing these students to librarianship as a potential career path, we hope to attract and groom future science librarians. This article discusses the development of the internship, the challenges and successes of the pilot, and the assessment of the pilot for improvements and expansion.     

Health sciences librarian competency perceptions: a survey of national community college librarians

Objective:The primary objective of this study was to determine how community college health sciences librarians perceive their proficiencies in the essential skills, knowledge, and abilities necessary for the practice of a health information professional as defined by the Medical Library Association (MLA) Competencies for Lifelong Learning and Professional Success. A secondary objective was to determine their current level of engagement with the professional community and identify barriers to further professional development.Methods:A survey was posted to various email discussion lists, and volunteer follow-up interviews were conducted.Results:The survey was completed by seventy-five community college health sciences librarians, and seven follow-up interviews were performed. Survey results indicated that community college health sciences librarians perceived themselves as having intermediate or advanced intermediate proficiency in the six MLA competencies. Survey and interview results indicated that community college health sciences librarians were engaged with the profession and faced the same barriers to continued professional development and continued education as other academic librarians.Conclusion:The results affirm that community college librarians who are responsible for collections and services in the health sciences meet the MLA competencies, which fills a gap in the literature regarding how these librarians develop professional competencies and are involved in professional associations. The results suggest that community college librarians can improve their skill levels by continuing their education and following trends in the literature.     

Wired Professional Development: New Librarians Connect Through the Web

ABSTRACT

Taking advantage of professional development opportunities is imperative for new academic librarians. Even if not a position requirement, continuing education and professional involvement have the potential to inspire and improve job performance. While online resources should not replace traditional professional development experiences such as conferences, they can certainly provide additional ways to develop skills and expertise. Connecting with other librarians electronically through listservs, virtual conferences, and other online opportunities can make such involvement more accessible for new professionals.     

Career Paths of Distance Education Librarians

ABSTRACT

A growing number of institutions are offering courses and degrees via distance education; however, distance education librarianship is a relatively new and often less defined field of librarianship. This paper will present the results of a survey to discover career paths leading to distance education librarianship. Based on a survey of subscribers to the OFFCAMP listserv, it asked questions such as: Is there a “typical” career path? Does previous or continuing work in other library units benefit a distance education librarian? What are the most important qualifications for a distance education librarian? Profiles of the education and experience of distance education librarians were analyzed for commonalities. The study concluded that distance education librarians come to their positions from a variety of experience, not always in libraries, but predominantly from library public service departments. A typical career path for distance education librarians is not evident at this time.     

From Cooperation to Collaboration: Toward a Framework for Deepening Library Partnerships

Abstract

Librarians are encouraged to collaborate in their work, but examples in LIS literature suggests the term “collaboration” is applied to a range of activities that vary widely in terms of interaction, resource-sharing, cooperative planning, and cooperative service delivery. Collaboration has been studied in other fields but remains largely unexplored beyond case studies in LIS. Through a series of focus groups with librarians and a range of potential community partners, this research identified barriers to collaboration and factors that enable successful partnerships, resulting in a general framework that could act as a guide to planning and developing deep collaborations.     

LIS Training for Support Staff: An Initial Review of Associate's and Certificate Programs In The U.S.

ABSTRACT

The author presents the results of a review and analysis of thirty-five colleges and universities in the United States that currently offer an Associate's degree and/or vocational certificate(s) in Library and Information Science. These programs, which are geared primarily to existing library support staff who seek additional training, have been created independently of each other and without a national standard to guide the curriculum. Although the American Library Association-Allied Professional Association's Library Support Staff Certification offers guidelines for the educational content of Associate's level LIS programs, a comparison reveals significant gaps. Furthermore, the ALA-APA program currently approves courses at only three institutions in the nation, and certifies graduates from only fourteen. The author identifies areas of misalignment between the Library Support Staff Certification and existing LIS programs and suggests directions for future improvement.

Column Editor’s Note Community college libraries are deeply underrepresented in the professional literature and organizations of academic librarianship. As a result, the challenges and successes that take place in the community college world are largely invisible to others. This JLA column lifts the curtain to reveal the uniqueness of community college libraries as described by their most passionate advocates: the librarians who work there. Articles in this column pay tribute to the commitment and creativity of community college librarians by providing a platform where they can share their professional perspectives and stories. Want to write for this column? Interested authors are invited to submit articles to the editor at kimreed@cwidaho.cc.     

A Resource Guide to Tax Law Careers

Abstract

This Guide is designed to assist law students and attorneys in the pursuit of careers in tax law. It is also intended for librarians and career counselors to readily find tax law career information so that they can assist their clients effectively. It includes resources in both print (for example, books and articles) and electronic formats (for example, Web sites). Each item included has a brief annotation so that the user can quickly decide the relevancy and value of that item.     

Providing real-time resources in support of LGBTQ+ and HIV+ populations as information experts on the ECHO hub team: a case report

Background:Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is a telehealth initiative that aims to reduce disparities in delivery of health care by leveraging technology and local expertise to provide guidance on specialized subjects to health care providers across the world. In 2018, a new ECHO hub convened in Indianapolis with a focus on health care for individuals in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ+) populations. This ECHO iteration was one of the first of its kind and would soon be followed by a new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) ECHO as well.Case Presentation:In a novel approach, information professionals participated in the early planning stages of the formation of these ECHO teams, which enabled the provision of real-time medical evidence and resources at the point-of-need once the teams were launched. This case study demonstrates proof of concept for including health sciences librarians and/or information professionals in the ECHO as hub team members. In this case study, the authors describe and quantify the value added to the HIV and LGBTQ+ ECHO sessions by the medical librarians, as well as provide a template for how other telehealth initiatives can collaborate with their local health information professionals.Conclusions:Librarian involvement in Project ECHO over the past three years has been enthusiastically received. The librarians have contributed hundreds of resources to ECHO participants, helped build and curate resource repositories, and expanded the embedded librarian program to an additional two ECHO iterations. ECHO hub team members report high rates of satisfaction with the performance of embedded librarians and appreciate the provision of point-of-need evidence to ECHO participants.