Collection Analysis Paper 

This paper aligns with three out of ALA’s nine Core Competencies – specifically the first (i.e., “Gateway Knowledge”); the second (i.e., "Information Resources”); and the fifth (i.e., "Organization of Recorded Knowledge and Information"). [Details of each competency are listed below.]

A person graduating from an ALA-accredited Master's Program in Library and Information Science should be familiar with and be able to apply, when applicable, the following ALACCs: 

Competency #1: “Gateway Knowledge”

• 1A. Employ the ethics, values, and foundational principles of the library profession.

• 1B. Promote democratic principles and intellectual freedom (including freedom of expression, thought, and conscience). 

• 1C. Consider the history of libraries and librarianship and their role within the context of society.

• 1D. Recognize the history, preservation, and dissemination of information in all its forms, and its impact on libraries.

• 1E. Identify current types of libraries (school, public, academic, special, etc.) and closely related information agencies, such as museums, archives, and galleries.

• 1F. Identify social, public, information, economic, and cultural policies and trends of significance to the library and information profession on the local, regional, national, and international levels.

• 1G. Understand the legal framework in which libraries operate, including laws relating to copyright and fair use, privacy, freedom of expression, equal rights (e.g., the Americans with Disabilities Act), open access, and intellectual property.

• 1H. Effectively advocate for libraries, librarians, other library workers, patrons, and services, especially in terms of marketing, fundraising, and outreach.

• 1I. Use techniques to identify, codify, and analyze complex problems and create appropriate and collaborative solutions within library environments.

• 1J. Demonstrate effective verbal and written communication techniques, including electronically via video, live chat, and email.

• 1K. Hold current certification, degree, and/or licensure requirements of specialized areas of the library profession.

Competency #2: "Information Resources"

• 2A. Consider the issues related to the lifecycle of recorded knowledge and information, from creation through various stages of use, in relationship to material format and genre.

• 2B. Apply the concepts, issues, and methods of collection management, which entails the lifecycle of materials from evaluation to long-term preservation and other curative practices (including but not limited to acquisitions, selection, purchasing, processing, storage, and de-selection).

• 2C. Include emerging formats and genres of information resources and understand how these may intersect with and reflect the diverse and cultural needs of the information communities through the management of collections. 

Competency #5: "Organization of Recorded Knowledge and Information"

• 5A. Understand the principles, systems, trends, and goals involved in the organization and representation of recorded knowledge and information.

• 5B. Implement the developmental, descriptive, analytical, and evaluative skills needed to organize recorded knowledge and information. 

• 5C. Maintain the systems of cataloging, collection, metadata, indexing, and classification standards and structures, and implement methods used to apply, create, and discover recorded knowledge and information, and the weaknesses and strengths of these systems. 

• 5D. Recognize the ways that cultural biases impact and influence the collection and description of recorded knowledge and information.

References

American Library Association. (2022). Core competencies. http://www.ala.org/educationcareers/careers/corecomp/corecompetences