Competency B

Core Competency B: describe and compare organizational settings in which information professionals practice.

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Introduction:

For many people, libraries are simply known as “a place where there are many books that you can borrow.” However, this sort of view neglects the large diversity between different types of libraries. Information professionals—also called “librarians”—work in a wide variety of organizational settings. The four major settings that librarians may work in are public libraries, school libraries, academic libraries, and special libraries. It is important to understand how these types of libraries are distinct from each other, as their locations and the specific clientele that they serve create notable differences in the services offered, their staff experience requirements, and their sources of funding.

Public libraries are typically what people think of when they hear the word “library.” Public libraries are usually found in cities and neighborhoods, and generally serve the public—more specifically, the community population of the area where the library is located. A public library’s clientele is extremely diverse, including people of all ethnic, economic, religious, social, and age groups. Their clientele also include people with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and immigrants. Due to their extremely diverse clientele, public libraries offer a number of services in addition to book lending: such as classes, programs, public computer access, and aid services for underserved populations. The services a public library offers will strongly be guided by local community needs.

Public librarians are generally required to hold a Master’s in Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree, and may specialize or have a focus in certain areas. Depending on the community or circumstances, public libraries may have (for example) a children’s librarian or reference librarian with specific and clearly defined roles. In this case, the children’s librarian would be responsible for developing children’s programs while the reference librarian would handle most questions asked by library users. However, it is also not unusual for librarians working within a public library to have multiple roles and handle multiple responsibilities regardless of their job title. Public libraries are largely funded by federal and local governments (Hirsh, 2015, p. 74).

School libraries are libraries located in schools; most often in elementary, middle, and high schools. Because of their location, school libraries typically serve students and teachers. While school libraries do offer book lending services and programs similar to those of public libraries, school libraries are much more focused on supporting students’ education. In addition to developing programs and answering student questions, school librarians are expected to be able to teach and aid students in developing “information literacy, basic literacy, and technological literacy” (Hirsh, 2015, p. 53). Because of this expectation, school librarians usually have a teaching degree or teaching experience in addition to an MLIS degree. School libraries in public schools are generally funded via public funding (Hirsh, 2015, p. 225).

Academic libraries are built on college or university campuses. Their main clientele are higher education students and faculty. Like school libraries, academic libraries also have a focus on supporting their students’ education. Their main services are providing books and materials to students and faculty, providing access to digital databases, and helping students with research or other class-related projects. Academic librarians are more likely than public or school librarians to be asked complex reference questions, usually requiring advanced knowledge in certain subject areas. Thus, most academic librarians usually have a specialized subject focus and “hold subject master’s degrees or doctorates in addition to the MLIS degree” (Hirsh, 2015, p. 62). Many academic libraries are funded through a mix of government funding, direct funding (from student fees), and grant funding (Jones, 2018; Hirsh, 2015, p. 225).

Special libraries, as they are aptly named, generally provide information on very specialized subjects. Their clientele may consist of researchers or people in specific occupations; and they are generally located in or near to the institutions/organizations they serve. Law, museum, and medical libraries are just a few examples of special libraries. Librarians working in special libraries are generally expected to hold MLIS degrees as well as a specialized subject master’s degree (Hirsh, 2015, p. 84). Unlike public, school, and academic libraries, special librarians’ main focus is on the delivery of quick and accurate information to fulfil their clients’ information needs (Hirsh, 2015, p. 85). Special libraries are generally funded through the institution or organization that employ them (Murray, 2013).

Despite their many differences, all libraries share a similar goal: to provide appropriate information and services to meet the needs or wants of their community/clientele.

Coursework/Experience that Prepared Me for this Competency:

While my interest has always been in public librarianship, I was given a very thorough introduction to the many different types of libraries in my Info 204 (Information Professions) class. This was one of the first classes that I took at SJSU. It gave me an understanding of the diverse environments that librarians could work in, which helped to shape my view of libraries throughout the rest of my time in the MLIS program. I was also very fortunate to be able to obtain a volunteer position at a public library, which helped me to understand the more subtle aspects of a public library setting. While it is certainly possible to learn about libraries in an online environment (as I myself am an online long distance student); I believe that one can only truly understand what libraries stand for by working in one.

References:

Hirsh, S. (Ed.). (2015). Information services today: An introduction. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

Jones, J. L. (2018). Mandatory student fees and the academic library. Journal of Library Administration, 58(1), 54-64. doi:10.1080/01930826.2017.1392221

Murray, T. E. (2013). What’s so special about special libraries?. Journal of Library Administration, 53(4), 274-282. doi:10.1080/01930826.2013.865395

Evidence:

1. Info 204 Exploratory Essay -- "Reference Desk Librarians in Public Libraries"

My first piece of evidence to show my mastery of competency B is an exploratory essay from Info 204 (Information Professions). For this essay, we were asked to describe one specific information profession in detail, including their job responsibilities and the skills and competencies they should preferably have. As I was interested in public librarianship, I focused on a reference librarian position in a public library setting.

Reference librarians are responsible for aiding library users in meeting information needs, requiring them to be proficient in navigating online databases. However, reference librarians working in public libraries will also need to be proficient at using library technology tools, have good communication and marketing skills, and also be able to teach library users. These are all points I highlighted throughout my essay, establishing my understanding of the often multifaceted work that public librarians may engage in due to the public library environment. It also establishes my understanding of the vital skills that are required of many information professionals in the modern age. I submit this essay as evidence towards competency B to demonstrate my ability to describe a specific organizational setting (in this instance, a public library) in detail.

The essay can be found in its entirety below.

2. Info 266 Comparing and Contrasting Collection Development Policies

My second piece of evidence is a compare and contrast assignment from Info 266 (Collections Management). This assignment asked us to compare and contrast the collection development policies of two different libraries. I chose to compare the collection policy document from the Sacramento Public Library against the collection policy document of San Diego State University. (Both of these documents can be found publicly online.)

The collection development policies of these two libraries differed the most in their collection development guidelines and their statements on intellectual freedom. I explicitly wrote about how the differences in policy documents mostly arose due to the differences in the two libraries’ mission and clientele. This establishes my ability to identify the many characteristics that are present in library settings. It also establishes my understanding of how the differing characteristics of different types of libraries can shape their organizational policies, such as a collection development policy. I submit this assignment as evidence towards competency B to demonstrate my understanding of the differences in characteristics between a public and an academic library.

The completed assignment can be found as an MS Word document below.

3. Info 250 Guided Conversation on Instructional Design in Different Libraries (Discussion Post)

My final piece of evidence for competency B is a discussion posting from Info 250 (Design and Implementation of Instructional Strategies for Information Professionals). For our discussion post, we were asked to describe the challenges of designing an instructional plan for three different types of libraries. I chose to focus on public, academic, and special libraries.

This discussion post showcases my understanding of the differences between a public, academic, and library setting as seen through an instructional lens. In my discussion post, I addressed the unique challenges that each library faced when attempting to create instructional units. I described the clientele and organizational structure of each library, establishing my understanding of the characteristics of all three types of libraries. I also point out in my post that all three libraries face the challenge of low learner motivation, and must deal with financial/budget issues. Despite being different types of libraries; public, academic, and special libraries can all make use of the same instructional design format. This establishes my understanding of the similarities that are present in various library settings. All of the points mentioned in this paragraph demonstrate my mastery of competency B.

The graded discussion posts in Info 250 were called "guided conversations." I have only included my own post from the discussion board in the MS Word document below.

Conclusion:

My time in the MLIS program has made me aware of the many competencies required of public librarians, such as technological proficiency, marketing, and communication skills. As an aspiring public librarian, this knowledge is helpful in alerting me to skills that I will have to develop and maintain in order to provide relevant and efficient services to library clientele. Although my main focus throughout the MLIS program was mainly on public librarianship, having an understanding of the other types of organizational settings librarians work in is also important. Partnerships between different types of libraries, such as public and school libraries for example, are not unusual. Having an understanding of the (sometimes subtle) differences between these organizational settings will allow me to better create partnerships and joint programs between different types of libraries.