Competency Description and Scope:

The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) organizes competencies into areas in Section 5 (A-G) which employ the concepts, principles, and techniques of reference and user services to individuals of all ages, cultures, and groups. For my competency description and scope, I will go over section 5e, which "promotes and demonstrates the value of library services through marketing and advocacy" (2017).

Understands and applies marketing theory and practices (RUSA, 2017)
1. Practices the basic principles of marketing and applies them to library services
2. Conducts research to assess the marketing landscape and to determine the current position among similar and/or competing businesses and organizations
3. Identifies the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges of library services to enhance marketing strategy
4. Identifies, analyzes and prioritizes target markets and audiences to determine how best to promote library services that can effectively serve them
5. Determines community relationships and develops partnering models of services with groups within the community
6. Conducts periodic reviews of the community for opportunities to align needs with library services

Librarians have to deal with a growing number of information contexts, like e-commerce and competitive intelligence (CI), as well as a growing number of information needs in their community. Additionally, librarians are required to address the needs of those who are not tech-savvy or experience the digital divide. The traditional perception of a library is that of a resourceful social system, but in the 21st century, the library may have to be seen as a business organization that aspires to make a sustainable profit from its successful outreach of its programs, events, or services. The library's main product is information, and the number of people who use it is key to more funding to offer more free resources and services and reach a wider range of people than ever before. Therefore, being able to conduct research and use basic tools of quality management will provide value in decision-making in the future plans of the library.

Develops, implements, and evaluates an ongoing marketing plan for library services (RUSA, 2017)

1. Sets measurable market goals and objectives, including brand strategy
2. Develops consistent promotion and distribution strategies to meet goals and objectives based on the analysis of target audiences
3. Participates in marketing training
4. Implements marketing efforts, maintaining records and clear communication with staff and stakeholders
5. Evaluates the effectiveness and impact of the strategies and revises as necessary

Strategic planning is the process of linking an organization's purpose, objectives, and vision to its activities and outcomes. Whether done on purpose or not, planning should be established and revised as necessary. When making plans, it's important to consider the organization's history as well as its current and future state, as well as the internal and external factors that might influence either. The planning process has an effect on the organization's mission, vision, goals, priorities, tasks, and activities because it helps employees and leaders see the organization for what it is, not what they want it to be.

Advocates the value of library services to the primary community (RUSA, 2017)

1. Engages with target audiences, connecting via the most appropriate tools and sources
2. Communicates with library users, potential users, and other stakeholders through multiple communication formats and channels
3. Maintains current awareness of communication tools and media sources used by target audiences
4. Builds relationships with partners who advocate on behalf of the library
5. Develops and maintains relationships among diverse cultural groups

While there is a tendency to assess the library in economic terms, this approach can weaken the library's democratic foundations. The solution to the library's future does not just lie in marketing, but in advocacy. There are numerous ways to advocate for libraries, including, but not limited to, developing and disseminating a message about the library's importance to democracy; ensuring that all library collections and services are in line with this mission; collaborating with other groups that share the same goal; reestablishing the library's symbolic and physical status as a community hub; and so on. Former ALA President Nancy Kranich believes that libraries should present themselves to the public and its stakeholders as "corners of liberty" (2001). Economic foundation is important, but it is through advocacy that will help libraries get funding needed to expand their services, recruit more staff, promote free speech, oppose library censorship, and gather the data to better inform library supporters or public authorities about how libraries benefit in areas such as literacy, economic growth, and civic engagement.

Importance to the Profession:

I want to connect the library community's information needs and information-seeking behavior for my assignments because I truly believe that incorporating elements of marketing and competitive intelligence (CI) should be used to achieve the long-term goal of demonstrating the value of services or resources, strengthening loyalty, and ultimately increasing engagement. Professionals in LIS should be aware and interested in CI because end users have turned information and research into commodities and because financial, competitive, and performance pressures are making it more important to show value. The author of "The Secret Language of Competitive Intelligence," Leonard Fuld (2006), discusses how to examine data in a competitive light to gain an edge among other information institutions and online web engines. For this reason, competitive strategies are necessary if libraries are to promote the interactive nature of their services. Social media should be used by libraries for community outreach and dissemination. If CI serves as an expanded tool for professional usage in libraries, it may also be used to diversify programming while maintaining a community-centric emphasis. In other words, the information acquired through social media will collect crucial data pieces, transform the data into usable information, and produce a more effective strategic plan for use in decision-making processes (Gross, 2000).

Preparation to Understand Competency D

The complexity of information institutions and libraries varies depending on size, nature, and design, but the foundations of running an information organization remain the same. A strategic plan, similar to a business strategy, is required to steer the company toward its objectives, goals, values, and missions. Management is required to aid in the achievement of these objectives. Advocacy and marketing give avenues for acquiring new stakeholders and patrons and better serving the community. A library may fail if it is unable to adapt or retain its capacity to function smoothly without an organized mechanism in place. At the end, my purpose is to analyze what it means to "sell" the library and what implications marketing has for the library's future. Then, according to Evans and Ward (2007), merging marketing and advocacy makes it simpler for the library and its community to collaborate (p. 83).

My first evidence piece is from my group project in Fall 2021, where we examined the external and internal objectives of Irvine Heritage Park Library using our SWOT analysis. The group assignment correctly recognizes change in the environment, the weaknesses and strengths, and how to proceed. For my second piece of evidence from the Civic Literacy course, I wanted to concentrate on a community-driven event that would enlighten and empower the community, since I feel crucial plans for Irvine's largest library branch are often under-publicized. For my last piece, I shared the booklet that I and the outreach librarian developed for the Flying Start Week event at El Camino College library. Our finished product was the result of months of preparation, management, marketing, and campaigning.