Core skills across information settings: What academic, public, and school librarians need to know

Abstract

The Master of Science in Library and Information Science is a versatile degree, and LIS programs are challenged to offer curricula that support the wide range of career possibilities in a rapidly changing field. It is incumbent on LIS schools to ensure that their curricula are meeting the needs of the field. But which skills are core—meaning that all students should have a foundation in those skills, regardless of their area of focus or ultimate career path—and which are specialized, meaning that only professionals in specific positions are likely to need those skills? What skills and knowledge areas are common across different information settings, and how can LIS programs create curricula that lay a foundation of core competencies while also providing students the opportunity to develop the depth of knowledge and specialized skills necessary to specific settings? This panel will share the results of a nationwide survey, in which over 2400 respondents, including LIS faculty, iSchool alums, internship and practicum supervisors, and other employers, ranked 53 skills on a scale of “core” to “specialized.” The panelists will compare and contrast the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) necessary to success across four information settings: public libraries, academic, libraries, and special libraries, focusing on the answers provided by respondents currently working and teaching in those settings. The panel will examine which KSAs are common across settings, and which are specific to each setting. They will also discuss how the survey results align with emerging areas and trends in the field as identified in the literature and core professional documents such as ALA’s State of America’s Libraries, Pew Research Reports, and Ithaka S+R research reports. The panel will conclude by discussing how the survey findings could influence LIS curriculum. In an interactive portion, the panelists will poll participants in real time about their impressions of what skills and competencies should be core or specialized, and panelists will respond to the poll results and questions. Time will also be allocated for open discussion.