Identifying and building a wide range of quality competencies and proficiencies remains integral to professional librarianship, regardless of academic or public.

A librarian is sometimes required to write HTML or CSS code to correct an entry on a website or blog. Librarians are called upon to evaluate supporting print or electronic resources for an unfamiliar subject or discipline. Librarians work with community groups to better understand their information and recreational needs.

Librarians assess the library collection and collaborate with subject faculty on instruction opportunities, collection requests, and weeding initiatives. In a public library, librarians evaluate collections for percentage dead, grubby, average age, circulation stats, accuracy, and relevance of materials.

Librarians facilitate learning opportunities, design and deliver instruction to classes across disciplines. For a public library, the librarian creates marketing materials, troubleshoots technology and computer issues, negotiates with vendors, connects with IT staff, prepares support materials, writes policy and procedural manuals, and much more.

LIBRARY SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Design and delivery of curriculum-based information literacy and library instruction sessions to college and university undergraduate and graduate students, supporting learning initiatives across subject areas
• Develop community-informed adult technology classes and learning opportunities in the public library
• Expert level competencies for the work of collection development, including selection, weeding, cataloguing, evaluation, stack management, and long-term sustainable planning
• Exemplary customer service competencies trained for both academic and public libraries
• Highly developed vendor relationship building skills
• Comprehensive assessment of users’ information needs and information literacy through reference interviews; identification of appropriate materials, databases and other resources to meet the needs of users of the reference desk, individually, in groups, and virtual environments; efficient navigation of library catalogues and internet resources
• Expert exploration of a database through interfaces provided by various vendors: ProQuest, EBSCO, Wily, ISI Web of Science, Gale Group, OVID, Lexus Nexus Academic, JSTOR, CREDO, Project Muse, CreativeBug, VITA tool kit, and many more, mining for appropriate information resources to meet users’ information needs, including evidence-informed research
• Awareness of emerging technologies in library systems and trends in reference and research services in academic environments

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Clear communication, analysis, sound judgment, well-ordered in problem-solving, effective listening
• Actively pursuit of professional development, high level of investment and ownership of role, accountability, and dependability
• Exemplary patron service, oriented to understanding and satisfying information needs
• Commitment to maintaining awareness of trends and ongoing developments in areas related to librarianship
• Committed to maintaining knowledge of current issues and trends in scholarly communication and the library’s dual role as content access provider and content generator
• Identification as a change agent and thought-changers
• Knowledge of established research methods, including bibliometrics
• Ability to work collaboratively with other units and staff, establishing and maintaining effective working relationships
• Capability to supervise effectively, including training and motivating staff

TECHNOLOGY SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Delivery of online references services –
• Proficient use of Microsoft Office Suite and Microsoft 365
• Competently use of web-based instructional tools, polling, social networking and media tools, and integration of SmartBoard technologies in instructional sessions
• Proficient engagement with and contributes to the institutional online electronic community
• Intermediate competency in the use of web development tools and coding: iCreate, MySQL, HTML, CSS

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Continual refinement of self-motivation strategies and a professional self-reflective practice
• Identification and adaptation to change; possession of a change-agency perspective on libraries and librarianship
• Tolerant of ambiguity in an open and neutral manner
• Able to manage conflict through active listening, enhanced cooperation, acceptance of differences, and creative problem-solving
• Advocate and supporter of librarianship and library programs and services, professionally, throughout the college community, and externally at conferences and meetings
• Optimistic about emerging technologies and exploration of future trends
• Actively pursuit of professional development opportunities
• Flexibility, open-mindedness, and the ability to function in a dynamic, rapidly changing environment
• Tenacious and persistent customer service
• Student-centred focus on the enhancement of user experience