back to competencies

Core Competencies

Core Competencies apply to all law librarians and will be acquired early in one's career.

1.1 Demonstrates a strong commitment to excellent client service

1.2 Recognizes and addresses the diverse nature of the library's clients and community

1.3 Understands and supports the culture and context of the library and its parent institution

1.4 Demonstrates knowledge of the legal system and the legal profession

1.5 Understands the social, political, and economic context in which the legal system exists

1.6 Demonstrates knowledge of library and information science theory, information creation, organization, and delivery

1.7 Adheres to the Ethical Principles of the American Association of Law Libraries and supports the shared values of librarianship [3]

1.8 Exhibits leadership skills including critical thinking, risk taking, and creativity, regardless of position within the management structure

1.9 Demonstrates commitment to working with others to achieve common goals

1.10 Acts within the organization to implement the principles of knowledge management

1.11 Exhibits an understanding of the importance of a multidisciplinary and cross-functional approach to programs and projects within the organization

1.12 Shares knowledge and expertise with clients and colleagues

1.13 Displays excellent communication skills and is able to promote the library and advocate for its needs

1.14 Communicates effectively with publishers and other information providers to advance the interests of the library

1.15 Recognizes the value of professional networking and actively participates in professional associations

1.16 Actively pursues personal and professional growth through continuing education

 

• Food for thought - Is there any specific language substitution, addition or deletion needed to the core competencies to make them relevant to today’s law librarians?
• Should having the basic knowledge of technology be a core competency?
• Should being able to respond to and manage change be a core competency?
• Do you think “strong commitment” in competency 1.1 needs to be refined with stronger language?

 

[October 2009] Proposals for modifications to core competencies (after moderated discussion on listserv and Ning):

 

1.1   First:  commenters agreed this needs stronger or more specific language for "strong commitment".  How does one demonstrate that they are strongly committed to customer service and continual improvement?  Training? Customer satisfaction research? what else?  It would be nice to keep it short and sweet, but I don't know how to make it more specific without adding a lot more words.

Second:  it was suggested that the word "client" should be replaced with the word "customer" throughout.

 

Proposed new language:  "Demonstrates excellent customer service and evidences a commitment to continual customer service improvement by participating in regular re-training, and by collecting, evaluating, and responding to customer satisfaction data."

(I still think that's too specific -- competencies need to be reasonably broad because we can't think of and list every single way that a person can be doing this successfully.  But how do we get stronger/more specific language than "strong commitment" ?  I need help with this one)

 

1.2 No suggestions to change except to replace the word "clients" with the word "customers"

 

1.3 Suggestion: modify to state that one should also improve the culture and context of the library and its parent institution -- not just support it where it is/was, not allow it to remain static

 

Proposed new language:  "Understands, supports, and contributes positively to the evolution of the culture and context of the library and its parent institution.

 

1.4 No suggestions to change.

 

1.5 Suggestion:  add technological

 

Proposed new language:  "Understands the social, political, economic, and technological context in which the legal system exists."

 

1.6 Elizabeth's suggestion:  this needs to be reworded a little bit to make it clearer or to correct the parallelism (or something)

 

Proposed new language:  "Demonstrates knowledge of library and information science theory, as well as knowledge of information creation, organization, and delivery."

 

Alternative proposal:  "Demonstrates knowledge of library and information science theory, including information creation, organization, and delivery."  

(or should "including" be "especially" ?)

 

1.7 No suggestions to change.

 

1.8 No suggestions to change directly; however, one suggestion was to add a competency for responding to and managing change, which seems to fit here.

 

Proposed new language:  "Exhibits leadership skills including critical thinking, risk taking, creativity, and an ability to respond to and manage change, regardless of position within the management structure."

 

In response to Helane's 10/21/09 comment below and to info from the moderated discussion on Competency 2 (Library Management), which asks for negotiation skills, and cooperation and collaboration to be included somewhere, here is a further proposed edit of the language:

 

"Exhibits leadership skills including critical thinking, appropriate risk-taking, creativity, negotiation, cooperation, collaboration, and an ability to respond to and manage change, regardless of one's position within the management structure."

 

1.9 No suggestions to change.

 

1.10 Suggestion:  clarify what is meant by "principles of knowledge management" -- perhaps by providing a link to a document where such principles can be found?  I confess I am at a loss here because I do not know for sure what is meant by "principles of knowledge management."  Where would we look for this?

 

1.11 No suggestions to change.

 

1.12 No suggestions to change except to replace the word "clients" with the word "customers"

 

1.13 No suggestions to change.

 

1.14 Some commenters felt this should be moved to competency 5 (Collection Care & Management).  Others disagreed.  Personally I think it should stay where it is -- these are CORE competencies, and all librarians should be able to do this at some level; just because you are not the acquisitions librarian doesn't mean you are off the hook and don't have to communicate with publishers and advocate library interests.

 

1.15 Suggestion:  add "relevant online communities"

 

Proposed new language:  "Recognizes the value of professional networking and actively participates in professional associations and relevant online communities."

 

1.16 No suggestions to change.