1. What is the Library Support Staff Certification Program?
The Library Support Staff Certification Program (LSSCP) was inspired by many years of discussion and by needs assessments with library support staff. In 2007, the American Library Association and the Western Council of State Libraries received a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program to fund the development of such a national certification program. The project directors, ALA-APA and an Advisory Committee will use this grant to develop and test competencies, policies and procedures.
2. Why is this program needed?
According to the 2004 statistics from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 230,843 workers are employed in U.S. academic and public libraries. Of these, 160,150 (69%) work as library support staff (LSS). We define library support staff as library employees holding jobs not requiring a Master’s Degree in Library Science (MLS). A national LSS certification program will address the following needs: standardize expectations for LSS; help the large number of LSS master critical job competencies; provide educators with guidance for training curriculums; and help employers articulate job requirements.
In 2005, the ALA Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment (HRDR) and members of the Library Support Staff Interest Round Table (LSSIRT) surveyed LSS attitudes about professional development and certification. Of the 3,318 respondents, 86% thought that a certification program would be beneficial. IN ADDITION, 76% said that nationally recognized professional standards were important and 66% support a national certification program to help them provide better service and grow in their chosen profession.
3. How will the LSSCP benefit the library profession?
The LSSCP will benefit individual staff, the libraries in which they work, library users, and the profession. Certificate holders will have positive proof of their mastery of vocational competencies and a broader understanding of their work/functional area and its role in the library and the field of librarianship. Libraries can hire an employee who has been certified to have a specified body of knowledge and skills. The employer may also use the LSSCP as part of a career ladder in the library.
Benefits to the individual
- A better understanding of library operations
- Positive proof of their competencies in multiple library operational areas
- Portability of certification from one library or one state to another
- Benefits to the institution
- Staff who are knowledgeable about broad aspects of library operation
- Staff who might be able to serve the library in a number of different positions
- Staff who have demonstrated ability and willingness to accept higher level responsibility
- Assurance that an employee has a specified body of knowledge and skills
- Standardization of expectations of library support staff in a library as distinct from that of librarians with a master’s degree in library science
- Benefits to the library user
- Library users served by the best trained staff possible
- Better support of the library’s mission and goals based on fuller staff understanding
4. What is the overall philosophy of the project?
In order to assist in the improvement of public and academic library service, ALA will develop a national voluntary certification program for public and academic library support staff based on a set of competencies. The program will be:
- individually based in that the certification is accomplished by individuals
- be portable from state to state (assuming the state library or employer in the state accepts it)
- not guarantee salary raise or promotion benefits – all such decisions are made by the employer
- be based upon a basic and standardized set of skills and competencies
5. How is Library Support Staff defined?
Library Support Staff are people who work in a library position that does not require a Master’s of Library and Information Science. This definition does not include library staff who have degrees in another professions and whose work is not directly related to library service, such as public relations, human resources, accounting or facility management and maintenance. However, these people are welcome to participate if they choose.
6. Who is the target audience for the national certification program?
As currently defined, the audience is anyone who:
- Has a high school diploma or equivalent
- Has worked in a public or academic library for the equivalent of one year over the last five years
- Wishes to obtain or validate possession of a specific set of library support staff competencies as defined by LSSCP
School and special library support staff are not included in the target audience at this time.
7. Why aren’t school and special librarians included in the program?
Special librarians are not included because the program is sponsored by the American Library Association. The Special Libraries Association has expressed support for the project and Executive Director Janice LaChance said that SLA will be closely following the progress of the ALA-APA project.
School librarians are not included because their license or certification is often covered by state law. In addition, the basic competencies do not include knowledge and skills frequently required of school library workers. Those interested in continuing education of school library support staff should contact the American Association of School Librarians.
8. Who is involved in developing the LSSCP?
ALA asked several ALA units and the Western Council of State Librarians to appoint member representatives to participate in the development of the program. These are:
- ASCLA – Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies
- ALCTS – Association for Library Collections and Technical Services
- PLA – Public Library Association
- LAMA – Library Administration and Management Association
- RUSA – Reference and User Services Association
- ACRL – Association of College and Research Libraries
- LSSIRT – Library Support Staff Interests Round Table
- COE - ALA Committee on Education
- Western Council of State Librarians
9. What is the ALA-APA?
The ALA Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA) is a service organization to the American Library Association and the library community. ALA-APA was created to enable certification of individuals in specializations beyond the first professional degree, and to work for better salaries, pay equity and increased status for librarians and other library workers.
ALA and ALA-APA are working jointly to develop this project. Once approved by the ALA Council, the Library Support Staff Certification Program will be administered by ALA-APA. ALA-APA currently administers the Certified Public Library Administrator Program, which provides access to management-related courses for public librarians who are or wish to be library administrators.
10. How will the program work?
This program is in development, but current plans are for the LSSCP to be competency based. Those who choose to enroll in the program will be expected to obtain knowledge and skills in all or most of the adopted competencies.
11. What are the competencies?
The Advisory Committee will develop the competencies during the first year. Each competency will be fully defined and explain how program participants will demonstrate their possession of the competencies. Currently the Advisory Committee is working on the following competencies:
Core Competencies
- Foundations
- Access services
- Reference and information services
- Technology
- Personal skills
- Technical services
Elective
- Youth services
- Reader’s advisory
- Public programming
- Marketing and public relations
- Management and supervision
12. Can I see the competencies?
We expect to have the competencies ready for public review in the spring of 2008.
13. Will I be able to get credit for my experience working in a library?
Perhaps. The Advisory Committee will consider the issue of substituting some experience-based learning for coursework. It is unlikely that an enrollee would be able to completely fulfill the certification requirements based on past experience. Some new learning experiences would have to occur.
14. How will LSSCP relate to state certification programs?
The LSSCP Advisory Committee hopes that state certification programs will evaluate the competencies and LSSCP certification program. States could adopt the LSSCP or adapt a state program using the LSSCP. Any decision will be up to each individual state.
15. Where will I be able to get training in the competencies?
We anticipate that there will be many opportunities for learning experiences in the areas of the competencies. LSSCP will be inviting several library-related agencies to provide courses that cover competency areas, including:
- State and regional library associations
- State Libraries
- Community colleges
- Colleges and universities
- ALA divisions and round tables
- Individual library consultant
16. What will it cost to be certified?
The planners want the program to be affordable for enrollees. The fees have not yet been determined. The LSCCP program must be self-supporting; as a result, ALA will charge a fee for reviewing work toward certification. In addition, many course providers charge fees.
17. When will I be able to enroll in the program?
ALA has received a three-year grant from IMLS to develop the certification program. Currently the timeline is:
Year 1: Develop the competencies
Year 2: Develop the policies and procedures including assessment
Year 3: Field test the program
Following year three, we will ask the ALA Council to approve the LSCCP. Enrollees will not be accepted until this time except for those participating in the field tests during year 3.
18. How long will it take for me to be certified?
The length of the certification process is also under development, but participants will be given sufficient time to satisfy the competencies.
19. How do I keep informed about the project?
You can follow the progress of the LSSCP on a project website that is under development.
20. How do I contact the Project Directors?
Contact:
Nancy Bolt
9018 Ute Drive
Golden, CO 80403
303 642 0338
303 905 9347 (cell)
303 642 0932 (fax)
nancybolt@earthlink.net
Karen Strege
4360 28th Ave S.
Seattle, WA 98108
206 829 8821
206 407 9756 (cell)
207 829 8821 (fax)
kstrege@msn.com |
Library Support Staff Certification Program