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Abstract: PAPER: How are we developing future Electronic Resource Librarians?: Analyzing MLIS course descriptions using qualitative methods
Technical Services has had a long standing place in the education of new librarians. Cataloging is one of the core classes for many MLIS programs, but Technical Services encompasses a wide range of skills and areas of expertise. When I graduated in 2015, every electronic resource related posting seemed to require 3-5 years of experience, but how was I to reach that level when there were no courses in library school focusing on electronic resource management that could suffice in lieu of on the job training? Should schools be pushing Technical Services practicums to supplement classroom learning, connecting potential Technical Services Librarians to multiple experts for mentoring and apprenticeship, or as a field do we need to increase offerings of entry level positions that support on the job learning?
Dunkin, in the article The Development of Technical Services Training, aptly says that Technical Services is an ever changing field and notes that there was conflict in programs of study stemming from whether education should be centered in theory or the practice of skills. Over the years, schools have shifted their focus between the two. An aim of my research is to see what is currently being taught to determine if we are setting up new professionals to succeed, which requires obtaining both knowledge and the ability to hit the ground running, a balance of theory and practice. Schottlaender in A man who knew whereof he spoke. Commentary on Dunkin, P. discusses the advent of electronic resources and muses that education should focus on theory, as each library is positioned to better facilitate the practice of skills. Albee, another researcher of librarian education who also published in 2015, notes that Technical Services education is not well explored in current literature and looks to explore this in the article Education for Technical Services Librarians: Courses Taught at Accredited Library and Information Science Degree Programs. Yet the study doesn’t target electronic resources skills or courses. Albee’s study identifies courses in “acquisitions, serials, cataloging, collection management, preservation, and library systems” from 2011-2012 catalogs. This indicates that electronic resources education was a gap or blindspot at this time as well.
My research seeks to fill in that gap. To dig into whether as a field, are we imparting the skills needed to successfully support electronic resources to potential librarians? My research centers on reviewing current course catalog descriptions and applying qualitative analysis to distill the concepts and skills being taught. My paper will showcase the findings and method from my review of the top 10 highest enrolled MLIS course catalogs as compared to the NASIG Core Competencies for Electronic Resource Librarians along with next steps to correlate the areas found to be supported by currently curriculum with the skills wanted by libraries through analysis of job postings.
Dunkin, in the article The Development of Technical Services Training, aptly says that Technical Services is an ever changing field and notes that there was conflict in programs of study stemming from whether education should be centered in theory or the practice of skills. Over the years, schools have shifted their focus between the two. An aim of my research is to see what is currently being taught to determine if we are setting up new professionals to succeed, which requires obtaining both knowledge and the ability to hit the ground running, a balance of theory and practice. Schottlaender in A man who knew whereof he spoke. Commentary on Dunkin, P. discusses the advent of electronic resources and muses that education should focus on theory, as each library is positioned to better facilitate the practice of skills. Albee, another researcher of librarian education who also published in 2015, notes that Technical Services education is not well explored in current literature and looks to explore this in the article Education for Technical Services Librarians: Courses Taught at Accredited Library and Information Science Degree Programs. Yet the study doesn’t target electronic resources skills or courses. Albee’s study identifies courses in “acquisitions, serials, cataloging, collection management, preservation, and library systems” from 2011-2012 catalogs. This indicates that electronic resources education was a gap or blindspot at this time as well.
My research seeks to fill in that gap. To dig into whether as a field, are we imparting the skills needed to successfully support electronic resources to potential librarians? My research centers on reviewing current course catalog descriptions and applying qualitative analysis to distill the concepts and skills being taught. My paper will showcase the findings and method from my review of the top 10 highest enrolled MLIS course catalogs as compared to the NASIG Core Competencies for Electronic Resource Librarians along with next steps to correlate the areas found to be supported by currently curriculum with the skills wanted by libraries through analysis of job postings.