Building with competencies

Trying to create the definitive set of competencies for all library organizations is like creating the definitive LEGO® construction—no matter how spectacular, people will still want to build their own creations. The Competency Index for the Library Field was compiled by WebJunction with that in mind. It provides libraries with the set of building blocks from which to construct a foundation for the development of staff training, recruiting, succession planning, and other personnel strategies.

The Competency Index ‘blocks’ come in four sizes.

• Large blocks: broad categories, such as Library Management, Personal-Interpersonal, etc.
• Medium blocks: sub-categories, such as Communication, Customer service, etc. under the Personal-Interpersonal category
• Small blocks: statements of competency related to the sub-category; for example, Customer Service has four competency statements
• Tiny blocks: more detailed statements of the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behavior (KSAs) associated with each competency statement; for example, each customer service competency statement has between 3-5 KSA statements.

So mix-and-match freely and let the constructions begin.

Competencies are only the foundation. Check out the connections to courses and resources for building the superstructure for staff development.

Lori Reed

Lori Reed, Managing Editor of ALA Learning, has more than 15 years experience in training and is the Learning & Development Coordinator for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library where she oversees the learning & development of a diverse group of staff at twenty libraries. Lori’s passions are performance consulting, learning strategies, and e-learning. Lori is coauthor, with Paul Signorelli, of Workplace Learning and Leadership: A Handbook for Library and Nonprofit Trainers. Lori also blogs at LoriReed.com and can be reached at lori[at]lorireed.com.

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