Exploring the Competency of Academic Library Staff Engaging in Emerging Services

Abstract

The basic capacity of library and information professionals is reexamined from two viewpoints. First, capacity is reshaped through emerging knowledge and skills under new information environments. Second, it is examined with more attention to the capability of high attainment of outcomes, i.e. ‘competency’, the core personality factors which predict job performance. This study focuses on ‘competency’ rather than knowledge and skill. In order to explore what competencies library and information professionals possess and utilize, the Behavioral Event Interview (BEI) has been administered to library staff (assistant librarians through section chiefs of libraries). Its transcript analysis confirms that interpersonal and motivational competencies are easily observable and rather dominant among three categories of competency. However the other category, (cognitive/intellectual competencies) was also identified through complimentary application of the Higher Education Role Analysis (HERA) instrument. And finally the study looks at how staff assess the required ‘knowledge and experience’ in their jobs and addresses the question of how knowledge (knowledge and skill) and core-personality (motive, traits and self-concept) competencies interact.

^* This paper is based on a research project sponsored by the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. The author would like to express gratitude to the sponsorship and colleagues of the project called LIPER2 (Library and Information Professions and Educations Renewal, 2006.4-2010.3).