ALA Requests Feedback From Library Community on Library Programming Learning Objectives
From the American Library Association:
The American Library Association (ALA) seeks feedback from the library field on “Skills for 21st-Century Librarians: Learning Objectives for Library Programming,” a document marking the Association’s next steps toward the creation of a programming curriculum for library workers and students.Library workers, library school instructors and administrators, students and others are invited to read the report and submit feedback. The public comment period will end August 16.
Through its Skills for 21st-Century Librarians project, ALA convened a task force of 12 leaders in libraries and library education to explore how library programming skills can be taught in library degree programs and professional development trainings.
Working with Knology, a social science research organization, the task force met virtually from January to June 2021. The result of their discussions are recommendations for learning objectives within nine core library programming competency areas: Organizational Skills, Knowledge of the Community, Interpersonal Skills, Event Planning, Creativity, Content Knowledge, Outreach and Marketing, Financial Skills and Evaluation.
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Members of the task force include Tammy Baggett, director, Durham County Library, Durham, N.C.; Judy Bergeron, director, Smithville Public Library, Smithville, Texas; Nicole Cooke, Augusta Baker Endowed Chair and associate professor, University of South Carolina School of Library and Information Science; Cindy Fesemyer, principal, Fesemyer Consulting, LLC; Rolf Hapel, affiliate instructor, University of Washington Information School; Susan Hildreth, consultant, Susan Hildreth and Associates; Tamara King, community relations director, Richland Library, Columbia, S.C.; Emily Mross, business librarian and library outreach coordinator, Penn State Harrisburg Library, Middletown, Pa.; Deb Ripley, adult services librarian, Palos Verdes Library District, Palos Verdes, Calif.; Miguel Ruiz, supervising librarian, Evanston Public Library, Evanston, Ill.; Dale Savage, Library Development Bureau director, New Mexico State Library; and Mimosa Shah, MS in LIS student at the University of Illinois, iSchool.
Learn More, Read the Complete Announcement
Direct to Skills for 21st-Century Librarians: Learning Objectives for Library Programming
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About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.