Editorial: What Should a Librarian Know?
Brian Kenney, Editor-in-Chief -- School Library Journal,04/01/2008
Unlike most people I know, I still make New Year’s resolutions. And every January, I resolve to pay more attention to the American Library Association. (I know what you’re thinking: How pathetic is this guy’s life?)
I make this commitment with the hope that it will make me a better editor. After all, two of the librarian/editors I most admire—Lillian Gerhardt, SLJ’s former editor-in-chief, and John Berry in the pages, and now blog, of Library Journal—have done a terrific job of “keeping them honest,” well before CNN’s Anderson Cooper coined the phrase. Critical commentary on the workings of the American Library Association (ALA), our largest professional organization, is a healthy thing for all involved.
But by January 15, my resolve starts to fade, just like with those low-carb diets. After two weeks of reading the ALA Council’s electronic discussion list, with its endless bickering about the same topics (ALA’s foreign policy) by the same people (don’t they have day jobs?), my mind starts to wander. By the end of the month, I end up sending these unopened emails to the discard bin, like so many Viagra ads.
But recently a document passed my screen that I couldn’t overlook: “ALA’s Core Competences of Librarianship,” prepared by ALA’s Presidential Task Force on Library Education, which is chaired by ALA’s former president Michael Gorman, an infamous blogger basher, and librarianship’s very own Marianne Williamson (see Our Singular Strengths: Meditations for Librarians [ALA, 1997]).
Although the guidelines were presented at a public meeting, I don’t think this document is widely available, but you could try searching ala.org. The document is predictably conservative—in the sense of preserving what exists—and covers what you’d imagine: the foundation of our profession, information resources, organization, technical knowledge, reference and user services, research, continuing education, and administration.
Likely the intent was to give ALA’s Committee on Accreditation, which accredits master’s programs in library and information science, a little more teeth—perhaps necessary in dealing with those “i-schools” where “i” (information) is thought to trump “l” (libraries) in the curriculum. If your university wants to offer an ALA-accredited degree, the document is saying, then students need to acquire the knowledge and skills of a beginning generalist librarian, whether they want them or not.
What’s interesting is what’s missing from this definition of a generalist librarian: any mention of school librarianship or youth services. The committee will argue that these are specializations, and, of course, they’re right. But let’s face it, if you don’t actually mention children’s services, then the default in library education will always be adult services. And the “Core Competences” even favors adult services by elevating “the role of the library in lifelong learning… and the use of lifelong learning in the promotion of library services.”
It’s essential for all beginning librarians to be exposed to school, children’s, and young adult librarianship. For some students, stumbling across these specializations early in graduate school can provide an “Aha!” moment that leads them into entirely new directions. Other graduates—no matter what their specialization—end up working, at least for awhile, in public libraries. Just try to avoid working with children in a public library! Even aspiring librarians committed to an academic career need to know about the work of school librarians in order to better understand that college freshman standing in front of them.
“ALA’s Core Competences of Librarianship” pays a lot of attention to “lifecycle of recorded knowledge.” How about giving a little attention to the “lifecycle of the library user?”
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| Submitted by: | Brian Kenney (bkenney@reedbusiness.com) 6/22/2008 7:10:09 AM PT |
| Location: | New York, NY |
| Occupation: | Editor |
Hi Sharon, thanks so much for writing. I'd love to publish this as a letter to the editor in the magazine. Could you get it down to 400 words? Best wishes, Brian Kenney
| Submitted by: | Sharon McQueen (smcqueen@wisc.edu) 6/21/2008 11:18:11 AM PT |
| Location: | UW-Madison, SLIS |
| Occupation: | Doctoral Candidate and Lecturer |
My Mistake; My Apologies; My Outrage!
Due to the error in the reporting of Michael Gorman as the Task Force chair, I read the entire sentence as a series if 3 errors: that Marianne Williamson was co-chair and that one of Michael’s books had been attributed to her. My apologies to Brian Kenny. I should have known he wouldn’t get it THAT wrong. Of course, now that I know who Marianne Williamson is, and I understand that Mr. Kenney meant to equate Michael Gorman to her, I'm outraged. Mr. Kenney's slam to Michael Gorman is worse that I had thought. After his 50 year career in libraries, with hundreds of articles, book chapters and books to his credit, and his massive amounts of service to the profession, it really is beyond the pale. Mr. Kenney has compared Michael Gorman to a self-help guru. So those of us who hope to follow in Michael Gorman's footsteps and live a life of service to libraries have this to look forward to from our press? The future is bleak indeed.
| Submitted by: | Sharon McQueen (smcqueen@wisc.edu) 6/20/2008 5:22:07 PM PT |
| Location: | UW-Madison, SLIS |
| Occupation: | Doctoral Candidate and Lecturer |
I like and admire Brian Kenney, but I’ve got a bone to pick with this editorial. Enough bones to construct a complete skeleton, in fact.
ALA’s Presidential Task Force on Library Education is not chaired by Michael Gorman and Marianne Williamson, as this article states. It is chaired by ALA Past President Carla Hayden. Michael Gorman is an appointed member of the Task Force, as am I. We were appointed by ALA Past President Leslie Burger, who formed it. Marianne Williamson does not serve on this committee. She never has.
I do wonder why, with all the labels that could be given a man who has had such an incredible, illustrious career, “blogger basher” was chosen for Mr. Gorman. Marianne Williamson is described as “librarianship’s very own (see Our Singular Strengths: Meditations for Librarians [ALA, 1997]).” Librarianship’s own Michael Gorman has many publications to his credit as well (see Our Enduring Values: Librarianship in the 21st Century [ALA, 2000], the winner of ALA’s 2001 Highsmith award for the best book on librarianship). But whatever the motives for this slight, I will move on to the point of this editorial: that the Core Competences “completely ignores youth.”
When something has been deliberately left out of a document, it does not always logically follow that what has been left out has been ignored. And in this case, that is an insulting insinuation. The Chair of this Task Force, Carla Hayden, is deeply committed to children and library service to that population group. She began her career in youth services. Dr. Holly Willett, another member of the committee, teaches and conducts research in the areas of public and school librarianship and children's literature. I am a former children’s librarian who has taught children’s literature and youth services at four universities. All of us are active in the youth divisions of ALA, as well as serving youth in other associations.
All three of us agree with the consensus of the Task Force. The first line of ALA’s
Core Competences of Librarianship states:
"These core competences define the knowledge base to be possessed by a person graduating from an ALA-accredited master’s program in library and information studies and, thus, the knowledge required of a beginning generalist librarian. Specialist librarians will need to possess knowledge beyond that specified here."
What is it about the term “beginning generalist librarian” that some people fail to understand? Youth services is CLEARLY an area of specialization. The author of this editorial even acknowledges this, as he writes: “The committee will argue that these are specializations, and, of course, they’re right.” Yet he goes on to make the case that his chosen area of specialization should be included in the core knowledge base of all librarians just starting out in the field. Others may also advocate for their chosen areas of specialization. Each could make the case that their area is important, even essential, and should be considered “core.” At that rate the “core” competences will include all areas of specialization—in other words, the entire field.
What everyone needs to keep in mind is that this document will form the basis of required core courses in graduate schools of librarianship. Required. Just how much should ALA dictate our schools require? How many courses? How many credits? I think Michael Gorman (the first editor of the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, second edition (1978) and of the revision of that work (1988) and the author of The Concise AACR2, now in its 4th edition) said it best when he wrote:
"I think the essential point is that the Core Competences are intended to be the knowledge that every graduate from an ALA-accredited LIS program will possess--irrespective of where she or he intends to work. In addition to that universal knowledge base, such a graduate will (a) have had courses on the application of those competences in particular areas, such as children's librarianship, and (b) specialist courses in areas that only apply to a specialization (such as story telling in that instance). I'm sure you will agree that every librarian should know about reference work, cataloguing, collections, ethics, values, etc., and learn to apply them in the specialized area of her or his choice."
And in response to a children’s librarian, Michael Gorman (Dean of Library Services at the Henry Madden Library, California State University, Fresno for 20 years) wrote:
"The Core Competences (CCs) are intended to be the knowledge base of all graduates of ALA-accredited LIS programs, irrespective of the area of librarianship in which they intend to work. The idea is that the divisions and other units will take that basic knowledge base and, if they wish, add the competences that they deem essential for, in your case, children's services librarians. Those specialized competences will not be added to the CCs but will, with the CCs, form your statement of what every children's librarian should know."
I disagree with the author of this editorial when he states that “if you don’t actually mention children’s services, then the default in library education will always be adult services.” As someone who has provided youth services and who has taught youth services, I can tell you that children’s librarians include reference, collection management, ethics, and all other core competences in their work, as do other areas of specialization. Please don’t ghettoize us. And when the author states that the Core Competences even favors adult services by elevating “the role of the library in lifelong learning… and the use of lifelong learning in the promotion of library services” he causes me to wonder why he does not consider children to be a part of the life-long learning process. (?!) He seems to be completely ignoring youth. ;-)
The field (both library practitioners and library educators) has been clamoring for a set of core competences for at least two decades. These core competences have been in the works for over ten years. Let’s stop advocating for the inclusion of our own cherished areas of the field and work together to get the Core competences passed! They are desperately needed and they are long overdue.
Sharon McQueen
P.S. In addition to being an infamous blogger basher, have I mentioned that Michael Gorman is also the author of hundreds of articles in professional and scholarly journals?
Please Note: The opinions expressed here are my own and not those of the Presidential Task Force on Library Education.
| Submitted by: | Diedre Conkling (diedrec@charter.net) 4/23/2008 1:14:03 PM PT |
| Location: | Lincoln County Library District |
| Occupation: | Librarian |
The April 2008 Editorial (What Should a Librarian Know?) has one odd comment in it. This was not the main focus of the editorial but I felt a need to contribute a bit of real information.
Kenney says: “After two weeks of reading the ALA Council’s electronic discussion list, with its endless bickering about the same topics (ALA’s foreign policy) by the same people….” People keep perpetuating the idea that all ALA Council addresses are issues related to foreign policy. I know this is not true since I serve on ALA Council and regularly read and contribute to the list. But, I can’t just say that and have you believe it. In fact you should not believe it with out the facts to back it up.
I went to the archive of the ALA Council list and looked at the discussion topics between Oct. 2007 and February 2008. There were 426 postings. Among all of those postings was 1 on the political situation in Kenya posted in January 2008. Among the other things discussed on the list were the school library situation in Washington and state association endorsements of the SKILLS Act. One of the current topics on the list is the situation in the school libraries in Mesa, AZ.
Among the other major issues on the list were 76 comments on how to make ALA’s discussion lists more transparent, 8 on privatizing public libraries, 4 on the “Letter on Bullying” from the ALA Washington Office, 17 on National Legislative day, 10 on term limits on ALA Council, many on various aspects related to the conference including the hotels, events planner, etc., 6 on how ALA Resolutions are disseminated and other related pr, 4 on a bill in Colorado that would have been bad for libraries on 5 on the library situation in Memphis. There was even some discussion of the proposed core competences. This is just a very short list of some of the topics covered.
If you want to get the facts for yourself about what ALA Council is discussing go the ALA discussion list site (I tried to post the address here but was blocked) and look at the ALA Council List archive.
Diedre Conkling, ALA Councilor-at-Large
Lincoln County Library District
Newport, OR
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