Technically prepared: Librarians' perceptions on LIS curricula and technical services workforce preparedness
Abstract
Academic libraries frequently require that professional librarians obtain a master's degree from a Library and Information Science (LIS) program accredited by the American Library Association (ALA) as a condition of employment. Within these programs, “academic libraries” are a common area of concentrated study available to LIS students interested in targeting a particular path for their future careers. As ALA identifies the master's degree as the terminal degree for all types of librarians, this coursework represents the majority of education and training librarians receive prior to entering the workforce. Though duties and responsibilities vary widely between individual institutions, librarians working in technical services roles are generally responsible for a broad range of activities related to the acquisition, discovery, and preservation of library materials. This study examines the results of a survey measuring the perceptions of current technical services librarians working in academic libraries on their LIS curricula in order to identify the coursework and skills most valuable to them in their work. The survey also identifies areas in which technical services librarians report having greater reliance on continuing education and professional development opportunities to supplement their knowledge in order to remain current in their areas of expertise.