Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.30754/vbh.66.1.1036
Current and future lis competencies: Perceptions of Slovenian practitioners
Polona Vilar
; Oddelek za bibliotekarstvo, informacijske vede in knjigarstvo, Filozofska fakulteta, Univerza v Ljubljani
Tanja Merčun
; Oddelek za bibliotekarstvo, informacijske vede in knjigarstvo, Filozofska fakulteta, Univerza v Ljubljani
Abstract
Objective. The study provides a report on the perceptions of the Slovenian library practitioners of the competencies needed for their work today and those that will be needed in the future. Two groups of competencies were considered: generic and professional, the latter in four groups: library management and library operations, library materials and information resources, work with users, organization of knowledge and
information.
Approach/Methodology/Design. An online survey was used. To cover practitioners in all types and sizes of libraries, random sampling of libraries was used and snowball sampling from there on (N = 132). We discuss the general overview of the results through descriptive statistics, and the differences in the perception of competency importance between the current and the future situation, using paired samples T-test.
Results. The results have shown that competencies, in all groups, were rated high, for both today and future work, no criticism was detected over the choice of the competencies, only certain suggestions, the practitioners believe that nearly all competencies will gain importance in the future, and none will become less important. The highest valued area is work with users, followed by the areas of work with library materials and resources, and library management, while organization of knowledge and information was, surprisingly, rated the lowest.
Practical implications. The results will be used in the formation of at least a draft competency model or models and to inform further work on the reformed study programme at the Department of LIS & BS at the University of Ljubljana.
Originality/value. This study offers the first comprehensive insight into the opinions and perceptions of the practitioners in all types of libraries in Slovenia of the competencies needed for their work today and those that will be needed in the future.
Keywords
competency model; generic competencies; library practitioners; professional competencies; Slovenian LIS
Hrčak ID:
310695
URI
Publication date:
16.5.2023.
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