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If you have not done so already, please take a few minutes to participate in the ARLIS/NA Core Competencies Survey.  The survey will be taken down this Friday at 5pm EST. 

 

Link to the survey from the ARLIS/NA PDC website:  http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/afa/pdc/.

 

Explanation The Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS/NA) is committed to increasing the effectiveness of art librarians and visual resources curators by focusing efforts on professional and continuing education, as well as professional development activities. In response to this goal, an action item was assigned to the ARLIS/NA Professional Development Committee (PDC) to make recommendations for a core curriculum in art librarianship and visual resources curatorship.  Members of the committee and the Board agreed that a general statement of core competencies would be needed first and that such a document could help pave the way for future endeavors to design a core curriculum.  In order to meet this goal, the Executive Board of ARLIS/NA appointed a Core Competencies sub-committee of the PDC with the charge to create core competency standards for the art library and visual resources professions. 

 

What Are Core Competencies?  The competencies outlined in this document represent the fundamental skills, professional knowledge and philosophies generally acquired within the first few years in an art library or visual resources position.  This document is not intended as a checklist. Rather, it is intended to serve as a framework for thinking about the profession in broad sense. Many library organizations, including the Special Libraries Association, the Music Libraries Association and American Association of Law Libraries, have created core competencies standards in order to articulate to their members and to future librarians what are the professional expectations and shared values in their fields.

 

What are the practical applications of a core competency framework? The core competency framework is a tool used in writing performance evaluations, interview questions, and position descriptions. Core competencies aid in the design of mentoring and recruitment activities, and have been used in order to develop LIS curricula. Employee training programs and continuing education curriculum can be written based on core competency guidelines.  A core competencies framework can help an individual decide whether a career in the art information field is right for them, and can also be useful in planning the development of a career already underway.

 

Heather Ball

ARLIS/NA PDC & Core Competencies Subcommittee Chair

Art and Architecture Librarian

Virginia Tech

302 Cowgill Hall

Blacksburg, VA 24062-9001

ph 540.231.9272