Core Competency Eight
Administration & Management
LIS 240: Management of Information Organization
Dr. Rajesh Singh
Fall 2017
All Images © 2018. Matthew A. Hamilton. All rights reserved.
Photo: Bruce L. Howard, Jr. Library. Benedictine College Preparatory
Artifact 1
Books R Us Strategic Plan Presentation.pptx [1]
Artifact 2
Description
The American Library Association (ALA) requires graduates of accredited MLIS programs to be fully knowledgeable of the eight core competencies of librarianship. My assignments for LIS 240: Management of Information Organization, taught by Dr. Rajesh Singh, focused on the eighth core competency: Administration and Management(ALA, 2009). With diligence and dedication, and the patient and thorough guidance from Dr. Singh, I learned to apply library management skills, such as strategic planning, leadership, budgeting, and project implementation in an information professional setting.
The eighth core competency stresses "the concepts behind, and methods for, assessment and evaluation of library services and their outcomes.” (ALA).
The eighth core competency was met by writing a Strategic Plan Proposal. Designing such a proposal required a group effort. Therefore, I teamed up with Ms. Nicole Shaw and Mr. Joseph Rivera, also St. John’s MLIS graduate students, to complete this project. We focused our project on the Bruce L. Howard Library, located on the campus of Benedictine College Preparatory, my current employer.
This project was chosen for inclusion for two reasons. First, it provided our group with an existing institution, thus allowing us to demonstrate the management and leadership skills we acquired in this class. Second, it allowed me to network with classmates and an accredited college preparatory high school, thus complying with the Vincentian understanding of service, which is: "Spirituality in action, a response to God’s call to give of ourselves. Our obligation and commitment to service lie not only in our active compassion as an institution, but in the cultivation of these priorities and values in the members of our community. We are committed to a life of stewardship as a caretaker of God-given talents, resources and knowledge, and caregiver responding to the needs of others" (Our Mission-St. John’s University, 2018).
The goal of this project was to design a strategic plan that would help improve library and IT services and sustainability for the Bruce Howard Library. The group learned that Benedictine College Preparatory conducted a self-study in 2016. From this self-study, seven problems were identified. One: Two labs are often full and cannot accommodate all classes needing to schedule time. Two: the library often closes on short notice. Three: time needed to log onto computers is prolonged, decreasing the efficiency with which students can print documents, or conduct research. Four: there are no training programs for students to become familiar with online databases and other technologies. Five: passwords and usernames are provided to parents only at the start of the year without explanation about their uses. Six: teachers must often train students about technology before a project can proceed. Seven: with only one librarian, there is no ability to expand library services to students or to collaborate with faculty members.
After working on this project for several weeks, our group came up with 5 initiatives to help improve the Bruce L. Howard Library. We recommended that the following initiatives[1] be implemented over the next three years:
- Outreach
- Information Literacy
- Budget Restrictions
- Technology Improvements
- Departmental Collaboration
Lessons learned from class readings and the experience gained collaborating with Ms. Shaw and Mr. Rivera and under the direction of Dr. Singh, allowed me to directly sharpen my skills as a successful library manager. Furthermore, working on this project provided me with valuable experience analyzing information sources, developing partnerships, and developing budgetary policies in an active and successful information environment.
[1] Mr. Joseph Rivera was kind enough to grant permission to publish his voiceover from the PowerPoint presentation.
[2] A more detailed description of these five initiatives can be found by clicking on Artifact 2: Team Books R Us Strategic Plan.
Reflection
The final class project requirement (Strategic Plan Proposal) for LIS 240, because of its hands-on approach to learning, was beneficial for my continued success in the field of library and information science. In particular, it helped me understand and apply strategic planning techniques, and team building and managerial skills. Working on this project also provided insight into the challenges facing the Bruce L. Howard Library, thus allowing me to assist the group in providing appropriate solutions to these challenges.
I gained a wealth of experience with this project. It increased my already energetic drive to discover new information and to appropriately organize, investigate and provide effective outcomes for the sustainability for the Bruce L. Howard Library. Furthermore, I improved my knowledge and skills regarding strategic thinking and planning, and leadership abilities. I am self-assured that, after having completed LIS 240, I will contribute productive ideas and outcomes to other information professional communities and academic societies.
References
ALA. (2009). ALA's core competencies of librarianship. Retrieved January 15, 2018
from http://www.ala.org/educationcareers/careers/corecomp/corecompetences.
Hamilton, M. A., Shaw, N., Rivera, J. (2017). Team books r us strategic plan
presentation. Benedictine College Preparatory.
Hamilton, Matthew A. (2017). team books r us strategic plan. Benedictine College Preparatory.
“Our Mission.” St. Johns University. Retrieved January 15, 2018 from
https://www.stjohns.edu/about/our-mission.