LIS Oral Comprehensive Examination

Category D (SELECT ONE OF FIVE)

D.1. Administration
D.2. Collection Management
D.3. Information Organization
D.4. Instruction
D.5. Reference Service/Training

D.1. ADMINISTRATION

Scenario:
You are the newly hired librarian/library director. The previous librarian had never engaged in any routine or systematic planning process. The institution itself has not seen the value of staff spending time on any formal planning process. How are you going to convince the administration and any staff that there is value in both short and long term planning?

In your response:

  • Identify the type of library or information center.
  • Describe the community that it serves.
  • Delineate the mission and goals of the institution (actually written or implied).
  • Describe the organizational structure, the budget and the staffing of the library.
  • Discuss the steps in the planning process that you would recommend and how you would go about making your argument.
LIS Curriculum Objectives addressed:
8 Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of administration applicable in libraries, archives, and information centers
10 Demonstrate the professional attitudes and the interpersonal and interdisciplinary skills needed to communicate and collaborate with colleagues and information users
 
Core Competencies addressed:
8 Institution management: principles of planning, management, and evaluation of information centers; institutional change; oral and written communication skills; concepts for developing partnerships and collaborations; diversity of stakeholders; outreach and advocacy to specific audiences

D.2. COLLECTION MANAGEMENT

Scenario:
In your new position, you will be responsible for developing and maintaining the collection that you are managing. There is no collection policy in place. The previous person in your position did not think that such a policy was necessary and that there was no time to develop one anyway. How would you create a collection management policy appropriate to your library, its community and the collection itself?

In your response:

  • Identify the library or information center.
  • Describe the community that it serves.
  • Discuss whether or not you think such a policy should be developed.
  • Discuss how you would proceed in developing such a policy.
  • Discuss the elements that you would include in the policy.
LIS Curriculum Objectives addressed:
1 Demonstrate an understanding of the history, philosophy, principles, policies, and ethics of library and information science and technology
3 Apply basic competencies and knowledge that are essential for providing, managing, and designing information services and programs in a variety of information environments
5 Demonstrate theoretical understanding of and basic competencies in evaluating, selecting, and organizing information sources
7 Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of administration applicable in libraries, archives, and information centers
10 Demonstrate the professional attitudes and the interpersonal and interdisciplinary skills needed to communicate and collaborate with colleagues and information users
 
Core Competencies addressed:
1 Professional ethics: codes and principles of ethical practice governing the field
2 Resource building: creation, evaluation, selection of collections of information; storing, preserving and conserving information

D.3. INFORMATION ORGANIZATION

Scenario:
You are in charge of developing the Pacifica Web Directory/Web Guide of resources related to the Pacific region, appropriate for a school or a college library of your choice. Although the task is similar to cataloging and classifying print and A/V materials, there are specific considerations applicable for Web resources.

In your response:

  • Identify some examples for the use of traditional information organization tools for Web directories (such as classification systems, cataloging rules, thesauri, subject heading lists).
  • Explain what traditional information organization tools may be adequate for your specific project.
  • Describe some of the unique features that apply to organizing information about Web resources for such a directory.
LIS Curriculum Objectives addressed:
2 Demonstrate an understanding of the development, organization, and communication of knowledge
5 Demonstrate theoretical understanding of and basic competencies in evaluating, selecting, and organizing information sources
11 Demonstrate basic competencies in the latest specialized information technologies
12 Demonstrate an understanding of the above goals within the perspective of prevailing and emerging technologies
 
Core Competencies addressed:
3 Knowledge organization: standards to control and create information structures, principles involved in the organization and representation of knowledge and information structures
4 Technological knowledge: current information and communication technologies as they affect information centers, concepts, and processes related to assessing and evaluating impact and efficacy of tech-based products and services, use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools
5 Knowledge dissemination-service: concepts, principles, and techniques that facilitate information access for users, interaction with users to provide consultation or guidance in use of information resources, assessment of user needs, diversity in user needs
9 Social, historical, and cultural context: concepts and knowledge regarding the sociohistorical development of libraries, print culture, and information science; international dimensions of librarianship, information technology and policy, and social and cultural issues, including the interplay between library and information science and the cultures of Hawaii, the Pacific region, and Asia

D.4. INSTRUCTION

Scenario:
In your new library position, you are expected to establish an instructional program that meets the needs of your patrons. There has been no systematic plan or framework in place for such a program. Identify the steps you would take to design such a program. [Note: this can be a program focusing on reading literacy, information/technology literacy, research skills, etc.]

In your response:

  • Identify the type of library or information center.
  • Describe your patrons and the needs that you hope to meet.
  • Identify your targeted area of instructional emphasis.
  • Articulate your major instructional goals and the rationale for them.
  • Integrate published information literacy or instructional standards and guidelines (e.g., ACRL, AASL) into program goals.
  • Describe the structure of the program (e.g. levels, categories, sequence, phases of the program).
  • Provide examples of teaching strategies you would use in your actual instruction.
  • Identify ways you would assess and evaluate achievement of your instructional goals.
LIS Curriculum Objectives addressed:
3 Apply basic competencies and knowledge that are essential for providing, managing, and designing information services and programs in a variety of information environments
8 Demonstrate basic competencies required for instructional program development in particular information environments
9 Demonstrate an understanding of research techniques and methods of applying new knowledge as it becomes available
12 Demonstrate an understanding of the above goals within the perspective of prevailing and emerging technologies
 
Core Competencies addressed:
5 Knowledge dissemination--service: concepts, principles and techniques that facilitate information access for users, interaction with users to provide consultation or guidance in use of information resources, assessment of user needs, diversity in user needs
6 Knowledge accumulation-education and lifelong learning: principles and techniques dealing with consultation and guidance to users; application of basic learning theories, instructional methods, and achievement measures to learning situations; importance of continuing education
7 Knowledge inquiry-research: research methods and findings within the information fields; fundamentals of research, survey and data collection designs; familiarity with current literature in the field and related areas

D.5. REFERENCE SERVICE/TRAINING

Scenario:
You have been appointed to create staff development training sessions for the paraprofessionals in the reference department. These staff members need to be trained for in-person as well as digital reference interviewing strategies. Compare and contrast differences in training for each type of service. Identify what will be taught and what teaching strategies will be used for each type.

In your response:

  • Identify the type of library or information setting, including its mission and goals related to this project.
  • Describe the steps and activities you would undertake, and the types of resources you would consult to gather information for the training sessions.
  • Describe the differences in curriculum and teaching strategies for digital and face-to-face (fetor) reference.
  • Describe the specific concepts and target behavior you would include in their training.
  • Describe your plan to evaluate the service once it is offered.
LIS Curriculum Objectives addressed:
3 Apply basic competencies and knowledge that are essential for providing, managing, and designing information services and programs in a variety of information environments
8 Demonstrate basic competencies required for instructional program development in particular information environments
10 Demonstrate the professional attitudes and the interpersonal and interdisciplinary skills needed to communicate and collaborate with colleagues and information users
12 Demonstrate an understanding of the above goals within the perspective of prevailing and emerging technologies
 
Core Competencies addressed:
4 Technological knowledge: current information and communication technologies as they affect information centers, concepts, and processes related to assessing and evaluating impact and efficacy of tech-based products and services, use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools
5 Knowledge dissemination--service: concepts, principles and techniques that facilitate information access for users, interaction with users to provide consultation or guidance in use of information resources, assessment of user needs, diversity in user needs
6 Knowledge accumulation-education and lifelong learning: principles and techniques dealing with consultation and guidance to users; application of basic learning theories, instructional methods, and achievement measures to learning situations; importance of continuing education
7 Knowledge inquiry-research: research methods and findings within the information fields; fundamentals of research, survey and data collection designs; familiarity with current literature in the field and related areas