The Core Competencies Of Outreach (DRAFT 3/04) – MELSA Outreach Team
Outreach is a method by which a library increases resource access and engages customers outside of a library building. Outreach activities bring library services directly to the customer in their home, school, or other location. Services provided by outreach include programming, information literacy, reference and readers' advisory, and access to collections. The purpose of some outreach is not to deliver direct service, but rather to encourage people to come into the library building or interact via the Internet Through outreach, the library seeks to connect with those persons whom are underserved due to physical, economic, behavioral, or language barriers.
Area I - Leadership and Professionalism
The librarian will be able to:
- Demonstrate a non-judgmental attitude toward underserved populations, and demonstrate an understanding of and a respect for diversity in cultural values.
- Plan for personal and professional growth and career development through active participation in professional associations and continuing education.
- Develop and demonstrate a strong commitment to the right of underserved populations to have physical and intellectual access to information that is consistent with the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights.
- Encourage underserved populations to become lifelong library users by helping them to discover what libraries have to offer and how to use libraries.
Area II - Knowledge of Client Group
The librarian will be able to:
- Identify the needs of discrete groups of underserved populations and design and implement programs and build collections appropriate to their needs.
- Identify information resources, including community members and organizations, which can provide the library with knowledge of the information needs of underserved populations
- Understand the obstacles to library use faced by underserved populations.
Area III - Communication
The librarian will be able to:
- Demonstrate effective interpersonal relations with underserved populations, administrators, other professionals who work with underserved populations, and the community at large.
- Be able to speak effectively about library services in front of large and small groups, in formal and informal settings, and in settings outside of the library.
- Be able to network effectively among, and develop professional relationships with, members of the business, human services, and other community members
Area IV - Administration
The librarian will be able to:
- Develop a strategic plan for library service to underserved populations, which includes formulating goals, objectives, and methods of evaluation for an outreach program based on determined needs.
- Design and conduct a community analysis and needs assessment.
- Design, implement, and evaluate an ongoing public relations and report program directed toward underserved populations, administrators, boards, staff, other agencies, and the community at large.
- Identify and cooperate with other information agencies in networking arrangements to expand access to information for underserved populations.
- Develop physical facilities which contribute to the achievement of outreach program goals.
Area V - Knowledge of Materials
The librarian will be able to:
- Formulate collection development and selection policies for materials of interest to underserved populations, consistent with the parent institutions' policies.
- Using a broad range of selection sources, develop a collection of materials for underserved populations that includes all appropriate formats.
- Incorporate new and improved technology (e.g., computers and software, digitized information, video, the Internet and the World Wide Web) into outreach services
- Maintain awareness of ongoing technological advances and a minimum level of expertise with electronic resources.
Area VI - Access to Information
The librarian will be able to:
- Organize collections to guarantee easy and equitable access to information for underserved populations.
- Create an environment which attracts and invites underserved populations to use the collection.
- Develop tools which provide access to information not readily available, (e.g., community resources, special collections, and links to appropriate and useful websites).
- Create and disseminate promotional materials that will ease access to collections and motivate their use in appropriate languages and formats.
Area VII - Personal competencies
The librarian will be able to:
- Demonstrate effective time management techniques.
- Demonstrate effective personal characteristics such as patience, persistence, sense of humor, and respect when interacting with underserved populations and community partners.
- Think creatively to identify solutions to remove obstacles faced by underserved populations.
Area VIII - Services
The librarian will be able to:
- Provide a variety of information services to meet the diverse needs of underserved populations.
- Instruct underserved populations in the basic information gathering and research skills. These should include the skills necessary to use and evaluate electronic information sources, and to insure current and future information literacy.
- Encourage underserved populations in the use of all types of materials for their personal growth and enjoyment.
- Design, implement, and evaluate specific programs and activities (both in the library and in the community) for underserved populations, based on their needs and interests.
- Involve underserved populations in planning and implementing services and programs for their age group.
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