Professional Competencies of Canadian LIS Graduates

Abstract

This study aims to determine current competencies necessary for graduates of Canadian library and information science (LIS) programs. Perspectives from different communities of interest, including current students and graduates from LIS programs, staff and employers of LIS graduates, and library school faculty (full-time and contingent) from across Canada were gathered via a nationally disseminated survey in 2023. Competency areas include general skills as well as communication, user services, management, and technology. Early findings suggest the importance of established areas of practice, such as selecting and evaluating resources, while emergent areas of priority were also identified, including the importance of equity, diversity, and inclusion, and understanding the responsibilities of libraries in decolonization, Indigenization, and reconciliation efforts.