NASIG issues draft core competencies for print serials librarians

NASIG has issued draft Core competencies for print serials librarians as an intended appendix to the Core competencies for Electronic Resources Librarians.  These competencies describe the skills required to manage serials in physical formats and acknowledge the continuing importance of print materials in library collections.

Core competencies for Serials Librarians are described in in the areas of print material life cycles, technology, research and assessment, communication, supervisions and management, professional development and personal qualities. As described, a Serials Librarian should have a thorough knowledge of serials acquisitions, the ability to organize continuing resources using the principles of bibliographic description, including CONSER and RDA, knowledge of best practices in physical processing and preservation.  Additionally, the Serials Librarian should be able to apply assessment tools to inform a library's serials purchasing and retention decisions. 

The NASIG Core Competencies Task Force plans to host discussion sessions during the 29th Annual NASIG conference in Fort Worth, Texas to gather feedback on this draft. The text of NASIG's announcement and request for comment, and a link to provide comment are available at: http://nasig.wordpress.com/2014/04/22/core-competencies-for-electronic-resources-librarians/.