136 · Representative Documents: Responsibilities, Competencies, Goals
GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Core Competencies: Department of Collections, Research, and Instruction
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Introduction
The following document outlines core competencies for the professional librarians in the
Collections, Research, and Instruction Department (CRI) at Georgetown University. Its purpose is
to define the competencies which delineate our professional roles and responsibilities in order for us
to create accurate position descriptions, recruit competent librarians, provide uniform professional
standards, and establish benchmarks for professional development. The competencies are grouped
into the five accountabilities common to all CRI librarian position descriptions: liaison/outreach,
instruction, reference, collection management, and professional development. The individual
competencies tend to be conceptual in nature and are followed by “in practice” statements, which
elucidate the ways in which each competency may be demonstrated.
While they identify commonalities amongst the CRI librarians, the core competencies are not
intended to replace individual position descriptions. Rather, they are designed as a complementary
document. Likewise the competencies are not evaluative in that they will not be used in the formal
Annual Performance Review. They may, however, be used by individual librarians to identify
potential annual goals. The competencies should encourage reflection and self-assessment leading to
training, professional development, and excellence of service to the library and the university.
Individuals are encouraged to develop their skills and knowledge beyond the core competencies.
These competencies were informed by current professional standards, guidelines, and competencies
along with professional literature, which are available in Appendixes A and B.
The core competencies are a living document and will be reviewed every two years or as needed.
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