Library Technician Programs:

Skills-Oriented Paraprofessional Education

AND DEBORAH
DAVIDSON-ARNOTT
FRWCES KAY

ABSTRACT
To BETTER L’XDERSIAND THE M-ORK THAT library technicians can and should
do in libraries, the formal programs that train library technicians are
discussed. Library technicians are trained to carry out much of the day-
to-day operations of libraries. The curriculum from Seneca College of
Applied Arts and Technology, the largest library technician program in
Canada, is used to show that the training is largely skill based. Knowl-
edge-based components are only included in the curriculum to provide
the context for those skills and to socialize the prospective library techni-
cians into the profession to ensure that they operate as paraprofessionals
and not as clerical staff. Librarians, the workplace, technology, and the
students that enroll in library technician programs all have influenced
the nature of the programs as they exist today. Mihile there are many
similarities and some differences between Canadian programs and those
offered in Australia and the United States, all strive to resolve issues such
as the definition of library technicians, role differentiation among staff,
certification, and accreditation.

INTRODUCTION
Formal programs for training library technicians have existed in
Canada since the 1960s predominantly offered through colleges and lead-
ing to the awarding of diplomas. The early history of these programs has
been thoroughly documented (Moriarity, 1982; Nettlefold, 1989).
The Library and Information Technician Program, the official name

Frances Daidson-Arnott, Seneca College, Newnham Campus, 17.50 Finch Avenue East, North
York, Ontario, Canada M‘LJ 2x5
Deborah Kay, Seneca College, Newnham Campus, 17\30 Finch Avenue East, North York,
Ontario, Canada M2J 2x5
LIBRARY TRENDS, Vol. 46, No. 3 , Winter 1998, pp. 540-563
0 1998The Board of Trustees, University of Illinois
 DAVIDSON-ARNOTT & KAY/LIBRARY TECHNICIAN PROGRAMS 541

of all such programs in Ontario, is a two-year program mainly offered at

Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology(CAAT)and leads to a diploma
upon graduation. It is offered at four colleges both full- and part-time
(i.e., Algonguin, Fanshawe, Sheridan, and Seneca Colleges) and two col-
leges part-time only (Georgian and Mohawk Colleges). (One university,
Lakehead University, also offers this diploma program on the same basis
as colleges, rather than as a standard university degree program.) Stu-
dents are accepted after graduation from Grade 12. Standard under-
graduate degree program entrance at universities requires successful
completion of a designated number of OAC subjects (formerly Grade 13).

CURRICULUM COLLEGE
AT SENECA
The Library and Information Technician Program offered at Seneca
College is the largest of such programs in Canada with enrollments of
approximately seventy students in each of the two years of the program.
Students complete four semesters in the two-year program; each semes-
ter consists of five to seven fourteen-week courses within a semester. Each
course is held three hours per week. The courses prepare graduates to
work in all types of libraries (for a list of courses, see Appendix).
The curriculum objective of the Library and Information Techni-
cian Program at Seneca College is to train library technicians to perform
the skills required for the day-to-day operations of libraries. Consequently,
the majority of course time is spent learning skills. The types of skills that
are acquired take library technicians far beyond the work of the library
clerical staff. In some areas, library technicians are better able to per-
form library tasks than are librarians. At the same time, the emphasis on
skill acquisition is balanced with a modest amount of knowledge-based
learning. This learning provides a context for the skills that students are
learning, socializes them into the profession, and helps them understand
their responsibilities. Not only is the amount of knowledge-based learn-
ing limited, the complexity of the knowledge is at a low level. Thus there
are tasks in libraries that library technicians have not been prepared to
perform hence the paraprofessional status. These tasks include estab-
lishment of policies, selection of materials, and tasks requiring analysis of‘
complex information.

Reference
There have been numerous discussions about the role of library tech-
nicians in the delivery of reference services (e.g., Murfin, 1988). Many
have argued that such services should only be delivered by professional
librarians with a graduate library degree. At Seneca College, prospective
library technicians take a course called “Ready Reference” in which they
are prepared to answer ready reference questions using typical resources
found in a reference collection as well as Internet resources. By the end
of this course, students are able to: (1) analyze ready reference questions
to identify the category of information needed; (2) identify the appropri-
ate category of ready reference source to answer questions; ( 3 ) describe
the features of categories of ready reference sources; (4) use effectively
and efficiently representative titles from each category of sources, focus-
ing on content of the sources; ( 5 ) describe the components of a refer-
ence collection; and (6) describe ready reference in terms of definition,
points of service, sources, and examples of questions.
Dedicating an entire course to ready reference illustrates that it is
considered to be a type of reference service that can be delivered by li-
brary technicians. It is possible to teach someone without a post-second-
ary education to use directories or encyclopedias to find information and
to know different types of these standard sources. It is much more diffi-
cult, if not impossible, to teach those without post-secondary education
to conduct research in such areas as medicine or law.
The learning outcomes of the ready reference course also illustrate
the nature of the reference work that technicians will perform. They will
be able to identify, to describe, to use. They are not expected to select
the best encyclopedia to buy for an academic library or discuss the merits
of using one directory over another. This higher-level decision making is
not required for the day-to-day operation of a library.
The emphasis on day-to-dayoperations is also evident in the teaching
of other reference services. In the course “User Information Services,”
students learn about, and how to perform, reference services such as user
instruction, document delivery, and current awareness. This means that,
in user instruction, students are taught how to explain the use of the
library catalog to users or how to produce pathfinders; in document de-
livery, they learn to order documents from suppliers; in current aware-
ness, they learn to create automated saved searches. The time is spent
learning to do these activities, not discussing, for example, individual
versus group instruction; inhouse versus vendor saved searches; UMI ver-
sus ISI. Students are not taught to make decisions about what services to
offer but to perform services that are in place in a library.
When reference service policy is taught in “User Information Ser-
vices,” students learn to respond to it, not to create it. Accordingly, they
are evaluated on how they would respond in different situations accord-
ing to different policies. For example, it would be expected that a techni-
cian could respond to the following:

The reference policy of a library states that 10 minutes or less should

be spent on a typical reference question. After 1.5 minutes, the tech-
nician has been unable to find any information. What should be
done?
 DAVIDSON-ARNOTT & KAY/LIBRARY TECHNICIAN PROGRAMS 543

Catalogzng
Just as there have been numerous discussions about the use of library
technicians versus librarians in providing reference services, so too have
there been discussions about the use of library technicians for cataloging
(Rider, 1996; Chapman, 1984). The arguments have been less intense
because of the increasing use of derivative cataloging, which most agree
can be performed without the knowledge base required for original cata-
loging. Students take a course in derivative cataloging by the end ofwhich
they are able to: (1) explain the types of catalogs, sections of the catalog,
and parts of a bibliographic record using correct cataloging terminology;
(2) search NUC and Canadiana effectively for cataloging information;
(3) use efficiently and effectively the search, edit, and filing functions of a
cataloging system on CD-ROM; (4) code bibliographic and authority
records using the MARC format; ( 5 ) describe the role and parts of name
authority records; (6) describe the role and parts of subject authority
records; (7) use efficiently and effectively the LC and Canadiana authori-
ties; and (8) apply Cutter’s three-figure author tables. They also take a
course in descriptive cataloging at the completion of which students are
able to: (1) catalog print and nonprint materials to the second level of
AACR; (2) choose main and added entries; and (3) choose the correct
form of personal names, corporate names, geographic names, and all ap-
propriate cross-references. While the learning outcomes are still written
as skills that can be attained, the nature of accomplishing these tasks is
much more difficult, reflected further by the use of “choose”in the learn-
ing outcomes. The cataloging cycle is completed by a course in subject
cataloging and classification. As with the “Ready Reference” course, it is
possible to teach descriptive cataloging and subject cataloging to those
without prior post-secondary education; however, experience has shown
that the best catalogers have a broad general knowledge base.

Acquisitions, Circulation, Interlibrary Loan

The role of the library technician in materials acquisition, circula-
tion, and interlibrary loans is uncontested. For many years, nonlibrarians
have performed these tasks and even supervised staff in these units. The
exception is selection of materials which has predominantly stayed within
the domain of librarians or subject specialists, largely because of the knowl-
edge of specific subjects required for the job.
Students take a course dedicated to materials acquisitions, including
serials control. Students learn to complete acquisition forms, use stan-
dard acquisition tools, maintain budget accounts, check-in and route se-
rials, and handle order and receipt problems. Another course covers
circulation and interlibrary loans with half the time spent on circulation
and half on interlibrary loans. Again, the majority of time is spent on the
acquisition of skills-i.e., conducting circulation routines, solving com-
544 I~IRRARYTRENDS/~TNTER 1998

mon circulation problems, conducting interlibrary loan routines, and us-

ing appropriate resources for interlibrary loan. Policy is dealt with on a
practical level in this course also. The teaching techniques and methods
of student evaluation described for the “Reference Services” course are
the same for circulation and interlibrary loan.
Since library technicians often have supervisory responsibilities in
the areas of acquisitions, circulation, and interlibrary loan, some class-
room time is spent on tasks usually performed by clerks. Skills such as
materials processing, materials repairs, shelving, filing, and weeding are
taught in a first semester course called “Basic Library Skills.”
Dntabase Seurching
Given the prevalence of electronic products in libraries, there can
be no dispute that library technicians must learn database searching. In
fact, nearly as much crirriculum time is spent on database searching as is
spent on cataloging and reference. Students begin searching library cata-
logs and using Internet search engines in “Computers in Libraries,” a
first semester course. They proceed to “Database Searching 1” in the
second semester where the emphasis is on menu-based searching as avail-
able through EBSCO, KR OnDisc, Silverplatter, etc. Finally in the third
semester, they take “Database Searching 2” and learn to use online appli-
cations, including the command languages used by major online services
and via the Internet.
Traditionally, research for reference has been the predominant use
of database searching by librarians. This function is only one of many
that necessitates technicians to search databases. Following from the skill
areas developed in the reference component of the program, graduates
are more likely to use their database searching skills to retrieve ready
reference answers or to instruct users in searching library catalogs, CD-
ROM products, and Web sites. They also search databases extensively for
acquisitions work, interlibrary loans, and derivative cataloging, functions
within the library that have previously been discussed as falling within
the domain of library technicians. Where technicians have library jobs
with a large research component and use database searching for this func-
tion, they most often have qualifications in addition to their library tech-
nician diplomas.
Libraries, Ethics, History, Legnl Issues
While the curriculum overall emphasizes skill-based components that
form the vast majority of topics taught, there are two courses with strong
knowledge-based components. In order to provide a context for the skills
that students are learning and in order to socialize them into the profes-
sion, students are introduced to the types of libraries, to the roles which
libraries perform in their communities, and to a brief history of library
development. The students are not expected or taught to evaluate the
 DAVIDSON-ARNOTT & KAY/LIBRARY TECHNICIAN PROGRAMS 545

validity of the roles. Rather, they are expected to use this knowledge in
order to better understand the service needs which they will be providing.
Similarly, the ethical and legal issues (e.g., copyright, censorship, privacy,
and access to information) are presented so that graduates will under-
stand their own responsibilities. The ethics of the profession are pre-
sented again to provide context and socialization. There is no debate or
exercise suggesting that students should spend time theorizing. In every
case, the issue at hand is dealt with in terms of libraries’ needs, clients’
services, and workers’ development.
Without the framework of the profession, the graduate would merely
be a clerical worker with skills. With this framework, the graduate be-
comes a paraprofessional.
GeneralEducation
The amount of time allocated to general education electives has de-
creased as a result of budget cutbacks. Seneca College policy currently
requires successful completion of a college-level English course as well as
three other general education electives.
CurriculumDesign
There are a number of mechanisms by which the education of library
technicians is achieved. Learning outcomes for various courses have been
mentioned previously. Each learning outcome begins with an action verb
whenever possible which denotes skills such as “search”or “catalog.” More
importantly, these terms reflect activities in the day-to-day operations of
libraries. To further illustrate this distinction, when students learn to search
various library catalogs, the learning outcome of this training is that stu-
dents will be able to use diverse library catalog software. Consequently,
one of the things that students are taught is what the various terms in the
catalog mean. When learning to use a particular package, such as DRA’s
catalog software, they are taught the difference between selecting “sub-
ject” versus “subject keyword.” The intention is that graduates working in
a library will not need to be trained to search library catalogs. In a best
case scenario, they will actually have been trained with the specific soft-
ware used by that library. At worst, they will have learned enough various
library catalog software packages to be able to use a specific library’s cata-
log. There are no learning outcomes that state that students should be
able to select the best software to use in a library or that they should be
able to design screens for library catalogs. Such outcomes would reflect
higher-level activities than intended in the technicians’ training.
When knowledge acquisition rather than skill acquisition is required,
the learning outcomes use verbs reflecting less complex levels of learn-
ing. Verbs such as “describe” and “explain” are used rather than verbs
such as “discuss,”“compare,”and “analyze.” For example, in the course
“IntroducingLibraries,”students are required to describe the various types
546 LIBRARYTRENDS/MTNTER 1998

of libraries: school, public, academic (college and university), and special

and distinguish among these types of libraries according to background,
roles, staff, clientele, collections, services, and relevant government rela-
tionships. There are no outcomes that require them to discuss the appro-
priateness of specific roles for particular libraries, such as the role that
information should play in public libraries. Library technicians must know
what public libraries do in order to work in them, but they are not taught
to plan the future direction of public libraries.
There are also learning outcomes that apply to the entire program
rather than to the individual courses. One of these is the ability to follow
instructions; another is to be accurate. These are outcomes that are con-
sidered necessary in technicians' work regardless of the course.
Teaching techniques further reflect the emphasis on skills versus
knowledge-based learning. The majority of courses include laboratory
(computer and/or library) time where students perform hands-on work.
During classroom time for courses, students view demonstrations from
faculty and engage in work-related exercises. Only when knowledge-based
learning is required are lectures given. With the level of knowledge-based
learning required, little time is spent on discussions.
When students are evaluated to ensure that learning outcomes are
met, assignments and tests continue to emphasize skills rather than knowl-
edge. Typically, students have to perform searches of electronic products,
catalog items, and order items. They have to follow the instructions given
for specific tasks and complete tasks without errors in copying and spell-
ing. When knowledge acquisition is evaluated, the students are required
to identify, describe, and explain.
The time spent on specific content is also an important component
of the curriculum. As described earlier under the section entitled Acquisi-
tions, Circulation, Interlibrary Loan, much more time is spent in library tech-
nician programs on these topics than in the M.L.S. or M.L.I.S. programs.
Time is also spent on topics that may not be included in programs for
librarians, such as materials processing, materials repairs, shelving, filing,
and weeding. While it is unlikely that library technicians will perform these
tasks as a significant part of their jobs, they may supervise clerical staff
who will.
Finally, library technicians gain practical experience through field
placements. In each of semesters two, three, and four, students take a
two-week, approximately thirty-five hour per week, field placement. A
student completes one field placement in each of a school or academic,
public, and special library.

CURRICULUM
AT OTHER
ONTARIO
COMMUNITY
COLLEGES
The core curriculum at the various Ontario community colleges of-
fering Library and Information Technician Programs is similar. All in-
 DAVIDSON-ARNOTT & KAY/LIBRARY TECHNICIAN PROGRAMS 547

clude libraries and the information industry, acquisition of information

sources, organization of information sources, information retrieval and
dissemination, and client services (Ontario CAAT Library and Informa-
tion Technician Steering Committee, 1995). The Ontario Association of
Library Technician Instructors (OALTI),which consists of the faculty from
various library and information technician programs, meets at least annu-
ally to discuss curriculum. Most recently, the programs have combined to
deliver courses via distance education.
Differences that exist are largely the result of influences at the indi-
vidual community colleges. Courses vary in the way topics are combined
depending on the availability of faculty. Perhaps more importantly, be-
cause community colleges largely train students to be employed within
the communities where they are located, curriculum emphasis depends
on the types of libraries where students may be employed. General edu-
cation requirements differ significantly from one college to another.
It also must be acknowledged that, within the community of library
technician program faculty, there is a range of opinion regarding the ap-
propriate level of responsibility and training of library technicians in rela-
tion to professional librarians. The faculty at Seneca College present a
fairly traditional and conservative viewpoint consistent with that of the
Canadian Library Association (CLA) (1991) and American Library Asso-
ciation (ALA) (1997).

FACTORS
INFLUENCING
CHANGE AND DEVELOPMENT
OF LIBRARY
TECHNICMPROGRAMS
IN ONTARIO
During the past ten years, the program at Seneca College has increased
curriculum components in the areas of database searching, interlibrary
loans, and Internet use. During the same period, it has decreased the
time spent on cataloging to a small extent, to audiovisual training and
children’s programming to a large extent, and practically eliminated train-
ing in readers’ advisory, records management, and bookkeeping. Com-
munity colleges enjoy a considerable advantage in the world of education
in being able to change program direction quickly. While the changes
must be carefully orchestrated, it is possible, within a semester, to bring
about small modifications, such as adding new content to a course and,
within a year, to develop an entire program. Even when program advisory
committees must be consulted, changes can happen as quickly as the fac-
ulty are able to develop curriculum. The factors are discussed in order of
significance.

Community CollegeMandate
The community college mandate is to respond to needs in the com-
munity and to train people in up-to-date methods and systems. Colleges
548 LIBRAKY TRF.NDS/M’INTER 1998

use a range of sophisticated market research techniques to ensure that

they meet the needs of employers and prospective students.
Program Advisory Committees are required for all programs. The
intention of these committees is to keep the programs responsive to the
needs of employers and to changes in the profession or environment in
which graduates will work. Specifically, the library technician programs
include major employers in the college’s catchment area and representa-
tives of major library organizations such as the Special Libraries Associa-
tion (SLA), the Canadian Library Association, and representatives of the
local library technicians’ association. An effort is made to balance the
membership with appointments from various types of libraries. When
inajor curriculum changes are needed, they review, respond, suggest, and
consider proposals.
Growth oflihrariies
During the 1960s in Canada, there was a dramatic increase in the
number and size of libraries, particularly public and academic libraries.
The collections were growing quickly, yet there was a serious shortage of
qualified library staff. Many librarians spent a large amount of time train-
ing clerical staff, among whom there was a high rate of turnover, or doing
clerical level work themselves because of staff shortages. The community
colleges, which started to open near the end of the decade, provided the
opportunity to have trained staff who could arrive on the scene ready to
work as paraprofessionals, taking over the lower end of the work that li-
brarians had been doing.
Z,ibram’ans
Librarians have been a major influence on, arid are crucial to the
evolution of, library technician programs and are responsible for many of
the changes in direction and development. As described earlier, librar-
ians are in the majority on individual program advisory committees and
usually teach librarianship courses in most programs. In the broader world
of the profession, librarians, with some input from library technicians,
have decided which roles are appropriate to various staff levels. Librar-
ians have designed provincial and national program guidelines, suggested
accreditation procedures, and spearheaded certification attempts, all of
which have an impact on curriculum. While library technician associa-
tions have been consulted or included, librarians are always in the major-
ity on these committees.
The Canadian Library Association produces a small booklet, Guide-
linesfor the Education of Library Technicians, which is updated from time to
time. These guidelines have been developed by various committees, largely
comprised of librarians.
In order to differentiate between the work of librarians and library
technicians, the Canadian Library Association created a task force to clarify
 DAVIDSON-ARNOTT & KAY/LIBRARY TECHNICIAN PROGRAMS 549

their respective roles and responsibilities. The resulting report (Cana-

dian Library Association, 1989) used training as the criterion for allocat-
ing tasks rather than work carried out in unregulated workplace situa-
tions. Task allocation for librarians was relatively straightforward since
ALA also accredits professional programs in Canada. The CLA guide-
lines for the education of library technicians, which includes lists of tasks
that library technicians are expected to be trained to do, was used since
there is no accreditation process for library technicians.
Related activities in the United States have also strongly affected
Ontario programs. The Council on Library/Media Technicians (COLT)
was formed in 1967 and has been involved with the ALA in the education
of library technicians (http://lib-www.ucr.edu/COLT/history.html) . The
ALA’s Task Force for Review of the Criteria for Programs to Prepare Li-
brary Technical Assistants (1997) has released for discussion the revised
document Criteria for Programs to Pyepare Library Technical Assistants.
The ALA (1997) states that the overall role of LTAs is to “keep spe-
cific functions of a library operating on a day-to-daybasis. It is, however,
beyond their scope to set policy or to define how the needs of users should
be met” (p. 2). This reaffirms the position of the Canadian Library Asso-
ciation (1989) which found that library technician programs “are very
limited in what is taught about planning and organization or financial
management” (p. 11). Activities related to planning, policy setting, and
financial matters are designated as a librarian’s responsibilities. Library
technicians are credited with many supportive responsibilities in connec-
tion with administrative management functions. These include public
relations, staff selection and evaluation, preparing reports and compil-
ing data, and supervising support staff in various areas. Similarly, activi-
ties in both public and technical services reflect that division of responsi-
bility. In public services areas, most of the task areas in circulation and
interlibrary loan are designated as library technicians’ tasks (Canadian
Library Association, 1989, pp. 19-20). In collection development, most
of the selection responsibilities are designated as librarians’ tasks while
most of the order tasks are allocated to library technicians. In catalog-
ing, all but the most complex tasks are listed as library technicians’ re-
sponsibilities.
These various reports and guidelines all influence curriculum devel-
opment, which in turn solidifies the work level for potential employers.
Unfortunately, librarians also influence the library technician programs
by having poor control of their own profession. Just as, in most jurisdic-
tions, there is no legal definition of a professional librarian, no legal
requirement for professional education in order to perform the tasks of a
librarian, and no clear regulation for roles of librarians, library techni-
cian roles in the workplace are equally unregulated and uncontrolled.
As Oberg et al. (1992) explain, although role separation between librar-
550 LIBRARYTRENDS/M’INTER 1998

ians and other staff groups has long been a desired situation, the blurring
of roles has long existed and continues to be a reality (p. 215). It is our
observation that in many cases this blurring has increased in recent years.
When skills become standard requirements forjobs, there is pressure on
the program to add them to the curriculum.
Workplace
It is advantageous to almost everyone connected with libraries to hire
college-trained library technicians rather than develop in-house training.
Snpport staff could be trained within each library as they always were in
the past and often still are. The specific skills taught in-house can be
comparable to those taught in the library technician programs. College-
trained technicians who receive a limited amount of theoretical frame-
work, however, can incorporate new skills more quickly and effectively
than those trained in-house in local practices only. For those libraries
with specialized subject demands, it is almost always possible to hire a
graduate library technician who also has the subject background required
in addition to the library training. Having seen the benefits of hiring
graduate library technicians among their colleagues, others follow suit.
Moriarity ( 1982) pointed out that “college-trained graduates require
little or no in-service training” (p. 237). Librarians as supervisors can be
confident that the training received in a college program will adhere to
standard library techniques and that graduates understand the ethics and
values required in the profession. The skills acquired through the pro-
gram allow for much more limited in-house training to familiarize the
new staff member with local practices and systems. Thus the trained li-
brary technician is able to go into the library and perform at a good work-
ing level immediately. Similarly, when new procedures are introduced,
the trained library technician will be able to connect current practices,
new practices, and previous formal education thus learning the new sys-
tem much more quickly than an untrained staff person would.
Because library technicians are trained in all areas of librarianship,
they are able to work across departments with minimal additional train-
ing. The technician has a solid overview of all areas of the library and so
is able to work as part of the team. This broad skill base allows for a high
degree of flexibility for management and potential for promotion and
personal growth for the individual, and she or he is able to be transferred
to different work areas. We have seen, during recent downsizing opera-
tions, how limited many of the nontrained staff are in moving to different
functional areas.
Many of the changes in program emphasis respond to changes in the
job market. The recent decrease of positions in public libraries and in-
crease in special libraries in Metropolitan Toronto led to shifts in curricu-
lum content partly because some skills are specific to a type of library
 DAVIDSON-ARNOTT & KAY/LIBRARY TECHNICIAN PROGRAMS 551

(e.g., children’s programming in public libraries) and others relate to the

breadth of tasks assigned to the library technician level staff (e.g., database
searching in special libraries). Since many more of the jobs posted are in
corporate libraries than was the case in the past, the program now trains
for those jobs.
A review of many years worth ofjob descriptions and postings at Sen-
eca College shows a clear development of, and enhancement in, the work
that library technicians have been hired to perform. However, the range
of work is very diverse. Many positions combine, in one job, tasks that are
extremely clerical and routine with those at the highest level of‘difficulty.
For example, a single position may include tasks such as circulation and
serials control, original cataloging, children’s programming, and database
searching.
Job responsibilities, such as interlibrary loan, once considered clearly
within the job descriptions of professionals, are now routinely assigned to
library technicians. Increasingly, heads of small public library cataloging
departments are experienced library technicians. Children’s librarian
positions are being eliminated and library technicians are being hired to
conduct programs such as story hour. In corporate libraries, database
searching has been routinized and passed on to senior library technicians.
Even in these times of economic difficulty, corporate libraries suffer
from staff turnover. Since the graduate library technician has consciously
chosen this field and completed a lengthy program, the satisfaction level
of being in this job should be higher than for those who merely slip into
the field when other things fail to develop. Similarly, having chosen this
field, the library technician is not likely to be lured to another position
within the corporation with the promise of a small hourly rate increase.
Graduates show a high commitment to the world of librarianship.
Technology
Many program changes are technology driven. In the early days,
computer programming was taught. With the shift in types of programs
used, this is not currently needed. However, the high degree ofautomation
within libraries has led programs to increase automation components in
the curriculum in all areas including cataloging, circulation, interlibrary
loan, and acquisitions. Again, technological developments have led to
changing roles of library technicians in the workplace, encouraging the
addition of skills such as Web page creation. Since colleges provide pro-
grams in many other areas where computer technology is used extensively,
there is little resistance within the college to increase this aspect of the
curriculum. In fact, it is usually supported and even encouraged.
Student Characteristics
The student body itself, by showing the ability to handle more or less
complex processes, influences the development of programs. While the
552 LIBRARY TRENDS/\VINTER 19%

colleges are mandated to provide tertiaryjob-related training and educa-

tion to high school graduates and must ensure that the average high school
graduate is capable of succeeding in the program, the reality is that a
majority of applicants for the library technician programs have higher
educational qualifications. Many applicants have chosen this career after
working as pages, clericals, or volunteers in various types of libraries. Many
have additional post-secondary education, either in liberal arts or in other
technical subject areas. The high quality of many of the students influ-
ences the program content to some degree. Knowing that students are
capable of comprehending more complex information encourages fac-
ulty to include higher level skills when appropriate. However, it is still
necessary to educate the students from the current high school graduate
group.
The student population in the individual programs reflect the com-
munity where the college is located. At Seneca College, the library stu-
dents are on average somewhat older than most college students and have
a higher level educational background. Many are career changers. 0 t h -
ers have come Irom other countries and have additional language skills,
attracted in part to the program in the belief that foreign languages are
useful in library work. The diversity of ethnic and cultural background is
broader than is common in many programs, reflecting the entire college
population. There are still far more women than men in the programs;
however, there has been a gradual shift, we believe, because of’ the in-
creased emphasis on computers. Many of these men are relatively young
and well-educated.
The profile of applicants has changed during the past ten years, re-
flecting the larger society. There are more applicants with university de-
grees or partial degrees. Fewer are “stay at home moms”; those who have
stayed at home have done so for only a few years, compared to past years
when they may have been at home for fifteen to twenty years. Many more
of the applicants have had interesting and challenging careers and are
changing fields, either because of layoffs or burnout or having foreign
qualifications. The backgrounds have included nursing, teaching, phys-
iotherapy, pharmacy, law, travel and tourism, and accounting.
There are several reasons for choosing to become a library techni-
cian. For some there is a choice to be made between graduate library
programs and library technician programs. Where the applicant is quali-
fied to choose, there are several reasons, often complex in their combi-
nations, given for choosing the library technician program. These often
concern the applicant’s personal situation: many of the highly qualified
applicants are older; some have children or other family responsibilities;
in other cases, the applicant has good undergraduate or even graduate
degrees but is from a foreign country and uses English as a second lan-
guage, making graduate school an overwhelming challenge; for some who
 DAVIDSON-ARNOTT & KAY/LIBRARY TECHNICIAN PROGRAMS 553

are qualified, the financial outlay of a two-year graduate program is not

possible; for others, going to a graduate school in another city is an insur-
mountable obstacle.
Most library technician applicants who are qualified and able to go to
graduate school truly understand the differences between the work of
librarians and library technicians and consciously choose to become li-
brary technicians. For some applicants who are bright and well-educated,
previous experience in professions where there is considerable pressure
has prompted a career change into a paraprofessional position. In these
cases, they decide that working in a library at a paraprofessional level has
social and personal advantages over other fields. This decision allows
people to fulfill their desire to have a good and interesting job without
the personal commitment of a professional career. For still others, the
desire to work on the “front lines” rather than in management positions is
very compelling.
In our experience, these bright and often mature individuals excel
but rarely complain that the work is not hard enough, stimulating enough,
or at a high enough level during the program. After graduating, they
often assume relatively sophisticated positions that meet their intellectual
needs. A few go on to graduate library programs, either full time or part
time, when their circumstances change.
The majority of applicants are not qualified for graduate school. Their
undergraduate marks may be too low to allow admission to a graduate
facility without considerable upgrading. In some cases, their marks are
close to the line and acceptance at a graduate school comes after admis-
sion to the library technician program. Others without undergraduate
degrees need to enter the workforce fairly quickly and cannot spend an
additional four years preparing for graduate school. For many applicants,
with or without degrees, social or cultural background is a major factor
and attendance at a university, and especially at graduate school, is not
perceived as being an option.
Whatever their educational background, the majority of applicants
are looking for practical skill training in an area where the jobs are rela-
tively pleasant and satisfying. Most have had positive experiences in li-
braries and decide that a career as a library technician will be fulfilling.
Many have worked in libraries and understand fully the various levels of
staffing. These are the people for whom the programs are primarily de-
signed.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN O T H E R PARTS OF CANADA

The majority of programs in Canada started during the 1980s with
new programs opening in British Columbia and the Atlantic provinces.
The English language library technician programs in other Canadian prov-
554 LIBRARY TRENDS/MTNTER 1998

inces also follow the Canadian Library Association guidelines and are very
similar to the programs in Ontario, again reflecting local needs.

EDU(L\TIONAI~ IN THF UNITED

PROGRAMS STATES
In Canada, post-secondary programs have been developed for library
technicians, while in the United States they have been developed for li-
brary technical assistants (American Library Association, 1997). These
programs are recommended for the American college level. As in Canada,
local advisory committees consicting of a broad cross section of library
employers also are proposed to assist with the direction of the programs.
In terms of major subject areas, these include libraries and the informa-
tion industry, technical services including acquisition and cataloging pro-
cesses, public services including circulation, information sources and ser-
vices, and workplace. Computer skills are included throughout the vari-
ous areas. Within these major subject areas, the attainment of skills is
emphasized. For example, the performance objectives as outlined by the
American Library Association ( 1997) for acquisition processes state that
students will be able to check for possible duplicates using locally de-
signed catalogs and/or databases; identify bibliographic data for order-
ing; prepare orders; and claim missing materials (pp. 10-11). A similar
emphasis exists for cataloging with such performance objectives as “search
for an exirting bibliographic record in online bibliographic utilities”;
“match materials to existing bibliographic record” (p. 11). Absent from
the education of the library technical assistants are “tasks that require an
in-depth knowledge and ability in production of material, equipment
maintenance, or programming, to the extent that specialized training at
the technician level is required” (p. 3 ) . In comparison to the education
of librarians, absent are “tasksthat require a full knowledge of librarianship
or instructional technoIo<gyand exercise ofjudgement based on a broad
knowledge of library resources, their intellectual organization or their
educational informational, cultural, or scholarly use. Establishment of
policies, materials selection, complex information and guidance services,
are illustrations” (p. 3 ) .

EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIA
PROGRAMS
The early history of education for library technicians in Australia has
been documented and compared with that of Canada’s (Bowman, 1988;
Nettlefold, 1989). Such similarities as the methods of setting standards
and the role of advisory committees have been noted. The first book to
be written about library tcchnicians in Australia, including many articles
written by library technicians, describes the education and the work of
library technicians in Australia today (Bailey, 1993). Margaret Hyland
and Pamela Naylor’s contribution deals specificallywith the education of
library technicians.
 DAVIDSON-ARNOTT & KAY/LIBRARY TECHNICIAN PROGRAMS 555

In Australia, library technicians are educated at Technical and Fur-

ther Education (TAFE) colleges with the exception of one program at
Edith Cowan University in Western Australia. These programs are post-
secondary two-year full-time or part-time equivalent. Graduates are
awarded associate diplomas with names that vary depending on the state
where the colleges are located. As in Canada and the United States, pro-
grams continue to include courses in the core library-based skill areas and
work experience components.

COMPARISON LEVEL
WITH GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Library technician programs have been described in this article to be
practical, skills-based, and with minimal theory. In contrast, graduate li-
brary science programs emphasize higher level concepts such as planning,
designing, evaluating, and implementing. Librarians develop specializa-
tion by type of library, by functional area, or by subject because of the
elective courses that provide breadth and depth. While library technician
programs have few if any choices in library courses, the graduate pro-
grams have very few core or required courses. This results in librarians
having varied skills sets different from each other while all library techni-
cians have similar skills.
Although the masters of library science programs at the University of
British Columbia, University of Toronto, and University of Western Ontario
are considered typical, the number of core and/or required courses is fewer
than halfof the total program. Among these are research methodologycourses
which are not taught in library technician programs. Usually there are re-
quired and elective administrative management courses that are at a much
higher level than the workplace behavior and supervisory techniques courses
taught in library technician programs. The core courses in subjects such as
organization of materials provide a theoretical basis for later elective courses
in these areas should students wish to pursue them.
Over the last thirty years, changes in both library technician programs
and graduate library science programs have led to increased divergence. The
library technician programs have added increasinglyin the skills-based areas
of librarianship and information technology. In every case, the amount of
hands-on skill acquisition has increased. The skills taught in areas such as
cataloging and database searching have increased in complexity. This is pos-
sible because of new technologes that have made some of these activities
routine. During the same time period, following from the bachelors of li-
brary science programs in the late 1960s, graduate programs have developed
in organizational management and information theory.

ISSUES
UNRESOLVED
Definition of Library Technicians
While the term “library technician” is well established in Canada and
Australia, the designation of library technical assistant is also commonly
used ill the United States. The ALA (1997) defines Library Technical
Assistants as “personswith certain specifically library related technical skills’’
(p. 2). This document further clarifies that this is not merely a method to
accommodate the senior clerk within a library but to establish a separate
category of staff. There is no designation in Canada equivalent to the
“library associate” title used in the United States nor are there bachelor’s
level librarianship programs in Canada. Library technicians are usually
classified as “support staff or “paraprofessionals”along with library assis-
tants arid library clerks. A paraprofessional is one who works alongside
professionals under the guidance and supervision of a professional thereby
deriving practices and ethical framework from the theory and practice of
the parent profession. The paraprofessional is not expected to take ulti-
mate responsibility for the effectiveness of standards and practices de-
signed by the professional. Library technicians fit this model well. Theory
and practices derive directly from those of librarians with no body of knowl-
edge specifically developed for or by library technicians. The education
and professional development is largely designed by librarians for library
technicians.
As described earlier, the curriculum in library technician programs
clearly focuses on skills that are not at the higher level of professional
work, emphasizing “how to” rather than “why.” Oberg (1992) describes
the paraprofessional in terms of position within the library organization:
“Paraprofessionals occupy the middle stratum of a three-tiered hierarchi-
cal staBing structure. Within this model, paraprofessionals are ranked
below librarians, but above clerical employees” (p. 100).
Library technicians in Canada can be distinguished from other library
support staff in that they are trained formally in post-secondary commu-
nity college programs. While the title might vary for the purposes ofjob
descriptions, library technicians, like librarians, can be defined as much
by their training as by their functions within a job. A library technician is
a trained paraprofessional carrying out much of the day-to-day operation
of the library-i.e., maintaining records, providing basic reference ser-
vice, cataloging routine materials, and supervising clerical functions such
as circulation, collection maintenance, and the ordering of materials.
Library technicians relieve librarians of many of the routine, but still com-
plex, activities in the library.

Role DiJjkrentiation
There is a discrepancy between what tasks should be assigned to staff
on the basis of training and expertise and those that are actually assigned.
In a detailed survey of task allocation in public libraries, Urban Dimen-
sions Group, Inc. (1980) found that the range of tasks performed varied
significantly from one library to another, and the assignment of tasks to
 DAVIDSON-ARNOTT & KAY/LIBRARY TECHNICIAN PROGRAMS 557

librarians and paraprofessionals overlapped a great deal. In many cases,

both librarians and library technicians were doing tasks for which they
were untrained. One can only speculate on the reasons for this. In many
cases, it appears that the decision to assign similar tasks to a librarian in
one library and to a library technician in another relates to local interpre-
tations of complexity or professional responsibility or budgetary limita-
tions. The training that has been received seenis not to have been consid-
ered consistently in the hiring or assigning of tasks. Again, without certi-
fication, there is no official set of tasks that must be adhered to for each
group.
There have been many attempts by library associations to clarify ap-
propriate task distribution, usually based on educational criteria. The
Canadian Library Association (1989) lists appropriate tasks for library
technicians at various career stages. Nettlefold (1989) also lists tasks ap-
propriate to paraprofessionals based on his analysis of a wide range of
sources (p. 525).
While the Canadian Library Association (1991) allows that “techni-
cians may ... be in charge of a small library” (p. 6), the American Library
Association (1997) makes it clear that library technical assistants are su-
pervised by librarians or other supervisors (p. 3) . In Canada, the prac-
tice of hiring a library technician to maintain and operate a small library
without the supervision of a librarian has been a long-standing one and
appears to be growing. These are minority situations, however, with most
of these libraries having one or very few staff. More commonly, library
technicians are hired to carry out operations in one or more technical
areas, supervise clerical staff, or work in situations requiring a wide-range
of support functions to be carried out.
The actual tasks performed by library technicians within individual
libraries vary greatly, leading to library technicians performing above or
below the recommended task level based on training guidelines. It is
recognized that, after graduation and with experience and strong proven
abilities, an individual library technician may perform beyond the limits
of initial training. In addition, the situation in individual libraries alters
the level of tasks assigned, reflecting local needs. Oberg (1992) docu-
ments a high degree of “overlap” between tasks of librarians and support
staff which leads to staff discord (pp. 100-01). Although there was no
specific mention of library technicians within the discussion of parapro-
fessional tasks, Oberg et al. (1992) found that tasks assigned to parapro-
fessionals were wide-ranging and within areas that previously had been
limited to librarians, including original cataloging and database search-
ing. Nettlefold (1989) also observes that library technicians have taken
on higher level tasks because of changes in library techniques and tech-
nology (p. 524). Whether it is for logical reasons, such as technology
change, or in response to budget problems, the trend has developed to
558 LIBRARYTRENDS/WNTER 1998

remove tasks from librarians’job descriptions and add them to the library
technician designation--e.g., such tasks as leading a children’s story hour.
Whether this “de-skilling”of librarians’ work and, by extension, up-skilling
of library technicians’ work is ethical or not, libraries are sometimes will-
ing to accept the limitations of the training of library technicians and
even untrained staff in those areas.
Library technicians earn salaries in a range between those paid to
clericals and librarians. The starting salary for a library technician is not
generally significantly higher than that for senior clericals. The ceiling
for library technicians usually overlaps with the starting salary for librar-
ians. Other support staff, such as library assistants, usually earn salaries
similar to library technicians. Where library technicians move into admin-
istrative positions, the salaries are similar to those of other administrative
staff, whatever their educational background. Usually in these cases the
job itself, rather than the person, is graded. When library technicians
move into administration, it is often in areas such as circulation and col-
lection maintenance where salary grading is lower. In very small libraries,
the salary differential is often minimal.
There is also the reality of the marketplace-i.e., if someone who is
paid less can do a j o b then that becomes the pay rate for the job. Since
many of the hiring organizations have only one or two staff in the library
and no professionals to advise, they will sometimes hire a library techni-
cian to fill a position that has one or more professional components. With-
out legally accepted certification, this situation cannot be changed. For
example, some employers will hire a library technician for a position that
is a combination of a librarian and a library technician position having
had poor experience with new librarians who command higher salaries
but who have limited day-to-daylibrary operation skills and have left after
a relatively short time for jobs that are more intellectually demanding.
There have also been instances where librarians decide to promote ex-
ceptional library technicians into positions classified as professional. Again,
with no certification process, this practice, while sometimes unethical,
cannot be stopped.
Emotions are a major factor in the relationships among groups of
workers. Some librarians fear that library technicians will take over the
basic jobs held by librarians. To a large extent, the fear is based on igno-
rance about the training of library technicians. That fear is realistic in
situations where the librarian performs work that is clearly within the scope
of lower paid library technicians. Where librarians perform work that
requires a professional education and where the clientele can see the va-
lidity of the requirement, it is less likely that the hiring of a library techni-
cian will become a reality. Certainly in budget-cutting times, it is essential
thatjob descriptions reflect reality, allocating tasks to those qualified ap-
 DAVIDSON-ARNOTT 8c KAY/LIBRARY TECHNICIAN PROGRAMS 559

propriately to do them, neither under- nor over-qualified. Library techni-

cians are not trained to perform tasks in areas such as management and
planning, collection development, research, development of systems,and
creation of complex procedures. These require a broad knowledge of
librarianship, theoretical knowledge of systems and organization of mate-
rial, specific training in methods and techniques relating to the area, and
a strong general education.
Some library technicians also resent librarians who they perceive to
be doing work essentially the same as their own but who are receiving
higher salaries and prestige. While this perception is based on reality, in
some situations where poor management practices are in place, it is also
an unfortunate interpretation of modest librarians who refuse to be blunt
about the complexity of what they do.
Similarly, the relationship to untrained library assistants’jobs is com-
plex. Untrained staff who can be trained on the job to perform specific
tasks may be hired where there is sufficient staff complement to allow task
differentiation. These staff may be paid less than library technicians.
Again, there is the emotional response of library technicians to the hiring
of untrained staff who threaten library technician positions. Generally,
the pay differential is not great and the problems created when these
untrained staff want to apply for promotion should discourage inappro-
priate hiring. Unfortunately, it does not. We have often been told by
librarians, who take considerable pride in telling us, that they have been
able to hire people with advanced degrees to do clerical work. This atti-
tude causes great hostility among library technicians who see their terri-
tory threatened.
Disputes concerning the appropriate roles and responsibilities for li-
brary technicians abound. These disputes are not usually based on the
education of librarians and library technicians, however. They usually
result from the confusion within a profession that is not regulated or cre-
dentialed. Any employer, librarian or otherwise, can hire anyone to do
any information job regardless of training level or, indeed, lack of train-
ing. In this misguided and often exploitive situation, management func-
tion, information provision and organization, and client services may be
conducted by librarians, library technicians, untrained individuals, or staff
moved from any other department in the organization. The quality of the
work done may be entirely satisfactory or may be judged without any real
understanding of the potential for either error or superb work. Given
this situation, the very competent individual library technician resents limits
placed on the level of responsibilities.

Accreditation
Program accreditation has long been established for master’s level
programs in librarianship. In Canada, all graduate programs are accred-
560 LIBRARYTRENDS/M’INTEK 1998

ited by the A M . There are some differences in the accreditation of Cana-

dian programs, but the process is basically the same as for American pro-
grams. There is no equivalent process for library technician programs.
As referred t o earlier, there are guidelines covering program content, teach-
ing methods, etc. M’hile there is no official requirement for programs to
follow the guidelines, there is general acceptance of the guidelines with
Canadian colleges following them to a high degree. There is provision
for a review process that is akin to accreditation but is not accreditation
per se.
The Canadian Library Association has made several attempts to be-
gin the process of program accreditation in Canada. In the early days
when programs were new and not vet firmly established in the world of
librarianship, there were regular program reviews with teams going from
college to college and publishing the findings in Felicitex A survey of pro-
grams was conducted in 1984, and a summary of results was published
(“Library Tcchnicians Tackle Education and Employment,” 1987). Also
published was a self-study questionnaire that was designed as a prelimi-
nary for professional review and was intended to be used as part of any
program review process (Canadian Library Association, 1991). While the
intention was that this review turn into accreditation, it has not yet oc-
curred.
Ontario colleges regularly review their programs, including library
technician programs; most require a formal review every few years. Exter-
nal reviews are not generally popular at higher administrative levels, where
it is sometimes perceived as bureaucratic and suggestive of outside inter-
ference. Consequently, internal reviews are prevalent.
Although there are definite benefits that would come from a full ac-
creditation, it is a very labor-intensive and time-consuming process. Since
most of the programs in Canada have only two or three full-time faculty,
the process is onerous. However, most of the programs adhere quite faith-
fully to the CiLA guidelines (Canadian Library Association, 1991).

Certification
Just as programs may or may not be accredited, individuals may or
may not be certified. Librarians are not certified in any part of Canada
except Quebec. Library technicians are not certified at all. There has
been a great deal of interest in the process by library associations.
COLT has recently published a position paper (http://lib-
wuw.ucr.edii/COLT/coltcert.html)promoting a consistent “national skill/
standards certification program for library/media technicians and other
support staf’f” (p. 2). Successful examination results would provide indi-
viduals with “portable credentials that will reflect their competencies and
that will qualify them for many selective positions” (p. 2).
The Ontario Library Association has struck committees several times
 DAVIDSON-ARNOTT & KAY/LIBRARY TECHNICIAN PROGRAMS 561

to examine certification for both librarians and library technicians. The

idea has not yet come to fruition and is currently stalled.

CONCLUSION
Library technician programs provide intensive skill-based training
intended to prepare graduates to work as paraprofessionals in all types of
libraries and in varied positions. The training is practically oriented with
modest theoretical and philosophical components that allow the concepts
to be applied in context. The programs are responsive to the demands of
the labor market and the professional concerns of librarians and library
organizations. Programs are dynamic, the curricula responding to changes
in technology and the library environment. Overall, the curricula has
become more technically based over the years and less concerned with
the management and policy level concerns that are the territory of gradu-
ate schools of librarianship. The issues of certification, accreditation, and
role differentiation continue to be of major interest to a profession which
is generally unregulated by legislation.
562 1,IBRIRY TRENDS/WINTER 1998

REFERENCES
American Library Association. Committee o n Education. Task Force for Review of the Cri-
teria for Programs to Prepare Library Technical Assistants. (1997). Criteria,forprcigrzems
Toprrpare librarj technical a.csirtants. (http://lib-u.~~~.~ic~-.edu/COLT/alaed~i.html)
Bailey,J. (Ed.). (1993).Sharing thr challrn,gr\: Labmrj trchniricin\ in the 1990s. Adelaide, South
Australia: Auslib Press.
Bowman, R.J. (1988). Library technicians under and over. Cunadian LibmryJourncd, 45(4),
229-235.
Canadian Library Association. Task Force on Roles and Responsibilities of Librarians and
Library Technicians. (1 989). Rolrs nnd i ~ . ~ f i ~ f l 5 Z b z of
/ z flibrcrrzans
~~5 and hbrury trchnician.~.
Ottawa, Ontario, (:anada: The Association.
Canadian Libra17 Association. Task Force on the Professional Review PI-ocess for 1.ibraI-y
Technician Programs in Canada. (1991). Guidrlinrs for the rducation of library trchni-
clans. [Ottawa, Ontario, (:anada]: CIA.
Chapman, S. (1984).Paraprofessionals in a cataloguing unit. Canadian L i b r q Journal, 41(4),
189-193.
Library technicians tackle education and employment. (1987). Felicztq 3 3 ( 7 / 8 ) ,16.
Moriarity, W. (1982). The new breed: Library technicians in Canada. Canadian Libmry
Journal, 39(4), 237-239.
Murfin. M. E., & Bunge, C. A. (1988). Paraprofessionals at the reference desk. Journal oJ
Academic Librai-imthip, 14(1), 10-14.
Nettlefold, B. A. (1989). Paraprofessionalisrri in librarianship. Intrrnzetional Library h i m ,
21(4), 519-531.
Oberg, I.. R.; Mentges, M . E.; McDermott, P. N.; & Harusadangkul, V. (1992). The role,
status, and working conditions of paraprofessionals: A national survey of academic
libraries. College & Kesrorch Lihrnrips, 5?(3),215-238.
Oberg, I.. R. (1992) Thc emergence of the paraprofessional in acadeniic libraries: Per-
ceptions and realities. Collrgr & Rrwnrch I,ihrarirs, 53( 1 ) , 99-1 12.
Ontario C U T Library and Infor-mation Technician Steering Committee. (1995). OCLIT
curriculum firofiosnl: I.ihrtrry and information trrhnirian diplomn. Uiipublished manuscript.
Rider, M . M. (1996). Developing new roles for paraprofessionals in cataloging. Journal of
Acudemir L/braricinship, 22(1 ) , 26-32.
Urban Dimensions Group, Inc. (1980). Projrct prog?.e.\.s: 7hsk analysis instrumrnt and sum-
mary of rrsults; IL rlocumml pr-rparrd f o r / h e Canadian Libmr); Association. Unpublished
typescript.
 DAVIDSON-ARNOTT & KAY/LIBRARY TECHNICIAN PROGRAMS 563

APPENDIX
SENECA
COLLEGE & INFORMATION
LIBRARY TECHNICIAX
DIPLOMA
PROGRAM

Course List
Year 1, Semester 1
LIT 122 Library Research Skills
LIT 150 Introducing Libraries
LIT 154 Basic Library Skills
LIT 158 Computers in Libraries
EAC 150 College English
General Education Elective
Year 1, Semester 2
LIT 222 Derivative Cataloguing
LIT 250 Placement and Work Skills
LIT 254 Acquisitions
LIT 255 Circulation and Interlibrary Loan
LIT 256 Ready Reference
LIT 258 Database Searching I
General Education Elective
FPL 100 Field Placement (2 weeks)
Year 2, Semester 2
LIT 322 Descriptive Cataloguing
LIT 354 Subject Collections
LIT 355 Library Promotion and Programming
LIT 356 User Information Services
LIT 358 Database Searching I1
General Education Elective
FPL 200 Field Placement (2 weeks)
Year 2, Semester 4
LIT 400 Professional Issues in Libraries
LIT 420 Human Relations in Libraries
LIT 458 Library Automation
LIT 462 Subject Cataloguing and Classification
LIT 464 Alternative Organization of Materials and Information
FPL 300 Field Placement (2 weeks)