Measuring Omani information professionals' competencies

Abstract

Purpose The variable applications of information technology (IT) have brought with it remarkable changes in the total setting of the information professionals' (IPs') preparation programs around the world. In Oman, several considerations have been taken into account as they are related to the information profession and professionals, including the establishment of the Department of Library and Information Science (DLIS), the Omani Librarianship Association (OLA), Learning Recourse Centers, and the Omani e-Government Project. It is, then, the aim of this paper to investigate such developments and to explore the Omani IPs' perspectives toward a list of competencies that they are effectively participating in and agreed with for managing their information institutions, resources, services, and others related to their attitudes toward the use of technology and their professional personality. Design/methodology/approach To investigate the Omani IPs' perspectives toward the set of competencies, a questionnaire was developed based on the predefined competencies for IP. The list and definitions of the competencies were prepared by the Special Committee on Competencies for Special Librarians for the Special Libraries Association Board of Directors in 2003. Findings The results show that Omani IPs are generally carrying positive perspectives toward the list of different groups of competencies for common satisfaction of their users. Yet, their prominence perspectives center on technical skills, general awareness of technology, and current awareness competencies, but are less concentrated on and agreed with competencies related to new tools and techniques of management such as evidence-based librarianship, negotiation, consultation, association networks, and satisfaction measurement. Originality/value The paper provides an inclusive view of the Omani IPs' perspectives toward the predefined list of competences and recommends that the DLIS and the OLA and the parent organizations should cooperate together to develop a kind of “job approach” preparation and training approach so that a new picture of the Omani IPs as being effective partners in their workplace will be achieved.

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