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Candidate Achievement Record (CAR) Certification Program Committee (CPC) |
Advisory Committee
Representatives from the organizations and bodies that have committed to developing LSSC: American Library Association (ALA), Western Council of State Libraries and several division and round tables of ALA.
Applicant
A library support staff person who submits an application to become a candidate in the LSSC program by completing the application form to determine eligibility.
Approved Course
A course that has been submitted to the LSSC, using a standard form, through the Course Approval Process, and approved as fulfilling criteria for teaching a competency set. The process includes a description of the course content, the instructors, the method of instruction and method to assess learning. When a course is approved, an LSSC candidate who completes the courses successfully need only submit proof of completion and will not have to submit a portfolio on that competency set. An approved course must cover an entire competency set.
A course may be a workshop or institute or other educational offering; be offered over several weeks or in a more condensed period; be online or in person or a combination of both; and be synchronous or asynchronous.
Candidate
A library support staff person who meets all of the program’s eligibility requirements and who is accepted in the program.
Candidate Achievement Record (CAR)
The candidate’s online record that includes general contact information; all submissions and portfolios developed to meet competency sets; evidence of approved courses taken; and any other information the candidate wishes to include or which is requested by either the LSSC Certification Review Committee (CRC) or the portfolio evaluators.
Certification Program Committee (CPC)
A committee, appointed by the President of ALA-APA, that oversees the establishment of the LSSC and other certification programs of ALA-APA.
Certification Review Committee (CRC)
A committee, appointed by the President of ALA-APA, that oversees the ongoing implementation of LSSC once it has been approved.
Competencies
Skills and knowledge necessary for LSS job performance. LSSC competencies are grouped into ten Competency Sets, based on typical public and academic library responsibilities.
Competency Set
A group of related competencies developed to standardize expectations for academic and public library support staff; give education providers guidance for developing courses or training curriculum; and help employers articulate job requirements. They are sometimes referred to as competency areas. There are ten competency sets. Three are required and seven are electives. An LSSC candidate must achieve three required competency sets and three elective competency sets.
Competency Set Achievement
An LSSC candidate achieves a competency set when the candidate meets all the requirements for that competency set. The candidate proves achievement by either submitting evidence of successful completion of an approved course or by receiving a positive assessment for a portfolio on a competency set from portfolio evaluators.
Competency Set – Elective
The seven elective competencies are: Access Services, Adult Readers’ Advisory, Cataloging and Classification, Collection Management, Reference and Information Services, Supervision and Management, and Youth Services.
Competency Set – Required
The three required competency sets are: Foundations of Library Service, Communication and Teamwork, and Technology.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must satisfy the following requirements to be accepted into the LSSC Program: previous work experience in any type of library for a minimum of 1820 hours within the last five years and a high-school diploma or General Educational Development (GED) credential. Educational qualifications from other countries will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
LSS
Library Support Staff, defined as anyone who works in a library and does not have a Master’s Degree in Library Science.
LSSC Program
Library Support Staff Certification Program.
Portfolio
An integrated set of documents organized by competency set which include: 1) reflective narratives identifying and articulating the candidate’s knowledge and skills and 2) documents and artifacts providing evidence of the candidates’ learning. The portfolio is online at LiveText, a website that accepts electronic documents, e.g., those created, modified, or scanned to be read on a computer screen or printed from a computer. Candidates will upload, post, and/or submit documents to their secure and personalized CAR.
Portfolio Evaluators
Librarians who have demonstrated experience in the area of a competency set based on application to and selection by LSSC Certification Review Committee. Portfolio evaluators must complete the portfolio assessment training.
Portfolio Evaluation Guidelines
Criteria that are used to evaluate the information and documentation submitted in a portfolio. The evaluation guidelines are available to the candidates and used by the portfolio evaluators.
