DIRECTOR'S COMPETENCIES FOR MULTITYPE LIBRARY COOPERATION SYSTEMS

A. LEADERSHIP ABILITIES AND ATTITUDES: Taking initiative, making things happen through the effective action of others.

Future-Directed (Envisions future possibilities for member libraries)

• Develops a shared vision that builds on the past and present of library service and looks to the future.
• Understands libraries' roles within their organizations and within their relationships with other organizations.
• Is able to identify the resources available within a region and linkages with state, national and information library networks.
• Uses networking and other appropriate organizational development methods and techniques.
• Recognizes changes in the environment that mandate change in libraries and their services.
• Initiates and implements change.
• Is innovative.
• Takes initiative to accomplish something, such as identifying and solving problems, overcoming obstacles, achieving goals, pursuing opportunities, doing things better.

Community Involvement

• Is committed to public service including a commitment for libraries to share, cooperate, and collaborate with other educational, cultural, and social agencies serving the community.
• Is committed to planning and implementing library services cooperatively based on the needs of people of diverse backgrounds and interests.
• Recognizes and articulates common interests among diverse organizations and agencies.
• Recognizes connections for libraries with other organizations and agencies and capitalizes on them.
• Establishes cooperative working relationships with local government bodies and other organizations.
• Develops and supports cooperative working relationships between members and other organizations.

Advocacy/Political Skills

• Lobbies effectively for libraries with local, state and national officials.
• Represents libraries effectively to decision-makers.

B. ADMINISTRATIVE ABILITIES: Structuring one's own activities and those of others; coordinating the use of resources to maximize productivity and efficiency.

Organizational Management

• Is able to establish and modify as needed the administrative structure, using staff to carry out projects, programs and activities.
• Is able to contract for services.
• Is able to use effectiveness, impact and efficiency measures to evaluate projects, programs and operations.

Fiscal Management and Resource Development

• Understands resource requirements necessary to provide services.
• Knows sources for funding and how system service components fit funding eligibility.
• Develops proposals for local, state, federal and foundation funds.
• Is able to identify resources and build member capacity to share resources.
• Is able to leverage funding and pool member resources.
• Is able to prepare budgets.
• Is able to manage a program within a budget.
• Is able to maintain records and prepare reports for members and funding agencies.

Personnel Management

• Establishes trusting relationships with staff members.
• Is able to develop and administer personnel policies and procedures.
• Is able to interpret state and federal laws and regulations concerning personnel.
• Is able to delegate.
• Is able to supervise others.

Working with members and Board

• Understands accountability to the members, and ultimately to the general public.
• Able to develop the system's board to make effective decisions in policy, planning, and financial issues.
• Develops and maintains cooperative working relationships among members.
• Develops an atmosphere which supports open communication among members.
• Is able to give consultant assistance to members.
• Is alert to significant developments which relate to libraries and their services.
• Informs others of decisions, changes and other relevant information in a timely manner.
• Understands the role of boards in the governance of libraries and the system.
• Is able to work with a governing board.

C. PLANNING, DEVELOPING AND OPERATING PROJETS, PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

• Is able to use a variety of planning methods and techniques.

• Is able to develop project proposals and requests for proposals.
• Is able to plan and organize learning and training opportunities for member library staffs.
• Is able to use environmental scanning techniques.
• Is able to identify potential applications of new technologies to library services and operations.
• Is able to use consensus-building techniques.

D. KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES SPECIFIC TO LIBRARIES AND THEIR ROLES IN SOCIETY:

Applying the professional or technical knowledge and abilities needed to do the job, including competence in library and information management, familiarity with information policies and practices, skills for integrating the services of libraries with those of other appropriate organizations, and commitment to professional standards.

Professional/technical knowledge and abilities

• Understands the flow, use, and value of information in society as a whole and relates the role of libraries to this.
• Is committed to the mission of library services.
• Is committed to high professional and service standards.
• Is committed to intellectual freedom.
• Is committed to guaranteeing access to information for all people.
• Understands the basic technical functions of librarianship (i.e., reference service, cataloging, collective development, etc.)
• Is able to evaluate technologies for their potential application to library operations and services.
• Has knowledge of the historical development and trends in libraries and can relate this information to present situations and future planning.
• Understands the philosophies and institutional bases which affect the various types of libraries.
• Keeps up-to-date with conditions, developments and future trends in the library and information field.
• Participates in professional activities and associations.
• Is committed to own professional growth and development.

E. COGNITIVE SKILLS AND ABILITIES: Processing information effectively to learn new material, identify and define problems, and make decisions. How a person thinks and analyzes.

• Recognizes and utilizes own learning and problem solving styles.
• Learns quickly.
• Uses complex and abstract concepts and recognizes subtle relationships and new patterns in information.
• Anticipates and identifies problems, their possible causes, and alternative strategies or solutions. Works with ambiguous situations.
• Draws accurate conclusions from financial, statistical, and numerical materials.
• Use mathematical and statistical techniques to manipulate data.
• Defines parameters of and undertakes risks.
• Organizes systems and functions in a logical manner.
• Makes decisions, on a day-to-day basis, within the framework of organizational mission, goals and objectives.

F. INTERPERSONAL ABILITIES: Interacting with others.

• Demonstrates confidence in self and others.
• Is persuasive.
• Uses negotiating techniques appropriate to the situation (e.g., one-on-one or group, vendor, member).
• Confronts and manages conflict.
• Speaks effectively one-to-one, within groups, and in presentations to groups.
• Uses appropriate group process.
• Listens effectively, (i.e., demonstrates attention to, conveys understanding of, and comments or questions others).
• Writes clearly and effectively.
• Is aware of how one's own behavior affects others.

G. PERSONAL TRAITS:

• Allocates one's own time efficiently.
• Handles detail effectively and efficiently.
• Is adaptable, (i.e., responds appropriately and confidently to the demands of work challenges when confronted with changes, ambiguity, adversity, or other pressures).
• Has self-control (i.e., is able to remain calm, objective, neutral in stressful situations).
• Meets the demands of work while managing physical and emotional stress.
• Respects others ideas and points of view.
• Is committed to ethical standards.
• Has a sense of humor.
• Has integrity.
• Is credible.
• Exhibits optimism, energy and enthusiasm.

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