eDitOriAl BOArD tHOuGHts  |  FArNel   169

T
his	 past	 Spring,	 my	 alma	 mater,	 the	 School	 of	
Library	 and	 Information	 Studies	 (SLIS)	 at	 the	
University	 of	 Alberta,	 restructured	 the	 IT	 compo-

nent	 of	 its	 MLIS	 program.	 As	 a	 result,	 as	 of	 September	
2010,	 incoming	 students	 are	 expected	 to	 possess	 certain	
basic	 IT	 skills	 before	 beginning	 their	 program.1	 These	
skills	include	the	following:

■■ Comprehension	of	the	components	and	operations	of	
a	personal	computer

■■ Microsoft	Windows	file	management
■■ Proficiency	 with	 Microsoft	 Office	 (or	 similar)	 prod-
ucts,	 including	 word	 processing	 and	 presentation	
software

■■ Use	of	e-mail
■■ Basic	Web	browsing	and	searching

This	 new	 requirement	 got	 me	 thinking:	 Is	 this	 com-
mon	 practice	 among	 ALA-accredited	 Library	 Schools?	
If	 other	 schools	 are	 also	 requiring	 basic	 IT	 skills	 prior	
to	 entry,	 how	 do	 those	 required	 by	 SLIS	 compare?	 So	 I	
thought	 I’d	 do	 a	 little	 investigating	 to	 see	 what	 others	
in	 “Library	 School	 land”	 are	 doing.	 Before	 I	 continue,	 a	
word	 of	 warning:	 this	 was	 by	 no	 means	 a	 rigorous	 sci-
entific	investigation,	but	rather	an	informal	survey	of	the	
landscape.

I	 started	 my	 investigation	 with	 ALA’s	 directory	 of	
institutions	offering	accredited	master’s	programs.2	There	
are	fifty-seven	institutions	listed	in	the	directory.	I	visited	
each	institution’s	website	and	looked	for	pages	describing	
technology	requirements,	computer-competency	require-
ments,	 and	 the	 like.	 If	 I	 wasn’t	 able	 to	 find	 the	 desired	
information	after	fifteen	or	twenty	minutes,	I	would	note	
“nothing	found”	and	move	on	to	the	next.

In	 the	 end	 I	 found	 some	 sort	 of	 list	 of	 technology	
or	 computer-competency	 requirements	 on	 thirty-three	
(approximately	58	percent)	of	the	websites.	It	may	be	the	
case	that	such	a	list	exists	on	other	sites	and	I	didn’t	find	
it.	 I	 should	 also	 note	 that	 five	 of	 the	 lists	 I	 found	 focus	
more	 on	 software	 and	 hardware	 than	 on	 skills	 in	 using	
said	 software	 and	 hardware.	 Even	 considering	 these	
conditions,	 however,	 I	 was	 somewhat	 surprised	 at	 the	
low	numbers.	Is	it	simply	assumed	that	today’s	students	
already	have	these	skills?	Or	is	it	expected	that	they	will	
be	 picked	 up	 along	 the	 way?	 I	 don’t	 claim	 to	 know	 the	
answers,	 and	 discovering	 them	 would	 require	 a	 much	
more	 detailed	 and	 thorough	 investigation,	 but	 they	 are	
interesting	questions	nonetheless.	

Once	I	had	found	the	requirements,	I	examined	them	
in	 some	 detail	 to	 get	 a	 sense	 of	 the	 kinds	 of	 skills	 listed.	
While	 I	 won’t	 enumerate	 them	 all,	 I	 did	 find	 the	 most	
common	 ones	 to	 be	 similar	 to	 those	 required	 by	 SLIS—
basic	 comfort	 with	 a	 personal	 computer	 and	 proficiency	
with	 word	 processing	 and	 presentation	 software,	 e-mail,	
file	management,	and	the	Internet.	A	few	(5)	schools	also	

list	 comfort	 with	 local	 systems	 (e-mail	 accounts,	 online	
courseware,	 etc.).	 Several	 (7)	 schools	 mention	 familiarity	
with	basic	database	design	and	functionality,	while	a	few	
(5)	 list	 basic	 Web	 design.	 Very	 few	 (3)	 mention	 compe-
tency	 with	 security	 tools	 (firewalls,	 virus	 checkers,	 etc.),	
and	 just	 slightly	 more	 (4)	 mention	 familiarity	 with	 Web	
2.0	 tools	 like	 blogs,	 wikis,	 etc.	 While	 many	 (14)	 specifi-
cally	mention	searching	under	basic	Internet	skills,	few	(7)	
mention	proficiency	with	OPACs	or	other	common	infor-
mation	tools	such	as	full-text	databases.	Interestingly,	one	
school	 has	 a	 computer	 programming	 requirement,	 with	
mentions	of	specific	acceptable	languages,	including	C++,	
PASCAL,	Java,	and	Perl.	But	this	is	certainly	the	exception	
rather	than	the	rule.

I	 was	 encouraged	 that	 there	 seems	 to	 be	 a	 certain	
agreement	on	the	basics.	But	I	was	a	little	surprised	at	the	
relative	 rarity	 of	 competency	 with	 wikis	 and	 blogs	 and	
all	 those	 Web	 2.0	 tools	 that	 are	 so	 often	 used	 and	 talked	
about	in	today’s	libraries.	Is	this	because	there	is	still	some	
uncertainty	 as	 to	 the	 utility	 of	 such	 tools	 in	 libraries?	 Or	
is	it	because	of	a	belief	that	the	members	of	the	Millennial	
or	“digital”	generation	are	already	expert	in	using	them?	
I	 don’t	 know	 the	 reasons,	 but	 it	 is	 interesting	 to	 ponder	
nonetheless.	I	was	also	surprised	that	a	level	of	informa-
tion	literacy	isn’t	listed	more	often,	particularly	given	that	
we’re	talking	about	SLIS	programs.	I	do	know,	of	course,	
that	 many	 of	 these	 skills	 will	 be	 developed	 or	 enhanced	
as	 students	 work	 their	 way	 through	 their	 programs,	 but	
it	also	seems	to	me	that	there	is	so	much	other	material	to	
learn	that	the	more	that	can	be	taken	care	of	beforehand,	
the	better.	

Librarians	 work	 in	 a	 highly	 technical	 and	 techno-
logical	 environment,	 and	 this	 is	 only	 going	 to	 become	
even	 more	 the	 case	 for	 future	 generations	 of	 librarians.	
Certainly,	 basic	 familiarity	 with	 a	 variety	 of	 applications	
and	tools	and	comfort	with	rapidly	changing	technologies	
are	 major	 assets	 for	 librarians.	 In	 fact,	 ALA	 recognizes	
the	 importance	 of	 “technological	 knowledge	 and	 skills”	
as	 core	 competencies	 of	 librarianship.	 Specifically	 men-
tioned	are	the	following:

■■ Information,	 communication,	 assistive,	 and	 related	
technologies	 as	 they	 affect	 the	 resources,	 service	
delivery,	 and	 uses	 of	 libraries	 and	 other	 information	
agencies.

■■ The	 application	 of	 information,	 communication,	
assistive,	and	related	technology	and	tools	consistent	
with	professional	ethics	and	prevailing	service	norms	
and	applications.

■■ The	 methods	 of	 assessing	 and	 evaluating	 the	

Sharon Farnel

Editorial Board Thoughts:  
System Requirements

sharon Farnel (sharon.farnel@ualberta.ca) is Metadata & cata-
loguing librarian at the university of alberta in Edmonton, al-
berta, canada.



170   iNFOrMAtiON tecHNOlOGY AND liBrAries  |  DeceMBer 2010

References

1. University	 of	 Alberta	 School	 of	 Library	 and	 Information	
Studies,	“Degree	Requirements:	Master	of	Library	&	Information	
Studies,”	 www.slis.ualberta.ca/mlis_degree_requirements.cfm	
(accessed	Aug.	5,	2010).

2. American	 Library	 Association	 Office	 for	 Accreditation,	
“Library	 &	 Information	 Studies	 Directory	 of	 Institutions	 Offer-
ing	 Accredited	 Master’s	 Programs	 2008–2009,”	 2008,	 http://
ala.org/ala/educationcareers/education/accreditedprograms/	
directory/pdf/lis_dir_20082009.pdf	(accessed	Aug.	5,	2010).	

3. American	Library	Association,	“ALA’s	Core	Competences	
of	 Librarianship,”	 January	 2009,	 www.ala.org/ala/education	
careers/careers/corecomp/corecompetences/finalcorecomp	
stat09.pdf	(accessed	Aug.	5,	2010).

specifications,	efficacy,	and	cost	efficiency	of	technol-
ogy-based	products	and	services.

■■ The	 principles	 and	 techniques	 necessary	 to	 identify	
and	 analyze	 emerging	 technologies	 and	 innovations	
in	order	to	recognize	and	implement	relevant	techno-
logical	improvements.3

Given	 what	 we	 know	 about	 the	 importance	 of	 tech-
nology	 to	 librarians	 and	 librarianship,	 my	 investigation	
has	 left	 me	 with	 two	 questions:	 (1)	 why	 aren’t	 more	
library	 schools	 requiring	 certain	 IT	 skills	 prior	 to	 entry	
into	 their	 programs?	 and	 (2)	 are	 those	 who	 do	 require	
them	asking	enough	of	their	prospective	students?	I	hope	
you,	 our	 readers,	 might	 ask	 yourselves	 these	 questions	
and	 join	 us	 on	 ITALica	 for	 what	 could	 turn	 out	 to	 be	 a	
lively	discussion.