• Research on Children and Youth Service Positions in American Public Libraries:Content analysis based on ALA Joblist

    Subjects: Library Science,Information Science >> Information Science submitted time 2023-04-01 Cooperative journals: 《图书情报工作》

    Abstract: [Purpose/significance] By analyzing and discussing the status quo and characteristics of the service positions for children and youth in American public libraries, this paper provides a new perspective to study the needs and services for children and youth in public libraries and provides reference for the development of the service positions for children and youth in Chinese public libraries.[Method/process] The paper collected the recruitment advertisements for children and youth service positions published on the American Library Association Joblist, and then used content analysis to analyze the position descriptions and qualifications of children and youth service positions in the American public libraries.[Result/conclusion] The study found that in terms of position settings, the children and youth service positions in the American public libraries are mainly based on the service object and supplemented by the service content. In terms of professional competencies, the service positions for children and youth have greater demands for the ability to "programming skills" and "outreach and advocacy". In terms of knowledge and skills, the service positions of children and youth in American public libraries are characterized by "for readers" and "adapting to the needs of the times". In addition, American children and youth service positions usually consider "work experience" as an important reference standard, while focusing on the equivalent combination of education and experience. Finally, the paper discusses the development of the service positions for children and youth in public libraries in China from three aspects:the "targeted" setting, "standardization" support and "professional" development.