"Too Much Change in Too Little Time": Maintaining Professional Competence in a Public Library

Abstract

This paper presents the findings of a pilot survey of professional development of reference librarians in a large urban public library. This pilot is part of a larger study of the processes and strategies used by reference librarians to maintain professional competence in the face of rapid change in the workplace. Fifteen librarians answered a questionnaire survey and participated in interviews and the organization's training policies and programs were examined.