Competency #1

Understand the health sciences and health care environment and the policies, issues, and trends that impact that environment including:

• current management and business practices
• the parent organization's (academic medical center, hospital, government, corporate, etc.) major policy and program sources
• the health sciences professions
• the clinical care, research, medical education, cultural, ethical, economic, and legal issues and environments
• various health and health-related organizations

Competency #2

Know and understand the application of leadership, finance, communication, and management theory and techniques including:

• understanding the institution's mission and planning processes and the role of the library in the institution
• forging and maintaining alliances with universities, public libraries, public health services, community-based organizations, and others to meet users' information needs
• human resources management including recruitment, retention, staff development, and mentoring
• facilities planning and space allocation
• budgeting, cost analyses, and fund-raising
• public relations, marketing, and advertising
• library programs and services administration

Competency #3

Understand the principles and practices related to providing information services to meet users' needs including:

• the information needs of health practitioners, researchers, administrators, educators, students, patients, consumers, and the general public
• the institution's information policies
• methods of information delivery and access including consideration of the specific information needs of diverse populations
• information services management

Competency #4

Have the ability to manage health information resources in a broad range of formats including:

• selection, acquisitions, and control of resources including the licensing of resources
• scholarly publishing, copyright, licensing, privacy, and intellectual property issues
• conservation, preservation, and archiving of materials in all formats
• cataloging, classification, abstracting, and thesaurus construction and knowledge representation
• national and international standards and conventions
• trends in information formatting, production, packaging, and dissemination

Competency #5

Understand and use technology and systems to manage all forms of information including:

• basic principles of automated systems, data standards, and systems analysis techniques including design and evaluation
• acquisition, use, and evaluation of information technologies
• integration of systems and technologies
• technological solutions for permanent access to electronic information
• applications in emerging areas of biomedicine computational biology and health information, including electronic health care systems and records
• communications and information infrastructure including the Internet and Web

Competency #6

Understand curricular design and instruction and have the ability to teach ways to access, organize, and use information including:

• adult learning theory and cognitive psychology
• educational needs assessment, analysis, and evaluation
• instructional methodologies, technologies, and systems design
• management of education services

Competency #7

Understand scientific research methods and have the ability to critically examine and filter research literature from many related disciplines including:

• using quantitative and qualitative methodologies and techniques and their interpretation
• locating, organizing, and critically evaluating the research literature
• using principles of evidence-based practice to support decision making
• conducting research and reporting and disseminating research findings either individually or in interdisciplinary research teams