IDENTIFIERS American Library Association

This study evaluates demand for specific competency categories in the 1996 United States academic library job market. Its purpose is to identify frequencies of requested qualifications and of job openings by United States region, to inform students and administrators of Masters of Library Science (MLS) Programs of current competency requirements and regional opportunities in the highly competitive academic library job market. Content analysis of "American Libraries " established that th':1 ALA-acc;cdited MLS continues, as in previous studies, to lead all other qualifications. The MLS gave overall educational competency the top frequency ratio of 95.9%, followed by professional competency at 90%, technological at 82.4 % and interpersonal at 79.4%. Demand for "library or related experience " was present in 64.7 % of United States advertisements. Of the interpersonal skills, "communication " was required in 72.9 % of advertisements and "work with others " in 55.9%. The South advertised more positions than any othe