USU PR—Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) welcomed a team of librarian certification assessors from the Librarian Certification Institute for the 2024 Competency Certification Assessment of USU Librarians. The assessment took place at the USU Library from Wednesday to Friday, July 10-12, 2024.

The assessor team consisted of Donni Yudha Prawira, S.Sos., M.I.Kom; Dr. Opong Sumiati, M.Si; and Dra. Titiek Kismiyati, M.Hum.

In his opening remarks, USU Secretary Prof. Dr. Muhammad Fidel Ganis Siregar, M.Ked(OG), Sp. O.G, Subsp. F.E.R. expressed appreciation and gratitude for the assessors' visit, which was aimed at evaluating the competencies of USU librarians. He emphasized the importance of having competent and professional human resources in the face of digital literacy services and investment transformation.

“On behalf of the Rector of USU, I extend my gratitude to the assessor team for being here to assess the competencies of our librarians, which is crucial for ensuring competent, reliable, and professional resources in our library,” said Prof. Fidel.

Established in 1970, the USU Library has earned various national and international awards. Prof. Fidel hopes that the 12 USU librarians participating in the competency test can evaluate their skills, identify areas for improvement, and gain official recognition of their expertise through this assessment.

“This assessment is also an opportunity to receive valuable evaluations and recommendations from the assessors, which will help further develop and strengthen the USU Library,” added Prof. Fidel.

Laila Hadri Nasution, S.Sos., M.P., Head of the USU Library, mentioned that this year, 12 librarians are being submitted for certification and have undergone technical guidance as preparation. She hopes all participants will be declared competent, bringing the library's certified librarian rate to approximately 99%.

“Stay motivated; hopefully, everyone can pass the competency test. The assessors are all very supportive, so we appreciate their guidance,” said Laila.

Dr. Opong Sumiati, M.Si, explained that competency is the accumulation of knowledge from formal and informal education and work experience. She stressed the importance of choosing clusters relevant to the librarians' daily work, emphasizing that they need not memorize but should instead focus on presenting evidence of their competencies.

“This certification is essential for career advancement and enhancing the institution's reputation. Don't be afraid—just focus on presenting your competency evidence,” advised Dr. Opong.