A staff‐generated cross‐training plan for academic reference librarians: The TQM approach at Wayne State University libraries

The competence of academic librarians promises to be a foremost issue for academic librarianship in the twenty‐first century. New subject specialties, unprecedented information technologies, and increasingly interdisciplinary university curricula and research mean ever‐faster outdating of the library science degree. Currently, within ten to 12 years of receiving their diplomas, academic librarians are estimated to be half as competent to meet professional demands as they were at graduation. Continuing education is, therefore, ever more vital in maintaining a staff of library professionals who are capable of providing continually relevant service to library users.