- The traditional concept of a library is being redefined from a place to access paper records or books to one that also houses the most advanced electronic resources, including the Internet, digital libraries, and remote access to a wide range of information sources.
- Consequently, librarians, often called information professionals, combine traditional duties with tasks involving quickly changing technology.
- Librarians help people find information and use it effectively for personal and professional purposes.
- They must have knowledge of a wide variety of scholarly and public information sources and must follow trends related to publishing, computers, and the media to oversee the selection and organization of library materials.
- Librarians manage staff and develop and direct information programs and systems for the public and ensure that information is organized in a manner that meets users' needs.
- Librarian positions focus on one of three aspects of library work: user services, technical services, and administrative services.
- Librarians in user services, such as reference and children's librarians, work with patrons to help them find the information they need.
- The job involves analyzing users' needs to determine what information is appropriate and searching for, acquiring, and providing the information.
- The job also includes an instructional role, such as showing users how to find and evaluate information. For example, librarians commonly help users navigate the Internet so they can search for and evaluate information efficiently.
- Librarians in technical services, such as acquisitions and cataloguing, acquire, prepare, and classify materials so patrons can find it easily.
- Some write abstracts and summaries. Often, these librarians do not deal directly with the public. Librarians in administrative services oversee the management and planning of libraries: they negotiate contracts for services, materials, and equipment; supervise library employees; perform public-relations and fundraising duties; prepare budgets; and direct activities to ensure that everything functions properly.
- In small libraries or information centres, librarians usually handle all aspects of library operations.
- They read book reviews, publishers' announcements, and catalogues to keep up with current literature and other available resources, and they select and purchase materials from publishers, wholesalers, and distributors.
- Librarians prepare new materials, classifying them by subject matter and describing books and other library materials to make them easy to find.
- Librarians supervise assistants, who enter classification information and descriptions of materials into electronic catalogs.
- In large libraries, librarians often specialize in a single area, such as acquisitions, cataloguing, bibliography, reference, special collections, or administration. Therefore, good teamwork is important.
- Librarians also recommend materials. Many analyze collections and compile lists of books, periodicals, articles, audiovisual materials, and electronic resources on particular subjects.
- They collect and organize books, pamphlets, manuscripts, and other materials in a specific field, such as rare books, genealogy, or music.
- In addition, they coordinate programs such as storytelling for children and literacy skills and book talks for adults. Some conduct classes, publicize services, write grants, and oversee other administrative matters.
- Many libraries have access to remote databases and maintain their own computerized databases.
- The widespread use of electronic resources makes database-searching skills important for librarians.
- Librarians develop and index databases and help train users to develop searching skills.
- Some libraries are forming consortiums with other libraries to allow patrons to access a wider range of databases and to submit information requests to several libraries simultaneously.
- The Internet also has greatly expanded the amount of available reference information.
- Librarians must know how to use these resources and inform the public about the wealth of information they contain.
- Librarians are classified according to the type of library in which they work: a public library; school library media centre; college, university, or other academic library; or special library. Librarians in special libraries work in information centres or libraries maintained by government agencies or corporations, law firms, advertising agencies, museums, professional associations, unions, medical centres, hospitals, religious organizations, or research laboratories.
- They acquire and arrange an organization's information resources, which usually are limited to subjects of special interest to the organization.
- They can provide vital information services by preparing abstracts and indexes of current periodicals, organizing bibliographies, or analyzing background information and preparing reports on areas of particular interest.
- For example, a special librarian working for a corporation could provide the sales department with information on competitors or new developments affecting the field. A medical librarian may provide information about new medical treatments, clinical trials, and standard procedures to health professionals, patients, consumers, and corporations. Government document librarians, who work in a variety of depository libraries in each of the States, preserve and disseminate government publications, records, and other documents that make up a historical record of government actions.
- Some librarians work with specific groups, such as children, young adults, adults, or the disadvantaged.
- In school library media centres, librarians—often called school media specialists—help teachers develop curricula and acquire materials for classroom instruction. They also conduct classes for students on how to use library resources for research projects.
- Librarians with computer and information systems skills can work as automated-systems librarians, planning and operating computer systems, and as information architects, designing information storage and retrieval systems and developing procedures for collecting, organizing, interpreting, and classifying information.
- These librarians analyze and plan for future information needs. Automated information systems enable librarians to focus on administrative and budgeting responsibilities, grant writing, and specialized research requests, while delegating more routine services responsibilities to technicians.
- More and more, librarians apply their information management and research skills to arenas outside of libraries—for example, database development, reference tool development, information systems, publishing, Internet coordination, marketing, Web content management and design, and training of database users.
- Entrepreneurial librarians sometimes start their own consulting practices, acting as freelance librarians or information brokers and providing services to other libraries, businesses, or government agencies.
- Growth in the number of librarians will be limited by budget constraints and the increasing use of electronic resources.
- Both will result in the hiring of fewer librarians and the replacement of librarians with less costly library technicians and assistants.
- As electronic resources become more common and patrons and support staff become more familiar with their use, fewer librarians are needed to maintain and assist users with these resources.
- In addition, many libraries are equipped for users to access library resources directly from their homes or offices through library Web sites.
- Some users bypass librarians altogether and conduct research on their own.
- However, librarians continue to be in demand to manage staff, help users develop database-searching techniques, address complicated reference requests, choose materials, and help users to define their needs.
- Jobs for librarians outside traditional settings will grow the fastest over the decade.
- Non-traditional librarian jobs include working as information brokers and working for private corporations, non-profit organizations, and consulting firms.
- Many companies are turning to librarians because of their research and organizational skills and their knowledge of computer databases and library automation systems.
- Librarians can review vast amounts of information and analyze, evaluate, and organize it according to a company's specific needs.
- Librarians also are hired by organizations to set up information on the Internet.
- Librarians working in these settings may be classified as systems analysts, database specialists and trainers, webmasters or Web developers, or local area network (LAN) coordinators.
Librarians play an important role in the transfer of knowledge and ideas by providing people with information. Jobs requiring similar analytical, organizational and communication skills include Archivists, curators, and museum technicians; Computer Scientists; Computer System Analyst; Teachers- Kindergarten, elementary, middle, secondary; Teachers- postsecondary.
- Master’s degree in Library Science (MLS)
This career information is drawn from data provided by the U.S. Department of Labor.