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A Career as a Librarian

The job role

The main responsibilities of a Librarian, whether based in a public or academic facility, are to manage available resources and to provide high standards of service and assistance to customers.  The Librarian must be able to direct customers to the appropriate source of information according to the nature of their enquiry and should therefore maintain accurate and up-to-date records and catalogues of all books and resources available within the library.  Modern libraries now rely heavily on computers for the purposes of recording customer information and logging resources entering and leaving the library, and the Internet is commonly used by Librarians as a research tool.

In some remote locations, mobile library services are in operation and, within an academic environment, Librarians may also be required to participate in research activities and to provide information and training to students.

Relevant qualifications

A recognised Library and Information Studies qualification, and evidence of continuing professional development, are required in order to obtain Chartered Status with the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) which can then be followed by membership and fellowship.  Relevant degree and postgraduate subjects include Information Management and Information Services, and CILIP also offers graduate training schemes and voluntary placements.  Further professional accreditation and qualifications are available through the Association of Information Management (Aslib).

Skills requirements

A Librarian should ideally be naturally inquisitive with a keen interest in researching information on behalf of customers.  Good communication skills are important as they will deal heavily with members of the public and students on a daily basis and may even be required to liaise with other professionals in order to obtain information.

Career development

This is a notoriously low-paid industry sector and promotion prospects are rather limited.  However, opportunities are not just restricted to public libraries with positions available in academic institutions and within industry and commerce.  It is also possible for a Librarian to specialise in a particular subject such as law.