Positions and duties
Specific
duties vary depending on the size and type of library. Olivia Crosby
described librarians as "Information experts in the information
age". Most
librarians spend their time working in one of the following areas of a
library:
Archivists can
be specialized librarians who deal with archival materials,
such as manuscripts, documents and records, though this varies from country
to country, and there are other routes to the archival profession.
Collection
development or acquisitions librarians monitor the selection of books and
electronic resources. Large
libraries often use approval plans, which involve the librarian for a
specific subject creating a profile that allows publishers to send relevant
books to the library without any additional vetting.
Librarians can then see those books when they arrive and decide if they will
become part of the collection or not. All collections librarians also have a
certain amount of funding to allow them to purchase books and materials that
don't arrive via approval.
Electronic
resources librarians manage the databases that libraries license from
third-party vendors.
School
librarians work in school libraries and perform duties as teachers,
information technology specialists, and advocates for literacy.
Instruction
librarians teach information literacy skills in face-to-face classes or
through the creation of online learning objects. They instruct library users
on how to find, evaluate, and use information effectively. They are most
common in academic libraries.
Media
specialists teach students to find and analyze information, purchase books
and other resources for the school library, supervise library assistants, and
are responsible for all aspects of running the library/media center. Both
library media teachers (LMTs) and young adult public librarians order books
and other materials that will interest their young adult patrons. They also
must help YAs find relevant and authoritative Internet resources. Helping
this age group to become lifelong learners and readers is a main objective of
professionals in this library specialty.
Outreach
librarians are charged with providing library and information services for
underrepresented groups, such as people with disabilities, low income
neighborhoods, home bound adults and seniors, incarcerated and ex-offenders,
and homeless and rural communities. In academic libraries, outreach librarians
might focus on high school students, transfer students, first-generation
college students, and minorities.
Public service
librarians work with the public, frequently at the reference desk of lending
libraries. Some specialize in serving adults or children. Children's
librarians provide appropriate material for children at all age levels,
include pre-readers, conduct specialized programs and work with the children
(and often their parents) to help foster interest and competence in the young
reader. (In
larger libraries, some specialize in teen services, periodicals,
or other special collections.)
Reference or
research librarians help people doing research to find the information they
need, through a structured conversation called a reference interview. The help may take the
form of research on a specific question, providing direction on the use of
databases and other electronic information resources; obtaining specialized
materials from other sources; or providing access to and care of delicate or
expensive materials. These services are sometimes provided by other library
staff that have been given a certain amount of special training; some have
criticized this trend.
Systems
librarians develop, troubleshoot and maintain library systems, including the
library catalog and related systems.
Technical
service librarians work "behind the scenes" ordering library
materials and database subscriptions, computers and other equipment, and
supervise the cataloging and physical processing of
new materials.
A Youth Services
librarian, or children's librarian, is in charge of serving young patrons
from infancy all the way to young adulthood. Their duties vary, from planning
summer reading programs to weekly story hour programs. They are multitaskers,
as the children's section of a library may act as its own separate library
within the same building. Children's librarians must be knowledgeable of
popular books for school-aged children and other library items, such as
e-books and audiobooks. They are charged with the task of creating a safe and
fun learning environment outside of school and the home.
A young adult
or YA librarian specifically serves patrons who are between 12 and 18 years
old. Young adults are those patrons that look to library services to give
them direction and guidance toward recreation, education, and emancipation. A
young adult librarian could work in several different institutions; one might
be a school library/media teacher, a member of a public library team, or a
librarian in a penal institution. Licensing for library/media teacher
includes a Bachelor or Master of Arts in Teaching and additional higher-level
course work in library science. YA librarians who work in public libraries
are expected to have a master's degree in Library and Information Science
(MLIS), relevant work experience, or a related credential.
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