Academic librarian
Academic librarians provide support to members of an academic community including students, researchers and lecturing staff. Typically, an academic librarian will manage, organise, evaluate and disseminate information. They will often be responsible for a specific academic subject area or a particular function such as resource ordering, loans, special collections or ICT systems. They may also undertake project work for the library as a whole. A key aspect of their work is facilitating and supporting learning by teaching information retrieval skills to students and staff. Academic librarians spend a considerable amount of time working with electronic resources and are increasingly involved with database management and web page development. This role has little to do with reading books and is very much a people-focused occupation.
For academic librarians, specialist responsibility for an academic subject or function is common even at basic-level posts. The following is a list of tasks typically undertaken within the role:
Although this area of work is open to all graduates, qualifications in the following subjects may increase your chances of success:
Many institutions require applicants to have either a specific information management qualification or good experience in the field.
Vacancies for subject librarians will require specific academic subject area knowledge, and applicants will need to have a relevant degree in that subject area or be able to demonstrate a strong interest.
It is not possible to enter professional posts with an HND only.
Library assistant posts are open to non-graduates with a minimum of five GCSEs (A-C), although many applicants will have higher qualifications. Some library assistant posts may ask for an HND (no specific HND is usually sought, but a computing subject may be an advantage).
A postgraduate diploma or MA/MSc in Librarianship or Information Management/Science, accredited by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) , is essential unless your first degree is in information management. See the CILIP website for a list of courses. These postgraduate courses usually require significant experience of up to a year within a library environment. This is often gained within more junior and temporary positions. The CILIP website also has an annual directory of graduate training opportunities in a variety of library and information services. These are intended to provide the necessary experience for entry to postgraduate courses.
Pre-entry experience in at least one library or information environment is usually required.
Candidates need to show evidence of the following:
It is important to demonstrate your motivation by gaining relevant experience as early as possible. Search for pre-course experience in a wide range of libraries, not just academic ones or those in the CILIP scheme. Part-time or voluntary work in a library or information setting before graduating is a good start. Course funding is normally available from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) , but it is in short supply. Competition is tough for pre-course training posts, postgraduate courses and first professional posts, so be prepared to be flexible about geographical location.
Overseas qualifications are accepted if they are recognised by the CILIP. Qualifications from Australia, Canada and the USA are usually acceptable, as CILIP has a reciprocal agreement with professional associations in those countries. Qualifications from EU member states are also acceptable provided they are at degree level.
For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.
Professional development and further training are required to become a chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) . There are two training routes to chartership depending on the level of supervision available to the candidate. Chartered membership is the first level of professional qualification, usually awarded two or three years after graduation. Chartered members can use the letters MCLIP after their name. The second (and highest) level of membership is chartered fellowship (FCLIP), which can be applied six years after becoming chartered and is intended to demonstrate an advanced level of professional skills and expertise.
In addition to on the job training, short courses, workshops and seminars are offered by professional bodies such as the CILIP, The Association for Information Management (ASLIB) and through university training departments. Post-experience Masters degrees for mid-career professionals are available full or part time or by distance learning. Research degrees are also offered by most information studies departments.
Information professionals are expected to contribute to their profession by undertaking continuing professional development (CPD). This can be achieved by reviewing and contributing to professional literature, taking part in email discussion lists, teaching on relevant postgraduate courses as practitioners, networking and attending relevant conferences.
Academic librarians tend to specialise at an early stage in their careers. One way to do this is to become a subject librarian - perhaps starting as an assistant subject adviser. Another way to specialise is to focus on a particular function such as IT development or electronic resource management.
Career progression is steady rather than rapid. It is important to update skills periodically in addition to taking on and developing more specialised roles and knowledge. Obtaining higher level professional qualifications is also important in order to progress.
Competition is keen at all levels, so perseverance and dedication are necessary, not only to find a first post but also for any subsequent promotions.
Geographical mobility and a willingness to change posts are important for career progression. It is sometimes necessary to move between jobs in order to experience more than one type of work or setting, and it may be the case that promotion involves a change of employer and/or location.
Some information professionals undertake secondments with different institutions. Others take on special projects or move to another job on the same grade in order to increase their skills and experience. This demonstrates initiative, specifically in preparation for more senior posts. Many academic librarians become chartered members of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) and start applying for senior positions after having gained five years' or more experience.
Some professionals move into posts in other settings, including commercial organisations, professional practices, voluntary organisations, government departments, public libraries, schools, law courts and healthcare organisations. An information management qualification is recognised in many other sectors.
Typical employers include higher education institutions, further education colleges and research institutes attached to academic institutions. The size and arrangement of institutions vary considerably, but an institution's learning resource centre will consist of both information and computing facilities and will provide support to academic departments.
Some institutions may have many qualified librarians working on different sites and in different branches. This may involve travel between sites and possibly the use of different classification schemes and procedures. Branch librarians often enjoy a close rapport with their academic departments and staff. Central procedures, such as resource ordering, cataloguing and an inter-library loans facility, may be housed in a central location.
In smaller institutions with fewer staff, there may only be one information or resource centre, and academic librarians may find themselves undertaking a mixture of qualified and non-qualified tasks. However, they are likely to be closely involved in management decisions in view of the small size of the team and are, therefore, in a good position to get an overview of the entire operation.
A number of recruitment agencies handle professional vacancies. These include:
Get tips on job hunting, CVs and covering letters and interviews.
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