Case studies: Subject librarian: Graham Fennell

After completing a history degree, Graham worked as a graduate trainee with the Open University for 12 months. In 2006, he completed an MA in Library and Information Studies at University College London. He currently works at the University of East London as a psychology subject librarian.

Although the subject of my degree wasn't so important to work as a librarian, studying history helped me to demonstrate an aptitude in researching and using literature. Whilst many other librarians have studied English or history, I don't think it matters what subject is studied.

My day starts with checking numerous email enquiries from students and staff within my subject area. A rota is drawn up with all librarians spending some time on the library's enquiry desk, so I will usually work there for two hours each day. I attend meetings in the School of Psychology on a regular basis, representing the library. Collection management and book ordering responsibilities are also an important part of each day, along with checking daily statistics to gauge where the main demands are on the book collections in my subject area. At different times in the year, I also get involved with preparing and running training sessions.

There is a growing emphasis on information skills training, which includes a general move towards subject librarians gaining professional teaching qualifications. Other developments are related to the rise of online materials, such as developing e-book collections and becoming knowledgeable in the ever-expanding range of digital resources. I really enjoy my role, in particular adapting to how my job changes in light of the growth of digital resources.

A key aspect of my work is having professional autonomy whereby I can decide upon my own approach to the tasks and manage my own time, within the constraints of deadlines of course. My role contains a lot of variety, ranging from book ordering and supporting the students at the enquiry desk to promoting services and running classes.

A challenging aspect of the job is liaising with students and academic staff over contentious issues. I really enjoy the support from other colleagues in the library and as the role of a librarian is essentially very customer-focused, other librarians are generally very friendly and approachable.

Libraries are changing by increasingly moving to online information, with e-books and e-journals rapidly becoming the key resources. I believe it is important to develop skills in dealing with these types of resources. I would advise you to apply for chartership with the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) as soon as you obtain your first professional post, as this could open up more job opportunities. Some academic libraries require chartered status for certain roles, while others sometimes offer a higher salary grading for those with chartership.