Public librarian
Public librarians acquire, organise, promote and disseminate a wide range of resources to meet the diverse needs of the community. They support independent learning and provide a wide range of information on business, the community, careers, learning and recreation.
Public librarians are proficient in the use of ICT as part of the role involves assisting the public in accessing the internet and other web-based services. They may also spend time talking to and building up relationships with members of the public and assisting with specific learning needs or community groups.
Tasks include:
Some senior librarians may also be involved in the following activities:
Although this area is open to all graduates, the following subjects may increase your chances:
It is not possible to enter with an HND/foundation degree only. However, library assistant posts are open to non-graduates (most employers look for a minimum of five GCSEs grades A-C). Assistant posts are also used by people gaining experience before taking a postgraduate qualification.
A pre-entry postgraduate qualification accredited by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) is essential. A postgraduate diploma or MA/MSc in librarianship, information science or information management is required unless your first degree is in librarianship or information studies. Some universities will take experienced library professionals without a degree onto their postgraduate courses after an interview or enter them onto a postgraduate diploma course. Early application for postgraduate courses is advised. A limited number of Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) awards exist for funding full-time study. Very few authorities offer training posts that include course funding.
Pre-entry experience is essential. Up to one year of library experience is normally required for entry to postgraduate courses.
Candidates will need to show evidence of the following:
To work in specialist libraries, for example in a university or hospital setting, you may also need specific knowledge of the subjects covered.
Competition for pre-course experience posts is intense. As public libraries are often vulnerable to local authority reorganisation or spending cuts, post-qualification positions can be difficult to get. For details of trainee vacancies, see CILIP Graduate Training Opportunities .
For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.
In order to qualify for chartered membership of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) , you must undertake further training as part of a continuing professional development (CPD) programme and demonstrate evidence of appropriate skills gained through professional practice (usually for a period of around two years, although this varies slightly between authorities). Most members gain chartered membership two or three years after graduating. Chartered members are encouraged to go through a revalidation process three years after chartering and after each subsequent three-year period.
Fellowship, the highest professional qualification available to CILIP members, is open to any member who has been on the CILIP register and in professional practice for at least six years full time or its equivalent part time. Chartered members who have completed two cycles of revalidation are also eligible for fellowship.
Post-experience Masters degrees for mid-career professionals are available full or part time, or by distance learning, although it is unusual for employers to fund studies. Research degrees are also offered by all university libraries and information studies departments.
Staff may be sent on in-house or external courses to develop specialist skills. CILIP currently delivers on-site training courses in the following areas:
Geographical mobility and a willingness to change posts are essential for promotion and/or career progression. It is sometimes necessary to move between jobs in order to experience more than one type of work/setting, and it may be the case that promotion involves a change of employer and/or location.
Competition at all levels is keen, so perseverance and dedication will be needed not only to find a first post but also any subsequent promotions. Large libraries often have a clear structure for promotion to management positions with responsibility for a specific subject, service or site. Such positions usually require a number of years of professional experience. Managers can be responsible for particular areas of library service, for example, services to minority groups, or take overall responsibility for a specific area, such as acquisitions.
In small libraries, promotion and development opportunities are limited unless you move to other libraries, areas or authorities. Very senior roles are rare and highly competitive.
Public libraries are operated by local authorities and offer a very wide range of services to adults, children, the business community, minority ethnic groups and the housebound. Schemes may cover areas such as web awareness, homework clubs and reading groups.
Many major cities have large, central libraries with extensive loan stocks, specialist reference collections, rare and valuable materials and possibly music collections, with sub-branches in other cities and counties.
Towns and villages usually have smaller libraries. The role of the library in the community will greatly influence the type of positions available. Many branches are also used as community centres and some provide a base for citizens' advice bureaux, volunteer bureaux and other community information services. In addition to this, some libraries also devote space to town and village festival information, writing and literary events, and meetings with authors. Some local authorities also run prison libraries.
Other employers include:
Specialist recruitment agencies handle vacancies for full-time, part-time, temporary and permanent positions, nationwide and sometimes abroad. These include:
Get tips on job hunting, CVs and covering letters and interviews.
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