Librarian Job Description Example

Librarian Job Description Example

What Does a Librarian?

A librarian has the responsibility to manage a library.

The librarian job description includes supervising the activities of other library staff members, depending on his/her position or status in the library.

He/she may be required to give helpful information and training to new members of staff, and may equally be involved in recruiting new members of staff.

Aside overseeing the activities of the library, the librarian role also involves developing information programs that can be used in organizing the materials in a library.
Such programs should be focused on making materials-search very easy for readers. The librarian will therefore need to be knowledgeable in computer programming to some extent, even if not extensively.

The major aspects of a librarian’s works are classified into 3. They are:

• Technical services
• Administrative services
• User services.

The professional librarian must be knowledgeable in all three, since the work at hand may prompt the application of skills from any of the three aspects.

The librarian may however be a specialist in any of the three, but he/she will still be required to carry out tasks related to the other aspects where he/she is not a specialist.

It should be noted that libraries do not deal in books only anymore; these days, libraries also stock media materials. Library materials are both in hardcopies and softcopy.

The librarian should therefore be able to deal with both the soft and hard copy materials in the library.

He/she should understand the workings, functions, and operations of these media equipment and be able to also maintain them.

There is rarely no standard library the world over that does not have virtual section. The librarian must be familiar with the materials in this section and be Internet savvy, since he/she may be required to help readers in searching for certain information on the Internet.

He/she should also be able to handle, use, and maintain CD-ROMs, and must have the ability to access innumerable online sources remotely.

The librarian can also be referred to as information professional. In actual fact, he/she should be well informed about issues in several aspects of human endeavor, since readers may need his/her professional or informational input in certain issues, or on certain subjects.

He/ she should be well knowledgeable of the materials in the library and how to locate such materials.

On many occasions when readers get confused on where particular materials are located in the library, they will require the direction of the librarian to locate them.

He/she should therefore know virtually all the materials in the library and be able to tell off hand where they can be found on the book shelves.

The work description of the librarian or information professional also entails having a good knowledge of latest global developments in library management.

He/she should be well versed too in computers and publishing. Such knowledge is very helpful in organizing the various materials available in the library.

Librarian Job Description Example

The duties, tasks, and responsibilities of librarians are varied and are geared towards effective and efficient operation of libraries.

Shown below is an example of a librarian job description, detailing the functions and roles librarians majorly play in most libraries:

• Recruit and train new members of staff
• Provide universally designed and barrier-free environment to enable equitable access to library farcicalities
• Oversee the activities of library volunteer staff, students, educational library assistants and other library-related professionals while they are in the library
• Select and use the particular technological application for the purpose of library management
• Maintain and create conducive learning and teaching environment in the library
• Organize the library to make it flexible, safe, and inviting
• Create procedures and processes for easy resource sharing, circulation, acquisition, and selection of library materials
• Evaluate and supervise the activities of all support staff members
• Ensure continuous improvement in library’s strategic planning.

Librarian Resume Preparation

If you are trying to get a new job as a librarian, you will be required to provide a resume showing your competence and experience.

The job experience section is one of the sections employers will like to see in your resume.

You can make this section with information stating the duties and responsibilities of a librarian shown in the sample job description above.

Requirements – Skills, Knowledge, Abilities – for Librarian Job

A librarian needs to develop the following abilities, knowledge, and skills to improve his/her effectiveness on the job and succeed in it:

• Education: Master’s degree or Bachelor’s degree in Library and Information-related fields of study. He/she must have obtained the degree from a recognized or accredited institution
• Possess expertise and knowledge in ICT and resource ordering
• Possess excellent verbal and written skills
• Ability to give public presentation
• Ability to professionally assess library resources towards meeting readers’ needs
• Ability to work as a team member
• Possess managerial skills
• Ability to use the Internet and database effectively
• Possess good interpersonal skills to enable him/her carry other members of staff along
• Possess top line organizational skills
• Ability to motivate other members of staff to deliver on goals and objectives of the library.

Librarian Skills for Resume

The skills section of a librarian resume will have greater impact on employers if it shows relevant skills and qualities for effective work delivery.

Therefore, using the above librarian skills and attributes in your resume will make it more compelling because they are what employers expect applicants for the position to possess to be effective on the job.