Why a career in libraries might be for you

Hello, my name is Oliver and I recently commenced employment with the university as a Senior Information Adviser in the library customer service team. I am currently studying for a PGDip in Library and Information Services Management at the University of Sheffield and moved into this position from the public library sector. Having been asked if I may be interested in contributing to the blog, I thought it would be informative at this time of the academic year to detail the variety of career possibilities within libraries and the potential to directly use your subject knowledge to contribute to the education of students and scholarly practice.

Three reasons to consider a library career

1. The people and working environment

The chance to be surrounded by such knowledge and be able to support others in accessing resources are key motivators for me. With a strong incentive to support and aid students and academics in their learning across service areas, the university working environment tends to be a collaborative one that promotes personal and professional development and one where you can develop new skills.

2. The opportunities for development and advancement

The range of roles and skills that are called upon in the sector is constantly evolving. This can lead to developing new skills and gaining experience and capabilities in a myriad of areas. With the pandemic influencing the expansion of blended learning where teaching takes place both physically and remotely, a new set of opportunities have emerged that utilise learning technology, modern presentation software and the core liaison duties of librarians that assist students and academics.     

3. The opportunity to directly use your subject knowledge

The chance to utilise the knowledge you have gained from your undergraduate or postgraduate studies will be of great use to academic libraries in positions such as subject librarians. In a graduate labour market where it is often difficult to directly use the knowledge you have accrued from your studies, a library career will utilise and develop your comprehension of your subject, develop you as a scholar and aid you in assisting library users.

New roles in libraries

Academic libraries have found themselves regularly adapting their services due to digital advancements and the changing requirements of students and staff. This has led to the roles and responsibilities of library employees across all sectors to change and in doing so creating new and innovative job opportunities. In addition to the traditional subject librarian and acquisition roles that have themselves undergone change, academic libraries also employ a range of customer service staff, digital trainers, study support and IT professionals to supplement the teaching and wider library services. Achieving employment in these positions usually requires some formal library qualifications which I will elaborate on, however the subject knowledge from your undergraduate degree would be a solid grounding in which to provide scholarly support to learners.

Why study for a library qualification?

Since starting the Library and Information Services Management programme I would say that my abilities, knowledge and confidence have developed markedly and have been influential in my career progression. A core topic to the programme has been Information Literacy that broadly concerns the locating, organising and use of information. This has been complemented by modules on knowledge management and the organisation of information. These have provided broader skills concerning the sharing of information with others and how organising systems can improve the locating, retrieval and use of information resources. Library design, leadership and analysing how libraries engage with their users in the 21^st century have also featured alongside developing capabilities with various digital software, information databases and reference management software that have been required to engage with the course.

What does study for a library qualification involve?

Through completing assignments in the form of presentations, learning aids, essays, business reports, sketch plans and reflective practice, a library qualification can enhance your digital skills and prepare you for work, not just in a library setting, but in the modern workplace in general. The organisational skills I have developed on the course allowed me to manage a design and renovation project within the public sector (as pictured below) and provides an example of the variety of projects that are available to work on within libraries. Further details of such topics covered on library and information courses can be found online through searching for postgraduate qualifications or by visiting the CILIP website who are the professional body for library and information professionals in the UK. Here you will be able to see the courses that provide accredited pathways for progression in the sector.

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Conclusion

If you are interested in pursuing a career in library services, or would like to have a chat about the profession in general then please feel free to ask for myself at the Fountains Learning Centre desk. I would be happy to go through any questions you may have.

• By Oliver Bradburn, Senior Information Adviser at York St John