Library Specialist Job Description

Librarian Goal

The whole goal of what I do and what other librarians and people in the technical services do is to make sure that all of the information, materials, and resources we have can be as findable and accessible to people in the community as possible.

How to Become A Librarian

You would need to get a Master’s of Library and Information Science degree to become a librarian in most libraries. These jobs also typically require some library experience or it's preferred. So having some background in libraries in other positions is really helpful. Volunteer work always really helps, that sort of thing. There are certainly a lot of other jobs in libraries that do not require the Master’s degree, but most library systems will probably require a Master’s degree to get to a librarian position.

My Career Path to Librarian

The path I took to get to the job that I have now started in undergrad. I started working as a page at the public library in the town where I went to undergrad. I worked there part-time for a few years and realized that I would love to pursue a full-time career in the library world, preferably as a librarian.

So I worked some other jobs for a while but volunteered for the library for a few years and then eventually got into library school. I started working in a paraprofessional position in the Youth Services Department of the library system that I work for now. I worked in the Youth Services Department as a community library specialist, which is just one step down from a librarian position. I did that for a year while I finished library school and then I got a librarian position in a branch library.

Librarian Responsibilities

I provided reference services, helped patrons with technical issues like computers, and led programs such as story time.

Then I transferred to the main library in the technical services department, and that’s the position I currently hold. It’s a little different from the work I did before, but I found what I really want to do and love it now.

Library Tech Services Responsibilities

An average day or week for me is a very predictable schedule—8:00 to 4:30, Monday through Friday. I have a non-public-facing position, so I don’t work on a desk in the reference or circulation departments. Instead, I work in the office where I process incoming magazines. I manage the subscriptions for all of our magazines, deciding whether the titles are still a good fit for our collection, if we want to keep carrying those subscriptions for the library patrons, or if we want to cease them.

I also manage the DVD collection, which is surprisingly still very well-used. DVDs are actually one of our highest circulating collections in the library.