Complex Library Jobs and Services in Library Careers

When we talk about library jobs, of course, we always refer this in the world of library works. The field of library and information science is made up of a variety of professionals that help meet the growing demands of our information based society. Perhaps the fastest- growing group of libraries in the United States are the school libraries. There are tens of thousands of libraries in the elementary, junior high, and high schools. A generation ago, there were approximately 20,000 such libraries. This increase has come about partly because more children are enrolled in schools. But a more important reason is that changes have been made in the methods of teaching and learning. A class of seventh-grade children studying how their state government works, for example, may continue their assignment by seeing a motion picture, some members of the class may study a film strip about the state constitution. Some may watch a videotape of one of the governor’s press conferences, or listen to a recording of the governor’s inaugural address. All of these sources of information are available in a modern school library.

The school library or media center has become an indispensable part of education. Under librarian jobs, a carefully selected collection of books, magazines, newspapers, pictures, films, videotapes, recordings, and other materials are brought together, indexed, and arranged for convenient use. The school librarian is a part of the teaching team of the school and works with the other teachers in planning and determining topics that are most likely to be successful. For the inquisitive student, the library provides materials for independent study as well. For the student with special interests, the library can supply information to help develop a hobby. For all students, the library can provide a larger world of knowledge that will complement classroom instruction.

Part of a library job, university libraries collect publications in many languages and develop highly specialized collections of books, periodicals, manuscripts, and other materials. They are equipped for scholars and for graduate students who are preparing themselves for scholarly careers. To make the library’s collection useful, each university library needs a specialized staff to offer expert assistance in many subjects and in many languages. The university library consists of a network of specialized libraries to serve the faculty and students. The library system may typically emphasize such subjects and professions as engineering, music, commerce, fine arts, agriculture, medicine, law, chemistry, education, sociology, architecture, and psychology. It must also serve the entire academic community. In recent years, many universities have established undergraduate or ‘core’ libraries - sometimes in separate buildings, with smaller, less specialized, and easier to use book collections.



College libraries have more modest goals than university libraries because they serve academic institutions primarily concerned with teaching, although some colleges offer graduate degrees and many college teachers spend part of their time in research and writing. The book collections are smaller - generally, from 50,000 - 100,000 volumes, and most of the books are in the English language. The college librarians, with their assigned librarian job, are able to work closely with members of the teaching faculty in selecting books that will be useful to undergraduate students.

In some public libraries, adult services include an information and referral center for people who need help in using other community services. Information on voter registration, employment offices, health and family services, and other services are available, and individuals are guided to the appropriate agencies. Some libraries provide specialized information services to many trade organizations, research laboratories, manufacturing companies, government agencies, art museums, hospitals, newspapers, publishers, and others. Of course, those who take charge of the library works are often called librarians. A number of vocations are closely related to librarianship. Larger libraries need staff members who are skillful in preparing displays and exhibits, writing television and radio scripts, and preparing press releases. Some knowledge of librarianship is necessary to do such work, but artistic talent, creativity, and writing ability are even more important. Audiovisual specialists who work with films, audio recordings, videos, and similar materials are needed in public schools and colleges and in many public libraries.

With its librarian employment, a librarian usually has obtained a professional degree, a master’s degree in library science; however, there are many technical and clerical jobs in a library for persons who are library school graduates. The best way to begin a career in librarianship is to work as a student assistant in a school or college library or as an assistant in public or special libraries. This experience enables the student to see a part of librarianship from behind the counter so that the student can learn more about the profession.

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