Jack of All Trades, Master of Library Science
Cheryl LaGuardia is a librarian at Harvard University, and writes for Library Journal. She presents in this article a catalog of tasks and abilities that librarians should or do have, to get done the myriad of things that happen in a library. A brief sampling:
- HTML
- Integrated Library Systems (ILS)
- Mobile devices and apps
- Open source CMS
- Semantic Web
- Social media
- Systems analysis
- User centered design
- Web design
- AACR2 and LC classification and subject headings
- Assessment: qualitative and quantitative
- Benchmarking
- Budgets
- Collections analysis
- Conservation and preservation
- Copyright law expertise
- Digital preservation
- Distance education expertise
- Documentation management and analysis
- Editing skills
- Establish name and subject authority records
- Fundraising
- High ethical standards
- Hiring skills
- Integrity
- Leadership skills
- Management skills
- Marketing skills
- Mentoring skills
- Multitasker
- Networker
- Presentation skills
- Problem-solving approach and skills
- Public relations skills
- Supervisory skills
- Time allocation
I usually don't even get to share as much as Ms LaGuardia did, in terms of describing what I do as a librarian, before my victim (audience) glazes over. Sigh.
