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Monday, May 19, 2014

What do you think Librarians actually do? The answer might surprise you.

A colleague shared this article around the library recently. 

 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
 What does your job description look like? 

 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.