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.