#library technicians

[sunlit-music]

Tumblr algorithms are living proof that algorithms can be terrible at recommending blogs you'd like, and that you need a real librarian or library technician (people, not robots) to recommend good blogs.

[dr-archeville]

What experience do you need to become a librarian? Do I need to go to school for it?

Yes… kinda.

If you want to become an actual capital-L Librarian, you will need a Master’s Degree in Library Science (MLS) or Library & Information Studies (MLIS).

But if you’d just like to work in a library, as a Library Assistant/Technician (as I did for twelve years at NCSU) or Library Page (which is typically the lowest level of library job), you’d probably be able to get that with just a Bachelor’s degree (or even a high school diploma or GED) and some experience in customer service (for circulation desk stuff) and/or clerical work (for handling books and journals and other material).

On top of that, there may be other qualifications based on what type of library you wish to work in.  If you want to work at a public library, you may need to take & pass a civil servant exam.  If you’re looking at a library in an elementary or high school, you may need a teaching certificate for that state.  If you want to work at an academic library in a college or university, their library staff are part of the university faculty, so there may be additional requirements based on that.  (On the upside, if you get work in a college/university library, and that school offers an MLS or MLIS program, you may be able to take those courses for a reduced tuition cost.)

Being able to pull (lots of) things our of your ass may also help.

You can find more info on the ALA website, here.  @ayellowbirds would you have anything else to add?

[whenalibrarian]

Hey! I want to become a librarian, and I currently work in a library as a Page, but I'm confused when I'm looking up schooling options and was wondering if I could have some words of advice? What is the difference between a Library technician and a Librarian? And should I take the course to become a library technician first, and then take the courses to become a librarian? Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, much appreciated!

Library technicians are considered support staff without a Master’s degree.   Librarians have an ALA-accredited degree.   A.L.A. has some great intros to the field.  It depends on what type of job you’ll be looking for and how much time/money/emotional wherewithal you will invest.

The differences between library technicians and librarians with MIS or MLS blur after a person has been working in the same culture for a long time. 

Library technicians can be tech savvy.

Librarians can be Luddites.

Librarians can turn their noses up at library technicians.

Library technicians can get stuck in a rut. 

Librarians can get stuck in a rut.

Library technicians can turn their noses up at librarians.

Library technicians can be Luddites.

Librarians can be tech savvy.

I’ve noticed that MIS/MLS degrees take more money and more immediate time investment, finishing and completing a degree that allows one to start at a better pay grade, many times working at a job with more non-salary benefits (additional vacation and sick leave days, or not having to using the time clock, for example).  The counterbalance is you often shoulder the “big picture” thinking for your environment, including the public credit (or humiliation) if there’s a poor outcome to a project.

For library technician degrees you’re entering the managerial track above your page work. Sometimes there’s a 12 or 15 month turnaround from classes to getting the degree.  Often called “support staff,” these people are the nitty-gritty implementation teams who work in the big picture designs and plans for the library.  But you may have to contend with things you contend with as a page: clock watchers who monitor your every clock in, the indignity of being dragged toward a 27 hour position without health care or vacation benefits, or the social/psychological toll of being considered “other” by the “real” librarians.  The counterbalance is that you become the expert in your field and then usually get to leave the work at the office.

Hmmm…. if you love working as a page, then definitely hit up your local librarians and library managers (perhaps working with their own technician degrees) to see what their advice on advancement is.   If you want to become a technician first, those with tech degrees or with years of experience as techs can definitely guide you.   Some of them may encourage you to enroll directly in library school, others may look at your individual situation and say taking the course to become a library technician is the best route.

I have known personally three or four librarians who started from the technician support staff level and one just got appointed, after 16 years, as the library director of her library.  Not all technicians desire to proceed to the top of the ladder.  They enjoy filling their roles as leaders who don’t have to manage the entire library.   Some librarians don’t know how to do the nitty gritty details because their managers and supervisors are so efficient and great.   In every environment, there’s probably people who clock in and clock out, take that paycheck and run, no matter what their career path has become.  The other side – librarians who can’t seem to stop getting degrees – is there as well.   For example, I once knew of an academic library who filled four positions with four doctorates of information sciences, the terminal degrees, Dr.s all, who worked happily as circ, ref, cat, and serial with only students to assist them.   

So you do you!  Let me say, each person and environment is unique.  You know what your environment is like, where you want to end up in the short term or long term, how long you want to invest your time, or how much money you have to spend to get there.  You’re the best person to determine whether or not you want to pursue advanced coursework between library technician and librarian.

Good luck!

[worldsfinestlibrarytech]

The Benefits of Joining a Local Association As a Library Professional

Let’s assume for a moment you have decided to pursue a career in the Library Information Technology field. Trying to find your first post-college job could be tough. Or maybe you’re curious about a certain topic and would like to do a deep dive into the subject.

 May I suggest applying for membership to a professional association?

 We’ll do a case study on the benefits using the MLA (Manitoba Library Association) website

Immediately you’ll notice the “Professional Development” and “Job Board” tab

 Well, Job Board might be self-explanatory (though I’ll do it anyway – inside you will find links to various postings for library professionals), I’ll go over the Professional Development tab

 In the pull down menu, you’ll find Trustee Learning, Partnership Education Institute, Continuous Education Certificate, and Partnership Journal

I won’t go into too much depth in this post on these but suffice to say these are a wide-variety of resources, including, but not limited to the above journal, a certificate program for your tracking your professional development among other useful resources.

Another tab above, was Scholarships and Awards, which includes both students entering the field as well as professionals already working.

 As you can see, associations like MLA or ALA do a wide variety of activities for their members. One especially important one, I did not touch on is Advocacy.

They will do outreach for you, and the community on the whole, on the importance of libraries. Which can sometimes be difficult for the average community member to fathom. However, libraries serve vital functions, and having these associations around to provide that branch certainly helps.

 Finally, membership in an association may help with networking with your fellow library staff. You may meet new people and encounter new ideas you may have not considered.

 Consider applying for membership to whomever your local body is. The benefits to yourself are great, and the continued value of the organization even greater.

[infomatt]

CLWD is a day for Canadians to recognize the valuable contributions made by all those who work in and for the libraries that are integral to our communities.

[stacksandranges-posts]

From Newbie Library Tech To An Emerging Vet

From Newbie Library Tech To An Emerging Vet

On the surface, I seem like a confident speaker. Usually, I can say things both prepared and improvised although two talks pushed my often submerged nerves to the surface. Both took place in front of the Library Technician students at the college, now divided into year 1 and two thanks to a new admission structure. (Previously, intakes like mine consisted of 30 students every two years, now it’s…

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[dr-archeville]

5 Reasons Why Being a Librarian Isn’t Boring at All

Libraries are changing -- and so are the jobs of the specialists who work there.

Libraries are changing -- and so are the jobs of the specialists who work there.

Financially savvy individuals know better than to dive headfirst into a dying industry.  When a job breathes its last breath, employees will be left scrambling to locate a new job that utilizes the same skills and pays around the same amount.

A few years ago with the rise of digital media, I wondered what would happen to all the libraries.  I imagined buildings abandoned, shelves empty, save for the occasional battered book, and everything covered in layers of dust.  However, libraries aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.  And librarians and library assistants are still relatively stable career prospects.  Here’s why.

1. Salary

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, library technicians and assistants earned a median wage of $13.43 an hour in 2015.  And even the library assistants who were paid the lowest in the industry averaged around $9.34 an hour.  If you pursue a library assistant job, chances are you will be paid above the federal minimum wage.  When you throw in the fact that the job doesn’t require you to invest in an expensive college degree, it’s a pretty solid employment opportunity.

The only downside is that a lot of the job opportunities are currently part-time, but that applies to a lot of jobs that don’t require a college degree.  This job can be a steppingstone to a far more lucrative librarian job.  Librarians earned an average of $27.35 an hour in 2015.  That’s an annual salary of around $56,880.  Even the lowest paid jobs within the industry paid an annual salary of around $33,810.  The only downside is that to become a librarian, individuals will need to earn an undergraduate degree and a masters in library science.

Read More: This Interview Technique Will Get You Hired

2. Upward Job Prospect Trend

Sure, electronic media has hurt the librarian profession, but it’s not severely wounded.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job opportunities for librarians and library technicians and assistants will continue to increase.

The job outlook from 2014 to 2016 for librarians is expected to increase by 2%.  And library technician and assistant positions will increase by 5%.  The fact that the industry continues to experience growth, even if it’s slow growth, is a good sign.

Read More: Book review: Reinventing Collapse

3. Libraries Are Proactively Changing

Public libraries have been making major changes to remain relevant in an increasingly digital world.  Here are some of those changes:

Offering movie rentals

Renting board and video games

Renting meeting rooms to businesses

Offering power tool rentals

Renting musical instruments

Offering free Wi-Fi

Providing access to 3D printers

Giving out free seeds to plant

Providing computer and tech classes

4. Even Federal Funding Cuts Can’t Keep Them Down

Yes, libraries are facing federal budget cuts this year, but it won’t decimate the ability of libraries to function and continuing to operate.  According to the Huffington Post, during economic downturns when libraries don’t receive as much federal or state funding, local communities have a pretty good track record of stepping in to save public libraries.  When they can’t cover operating costs, 87% of communities supported measures to grant their libraries the funding necessary to remain open.

Read More: 5 Easiest Ways to Score Free eBooks

5. Broad Range of Librarian Jobs

The employment opportunities for librarians are far more expansive than gigs at small public libraries and schools.

Larger libraries often allow individuals to really specialize in a specific skill set.

User service librarians aid individuals in navigating the library and finding material to conduct research.

Technical service librarians obtain, prepare, and organize library materials.

Administrative services librarians are focused on the more business-oriented aspects of the library (staffing, budgets, library material contracts, and fundraising).

Librarians can also work in nontraditional librarian jobs.

Corporate librarians are hired by private businesses (insurance companies, consulting firms, and publishing companies) to assist employees as they conduct research.

Government librarians assist government staff.

Law librarians work in law school libraries and law firms.  They organize legal resources and aid lawyers, law students, judges and law clerks with their research.

Medical librarians help health professionals, patients, and researchers find health-related information.  They teach medical students how to find information and answer consumer health questions.

Libraries and librarians have continually fought to remain relevant as technology has rapidly changed.  Due to the hard work of librarians, library organizations, and many others, library based careers are still a lucrative career choice.

Yeesss

Also, obligatory pic is obligatory:

[dr-archeville]

Its be nice to a Librarian day! *huggles*

Aww, thanks!  *huggles back*  Though I must point out I’m not a Librarian per se — they have MLS degrees, which I do not.  I am/was merely a Library Technician.