Job prospects
Trained personnel in this field can find employment opportunities in areas
like:
-
Public/Government libraries
-
Universities
and other academic institutions
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News agencies and organisations
-
Private organisations and special libraries
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Foreign embassies
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Photo/film libraries
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Information centres/documentation centers
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Companies and organisations with large information handling requirements
-
Museums and galleries, which have reading rooms and research facilities
Some
library technicians are self-employed as researchers, consultants, cataloguers
etc. on short term contracts.
Career Options
Librarians are
information managers. Librarians assist people in finding information and using
it effectively. A librarian's work would involve acquiring, organising and dissemination
of information. Besides these, the planning and coordination of the library's
financial operations are also important and essential tasks to be performed. Specific
duties depends on the type of library and position held.
Acquisition of
knowledge/information involves selection, ordering and purchasing materials within
the budget limits. For this one must have to take into consideration users interest
and latest developments in various subjects to be able to maintain a balanced
collection.
Organising information involves classification, cataloguing,
storage, record keeping, shelving and maintenance of books and materials in a
manner so as to make it easily accessible to readers and users.
Dissemination
of information is the most important work of the librarian, one that is very much
directly related to users. A librarian thus disseminates information by answering
queries, issuing and receiving books as well as planning and organising activities
to encourage use of the library, like sending out a newsletter informing readers
of the latest acquisitions, or inviting a children's author to read his/her book
or sign autographs.
The career for a librarian may begin at the level of
library attendant and though the promotions may differ from organization to organization,
in general the levels followed thereafter are of library assistant, junior librarian,
assistant librarian, deputy librarian, and librarian. One may reach up to the
level of Director and head an information centre.
Library
Attendant: Takes care of inter-library loans shelving books, processing bills,
subscription renewals and new memberships.
Library Assistant: Main
duties involve accession, shelf arrangements, levying of fines, maintenance and
binding of books and other materials, location of missing books, and related technical
work.
Junior Librarian/Semi-Professional Assistant: Works at the
counter to receive and issue books, sends out reminders on overdue loans, looks
after accessioning.
Junior Librarian/Professional Assistant: Is responsible
for accessioning, classification, cataloguing, ordering books, as well as handling
computer data.
Junior Librarian/Assistant Librarian: Selects and
acquires books and material, takes care of reference services and computer programming,
as well as supervision of semi-professional assistants.
Deputy Librarian:
Oversees administration, supervision, and computer programming.
Librarian:
Is overall in charge of technical, administrative, and financial matters. Responsibilities
include delegation of duties, library supervision and management, personnel administration,
budgeting, classification and cataloguing, and recommendation of new acquisitions.
Director/Head Of Information Centre: Works at the policy and planning
level, and is responsible for the center's organization, coordination, control,
leadership, external relations, supervision and administration.
In information
services, designations could be:
Senior Information Analyst: Activities
include processing of information, indexing, documentation etc.
Junior Information
Analyst: Assists senior analyst in all aspects of work.
Information
Assistant: Information transfers, processing, storage and dissemination of
information under supervision of senior staff are the main tasks in this position.