Librarian

Qualifications & Competencies

- A-levels: Typically, to become a librarian, you're required to have two to three A-levels, or equivalent, enabling you to access a university course and gain a degree.

- Bachelor's degree: A bachelor's degree is the minimum required level of education that is accepted to get a job as a librarian. Acceptable degree programmes include librarianship and information management.

- Experience: Gaining the necessary experience is essential to becoming a librarian.

- Certifications.

Responsibilities

- Create and use databases of library materials.

- Organize library materials so they are easy to find.

- Help library patrons to conduct research to evaluate search results and reference materials.

- Research new books and materials by reading book reviews, publishers' announcements, and catalogues.

Requirements

- Communication: A librarian communicates with patrons and users, explaining ideas and information in a way that they can easily understand.

- Computer literacy: Using computers is a daily part of the job, whether it's to help patrons to research topics, create databases, perform administrative duties or classify resources.

- Interpersonal skills: Being a librarian includes working in a team, with the public and with researchers, all calling for strong interpersonal skills.

- Problem-solving: Conducting research means being able to identify problems, interpret information and use critical thinking to make decisions and solve them.