1. Employment Profile: What exactly does a Reference Librarian do? |
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 What field is your job in?
Library
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What is your job title?
Reference Librarian
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Please provide a brief description of the firm or organization that you currently work for
(size and general description of what type of organization it is)
I work in a mid-sized public library. We have 25 staff members and serve a population of over 22,000 residents. We provide books, DVDs, CDs, videos, audiobooks, and magazines for both in-library use and for checkout. We have 13 computers with Internet access and provide reference and information services.
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How long have you been employed in this position?
1 year
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How many hours do you work a week on average?
35
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Please provide a BRIEF description of your duties and responsibilities. (job description)
Set patrons up with computer access, plan programs for adults and teens, provide reference services over the phone, in person, and via email, organize interlibrary loans and assist patrons with research projects.
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What was your gross income last year? Please include any bonuses or incentives received.
$43,000
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What is your expected gross income for this year? Please include any bonuses or incentives you expect to receive.
45000
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Please
list any benefits you have (Please include number of weeks vacation,
sick leave and type of health insurance, retirement plan 401k)
medical, dental, vision, state retirement plan
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Do you feel you are under/well/over compensated at your current position?
Under.
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2. Work environment! |
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Does
your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this
something you like/dislike about your job? Explain
Yes. I work with the public, and I am a member of a large staff. I work with over 25 people and speak to/assist from 50 to 200 people a day. It is something that I both like and dislike. I do enjoy working with the public, but it is probably a 70/30 like/dislike ratio. You can't please everyone, and unfortunately there are always a few rotten apples.
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Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes
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Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
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Describe
your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what
you like/dislike about working in it
I work in an office-type setting. The library is very quiet, and while I enjoy it most of the time, it can be stifling. Library patrons all have their own ideas of what a library "should" be like, so nobody is ever really 100% happy with it. It's always too loud or too quiet for someone.
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Please rank in order of importance from 1-8 (1- most important 8- least important) Assign each number once.
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3 Income
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2 Work Environment - co-workers
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1 Work Environment - supervisors
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7 Benefits
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4 Hours
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5 Level of responsibility
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6 The actual "work" you do at your job
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8 Job Title
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3. How should someone new to the workforce get a J-O-B like yours? |
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If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
1. Get a master's degree in library science from a school that is accredited by the American Library Association, 2. Work part-time in a library while going to school, to gain work experience, 3. Do an internship (or two!) and 4. Join mailing lists and online groups to gain perspective on what being a librarian is really like.
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What
skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a
position like yours? Please be specific and explain why (e.g., social
skills, organization skills, technical skills)
You need a variety of skills to be a successful reference librarian. You must be sociable, as you need to connect with your patrons and their needs. If you are not social, you should be a cataloger. You need to be organized to keep track of requests and information. And you need many, many technical skills- you'll be called upon to fix computers, assist patrons in using the Internet, and you'll probably have to unclog a toilet or two before you retire.
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Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Yes. You need a master's degree.
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What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Working in a public library is not all about story time and bestsellers. It's about homeless people falling asleep on the newspaper and cranky old ladies who demand to know where the phone books are. It's about spending hours planning programs that nobody shows up to. You'll be a wrangler of teenagers, a soother of hurt feelings, the champion when you find the perfect book and the goat when you can't find the article on nuclear-fueled corn powered hybrid rocket scooters from Upper Mongolia. Be prepared for anything, and then when you have a nice, quiet day, thank your lucky stars.
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