Career As a School-College Librarian: School Media Specialist

CAREER AS A SCHOOL COLLEGE

LIBRARIAN

Institute Research Number 159 ISBN 1-58511-159- 7 DOT Number 100.167-030 O*Net SOC Code 25-4021.00

CAREER AS A

SCHOOL – COLLEGE LIBRARIAN SCHOOL MEDIA SPECIALIST SOME TIME IN HISTORY, A STEREOTYPE

of the school librarian emerged: the prim woman, graying hair coiled firmly in a bun, checking books in and out, and admonishing students who were late returning books and hushing them if they talked out loud. If ever that librarian existed, she exists no more. Today’s school librarian may be young or old, male or female. He or she is a media-savvy professional, always up-to-date on the latest technologies and trends in education. School librarians – also known as library media specialists or school media specialists at the K-12 level (kindergarten through 12th grade) – now juggle many roles and may have different titles, including teacher, information specialist, media specialist, public relations professional, manager, and administrator. 2

As new technologies have emerged over the past few decades, the librarian’s role has evolved. The traditional library, lined with bookshelves and searched manually using a card catalog, has been replaced by a sophisticated multi-media environment where students can access information via the Internet, CD-ROMs, and DVDs. Projects that would have once taken weeks or even months can now be completed in the space of hours, thanks to these new electronic tools. Computers are enabling students to quickly look for books, research term papers, or visit a museum thousands of miles away. Students can even browse library holdings without stepping foot in the library, just by logging on to their home computer. To adapt to these changes, librarians have had to become adept at navigating the digital landscape and working with sophisticated technologies. School librarians must also keep up with the latest publishing trends, choosing books and other materials that are not only relevant, but appropriate to the students’ age- and reading-level and to the teachers’ classroom curricula. They must be able to step into administrative and managerial roles, negotiating contracts for library materials and equipment, hiring and supervising library staff, overseeing budgets, and even raising funds for the library through book sales and other events. But even as the school librarian’s responsibilities have changed, the core of the job remains the same: to coordinate educational efforts with school faculty, and to gather and share information with students. That information may come in many forms – books, magazines, websites, story time, or library skill instruction.

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ROLES OF THE SCHOOL LIBRARIAN Teacher This role is most essential during the K-12 years – those formative years when children are learning to read, write, and to develop their skills as students. First and foremost, a librarian’s responsibility is to the students, and he/she must be diligent about determining and fulfilling their academic needs. The librarian identifies these needs through discussions with teachers and school administrators, as well as by talking to the students directly. He/she then designs and builds the library’s collection to support and enrich classroom curricula, and to enhance the students’ information-gathering abilities. The librarian designs special assignments that integrate classroom materials, while teaching valuable reference searching skills. After guiding students in their search for relevant information, the librarian must teach them how to access that information by themselves. That teaching role is of utmost importance, because it sets students up to achieve in future academic and research endeavors. In fact, a recent study found that students’ reading test scores in schools where library media specialists played an instructional role were an average of five to 10 points higher than test scores in other schools.

Reading Advocate Librarians who work in K-12 schools are also charged with fostering a love of reading in their students through such activities as book talks, story times, and library exploration. They help students pick out books that match their reading level and interests, and work closely with teachers to develop age-appropriate curricula and acquire materials that support classroom instruction. Librarians may also create special events to get children reading. They may stage a puppet show, show the movie version of a children’s book, host an arts and crafts project, or sponsor a summer reading contest, offering prizes for the most books read.

Reference Specialist Reference librarians are expert sleuths, tracking down information and research materials for students, professors, and academics. But first, they must determine the needs of each individual by asking a few questions. What is the project? What subject(s) does it cover? Which materials are best suited to the project – print, audio-visual, or database? Where can these materials be found – within the library, at other libraries, or on the Internet? 4

With technological innovations, the search for information has now gone far beyond the library’s walls. In addition to their own collections, reference librarians now have at their disposal online databases, magazines and journals, and catalogs from thousands of other libraries.

Collection Administrator Most K-12 librarians, and reader services librarians at the university level, make the decisions when it comes to purchasing library materials. To make educated decisions, librarians must keep up with publishing trends. To locate curriculum-appropriate books, magazines, videos, and other materials, librarians regularly read publisher catalogs, book reviews, and Internet guides. With the wealth of media options now available, the librarian must also decide which format is most appropriate: for example, would a print copy or a CD-ROM version of a science encyclopedia best suit the students’ needs? The book would be more portable, but a CD-ROM might be easier to search and update with current material.

Technical Services Without organization, no library would be able to keep its doors open. The vast volumes of information that make up each library’s collection must be cataloged and managed. These tasks are completed by the general librarian in grade and high schools, and by a specialized technical services librarian at the college or university level. This librarian classifies books and other materials by subject, date, format, author, title, and several other characteristics, creating a record that is kept in a card catalog or computer database where students can easily find it. With the advent of the Internet, catalogs are accessible online, enabling students to access and search databases from home. The technical service librarian may also oversee book circulation, add new books to the collection, and replace worn or damaged materials.

Manager Behind the scenes, the librarian defines the library’s policies and practices, manages budgets, hires and supervises qualified employees. The librarian must set and then enforce all of the rules and regulations governing the library. These include lending policies – for example, how long students can keep books, how often they can renew them, and how much they will be fined for late or lost books. Regulations also extend to the use of library computers and Internet access, including restricting young students’ access to inappropriate materials. 5

Without careful budgeting, the library would quickly run through its yearly monetary allocation and have nothing left over for special events or projects. It is the librarian’s job to oversee budgets, decide where money will be spent, and petition school administrators for additional funds when needed. Even in the smaller schools, the job of running a library is too great for just one person, which is why the work load is shared by assistants, technicians, and volunteers. The librarian must select these employees after a careful interview process, and, once they are hired, supervise them on a daily basis. The number of library technicians is expected to grow faster than the number of librarians over the next decade, which means that librarians can look forward to overseeing an increasing number of employees.

Media Specialist These days, librarians are required to be technically expert because they work with a wide range of media on a daily basis. Most libraries maintain their own computerized databases, which the librarian sets up, manages, and trains students to use. Librarians must be able to navigate their way around the Internet both to locate information and to share that information with other libraries remotely. Many librarians are also media specialists, responsible for handling and setting up audio-visual equipment for classrooms. Some develop and maintain their library’s website. Once fully acquainted with the wealth of equipment available, media specialists share their knowledge with their students. The lessons may range from basic instruction on using a computer mouse, to more complex tasks, like updating a Web page. The media specialist also shows students how to navigate the overwhelming volume of information on the Internet to make their search more manageable. The smaller the library, the more responsibilities the librarian will have. In larger university libraries, a librarian will specialize in one area, such as acquisitions, reference, special collections, or cataloging. In small primary school libraries, the librarian may do everything from shelving books, to helping students locate resources, to setting up the library’s website.

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The Expanded Role of the College Research Librarian At university libraries, professional librarians are also expected to conduct ongoing research, publish, give lectures, and become actively involved in professional organizations. University librarians are also charged with the preservation of historically significant materials. They may be involved in transferring printed materials to microfilm, restoring damaged items in the collection, or archiving information to computer databases.

HISTORY OF THE PROFESSION THE HIS TORY OF THE SCHOOL LIBRARIAN PREDATES THE OPENING OF THE FIRST

library. In fact, librarians would have little more to do today, had it not been for the advent of written language. To examine the history of the written word, we have to travel back more than 25,000 years to the cave walls that housed the first primitive images. Cave paintings represented man’s earliest attempts at preserving his stories to pass on to future generations. The advent of a true writing system coincides with the transition from a wandering hunter-gatherer lifestyle to a more stable agrarian society. Symbols representing objects or concepts have been found that date back to the ancient Mesopotamians (3500 to 2000 BC). These inscriptions were made by marking with the sharp tip of a reed or stick in wet clay tablets. The tablets were then baked to preserve the text. The symbols became known collectively as cuneiform. The ancient Egyptians took the next step in developing a written language. Their collection of signs and symbols became known as hieroglyphics, or “writing of the gods.” The Egyptian alphabet consisted of 24 signs that represented individual letters. For the first time, written text became portable, as the Egyptians began using papyrus (made from reeds found along the banks of the Nile river) to record their language. Around 1,000 BC, alphabets began emerging in civilizations along the eastern Mediterranean. The Phoenicians, Greeks, and Etruscans all developed their own forms of writing. By around 500 BC, the Greek alphabet began to resemble the letters we use today. The Greeks developed the precursor to the modern alphabet by building upon the Phoenician writing system and adding vowels to the Phoenicians’ consonants. Following the Roman conquest of Greece in the first 7

century BC, the alphabet began to take on a recognizably modern form. In fact, the letters of the English alphabet originate from the Roman version. The Romans wrote on papyrus, wax, or parchment, and developed a more flowing cursive script. Paper was invented by the Chinese in 100 AD, although it was not used in other parts of the world until several hundred years later. As written language caught on, and more and more authors began recording their thoughts on paper, the need arose for places to store and collect their works. These depositories became known as libraries. The ancient Greeks were the first proponents of the library, an idea that grew out of their love of literacy and intellectual pursuits. The earliest libraries were filled with books that had been reproduced in copy shops and sold by book dealers. Though the first public library emerged some time around the fourth century BC, private libraries were more prevalent at the time. The Greek philosopher Aristotle, for example, is said to have amassed a large private collection. The first great library was built in Alexandria around 300 BC. Some of the books in its collection were purchased from markets in Athens, Rhodes, and other cities along the Mediterranean. Others were acquired through more unscrupulous means, stolen from visitors who were disembarking from ships docked in Alexandria, or borrowed from other cities’ collections and never returned. Books at the time were not made from paper, but rather from scrolls made of papyrus and sometimes leather. Each of the rolls in the collection had to be handwritten by scribes. At its height, the library held close to half a million scrolls. The library became an intellectual meeting place frequented by scientists and scholars. But by the beginning of the Christian era, fire, war, and plunder destroyed the Alexandria library and decimated its once great collection. Only its legacy survived to provide a model for future libraries worldwide. In the second century BC, the Romans boasted their own substantial library collection, much of it pillaged through wars and gathered from private collections (including Aristotle’s). After Julius Caesar’s death, a large public library was built in Rome. The library was staffed by slaves and freedmen, who ferried the large papyrus rolls back and forth. Scribes copied manuscripts to add to the collection and repaired damaged rolls. The title of library director was considered a great honor, and coveted by many aspiring government servants. At the time, libraries remained the domain of the intellectual elite:

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teachers, scholars, and scientists. The general population did their reading at the baths, which housed their own libraries. Following the collapse of the Roman Empire in the fifth century AD, public libraries virtually disappeared in the Western world, due to insufficient government funds and a lack of interest. But the religious community took over. Monasteries built their own libraries, housing extraordinary collections filled with manuscripts the monks dutifully and meticulously copied by hand. The monasteries expanded their collections by lending books to one another, which introduced the idea of the inter-library loan. During the Renaissance, and its revival of Greek and Roman thought, many European aristocrats built substantial book collections. Many of them donated their books to the new universities opening throughout Europe, which themselves founded large and significant libraries for their students and faculty. At the time, most books were reproduced manually by hand or with woodcuts. But an enterprising inventor named Johann Gutenberg changed all that when he came up with the idea of the moveable press around 1455. With his printing press, books could be produced and reproduced relatively cheaply and easily. Gutenberg’s innovation replaced bulky scrolls with more portable printed books. The popularity of libraries grew during the 1600s and 1700s. Many state-funded collections were started, and developed into national libraries. The French opened a national library in Paris, called the Bibliotheque Nationale de France, in 1367. In 1759, the British Library, the largest library in the country, opened its doors. Italy boasted several important libraries in Florence, Vatican City, and Milan. The first American library was started in 1638, when a Massachusetts clergyman named John Harvard donated 400 books to a university that eventually adopted his name. The Harvard University library has since grown to become the largest of its kind in the country. Another clergyman named Thomas Bray started the first free lending libraries in the colonies in the 1600s. In 1731, Benjamin Franklin founded the first subscription library, in which members paid dues to borrow books. It was called the Library Company of Philadelphia.

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The introduction of the school library coincides with the development of the public library in the late 19th century. As waves of immigrants arrived on America’s shores, the idea of free public education developed, and along with it the idea of the free public library. The first public library in the country opened in 1833 in Peterborough, New Hampshire. Philanthropist Andrew Carnegie helped fund more than 1,700 public libraries between the late 1800s and early 1900s. One of the most passionate proponents of the school library was Melvil Dewey, originator of the Dewey Decimal System used to classify and organize library collections. Dewey helped establish the American Library Association (ALA) in 1876. In 1892, he helped pass a bill that provided funds to school districts for the purchase of library books. Around the turn of the 20th century, the role of the librarian was still considered to be clerical in nature. But library proponents began recognizing that school librarians shared an educational role alongside teachers, and as such required formal training. In 1887, Dewey established the first school for library science at Columbia University in New York. Twenty students were enrolled in its inaugural class. After World War II, more and more universities began designating separate programs for library science. The first school library standards were developed by the ALA and the National Education Association (NEA) in 1920. The rules stipulated that librarians have at least one year of education and one year of professional training, and that each school library allocate at least six books per student. Sadly, the state of the school library remained poor until the 1950s. The majority of schools did not have their own libraries, and those that did had poorly trained librarians and small book collections. The 1960s saw a period of tremendous growth in school libraries, with new standards, increased federal funding, and the Knapp School Libraries Project (which set up demonstration libraries to show administrators how a school library should be run). In the following two decades, the quality of school libraries improved dramatically. Schools began focusing on the technology boom, integrating video, audio, and computers into their libraries and transforming their librarians into trained media specialists.

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THE WORK YOU WILL DO The K-12 librarian Today’s school librarians do far more than simply check books in and out. Their responsibilities are challenging, and their roles varied. Much of their time is devoted to helping students acquire information and supporting their academic development. On a day-by-day basis, the school librarian meets with students, either as part of a classroom group or individually, helps them determine what types of information they need, guides them to that information, and then helps them use it most effectively. To foster the students’ love of reading, librarians set up story times for younger children and literacy programs for more advanced students. Where the card catalog was once the only tool at the librarian’s disposal, technology has now added a wide range of options, from audio and video to the Internet. Expanded resources mean that librarians must set up and maintain electronic databases and catalogs. They must also select age- and curriculum-appropriate media and determine how they can be used most effectively by the students. And, they are often charged with setting up and overseeing the library’s website. Although the bulk of the librarian’s day is spent in the library, their role does not end within its four walls. The librarian must work closely with other departments and faculty to ensure that all are working toward a common goal. And, the librarian must often lead in the efforts to promote and raise money to fund ongoing and new library projects.

The University or Research Librarian The job description of a university or research librarian, is somewhat different and often more specialized than that of a grade- or high school librarian. At the university level, librarians may work in the circulation area, checking books in and out. In the reference area, they help students and faculty locate various resources. In technical services, they organize and maintain the library’s collection. University or research librarians may also be expected to publish in their field of study, give lectures, teach courses or seminars, and supervise library assistants.

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THE PROFESSIONALS SPEAK I Am a Librarian at an Ivy League University “In 1978, I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a master’s degree in history and a concentration in Middle East history. I am originally from Iran, but because of the revolution there, I decided not to go back and began looking for a job in the United States. Teaching jobs were competitive at the time, so I took a part-time job in the Harvard University library as a researcher while I worked on my PhD. Harvard needed my expertise in the Middle East. I became an advisor to the Middle Eastern librarian in Harvard’s Widener library. This was my first exposure to a library job and it gave me a second career choice. I found that many people with PhDs in sociology, history, and other subjects were working in the library. This opened a new door for me. At that point, I applied to library school at Simmons College in Boston. I finished my master’s degree program there in two years. While at Simmons, I worked as an intern at the Northeastern University library. After I graduated with a master’s degree in information science, Harvard hired me as a serial librarian working on foreign languages – German, Spanish, English, and French. In 1989, my wife was working in New York, and I decided to move to New Jersey to join her. I wasn’t sure where to apply for a job, until one day I was walking on the campus of Princeton University and I saw the beautiful fountain and central gardens. I thought it would be a good place for me to work for the rest of my career. Luckily, they had an opening. I have been at Princeton since 1990. My title is Librarian III, one of the highest ranks in the library. The job requires very serious research. Part of my job is to process books and create records in the computer. With my background, I focus on foreign materials, especially Arabic and Persian. I enjoy keeping up with publications from other countries. The most interesting part of my job is contributing to the name authority files (NAF) for the Library of Congress. These files 12

contain information about authors to be included in research library databases. When I get the publication in hand, I research the name and background of the author or corporation. When the name is established, it creates uniformity in the database. Every time you use that author or corporation’s name, you know what to search for. There are strict rules and regulations on how to maintain the entries that all research libraries have to follow. I’m one of the few people in the nation who does this job for the Library of Congress for Persian materials, and Princeton is the only institution that provides this service among research libraries. The training took a year-and-a-half. Now we have our own database, called Voyager, into which we catalog, input, and research information about each book. This is downloaded into a uniform system called Research Library Integrated Network (RLIN) for all research libraries. Today, publishing companies are providing much of the research information I used to search for. They give you the author’s name, title, place of publication, date, and general subject. I used to provide that information to the user. I would also do research to find out how many copies were published and how many editions. I used to spend days sometimes finding that information. I’m still doing some of that, however, because publishing companies in other countries aren’t as sophisticated as they are in the United States. I search on the Web for most of the information I need. I’m not in the reference department, but sometimes when students and faculty cannot find something they want me to help them. If I don’t find a book in our library, I can make a request and have it sent to me. I can also send out books anywhere in the United States. We share our books with members of a library consortium. Consortiums are reducing the need for trained librarians, but they are also shortening the time we spend looking for books. Sometimes we also do projects. Right now, I’m cataloging all serials published in Iran, a valuable source for the 20th century history of Iran. I’m restoring information that would be lost if people like me did not input it into the computer. Some of the books go back 50 years or more. I have to input the books one by 13

one. Every single book gets an author and title entry. After I finish my work, someone else will put it on the Web. It will be used by historians looking for information about Iran – they will have access to magazines, newspapers, and books about this era. I hope one day the text of these publications will be added to the information I’ve inputted. Because I’m a historian, the research is the most interesting part of my job. Whenever someone sends me something unknown, it’s a challenge. I spend hours solving puzzles. This is like detective work. When I have a book with very little information, I have to go after all sorts of details. When I find out, it’s very satisfying and gratifying. I bring to life something that was dead. In this profession today, it’s very important to know different database systems. Research librarians must have good computer skills. Ten years ago, candidates would come to research libraries with no computer background and the library would train them in whichever system they were using. Today, the Web is taking over and replacing many of the things we used to do internally. You have to be Web-oriented and establish your own search methods. Computer skills are becoming crucial. Candidates need to know computer indexing, HTML, and other computer skills. Today in library schools they have all sorts of computer classes. When I went to college in the early 1980s, I think I had one computer course. A background in history or other subject area is still important, but it no longer takes priority.”

I Am a Librarian at a Private Grade School “I began my career as a teacher, but although I loved working with children, I didn’t really enjoy being in the classroom. One Saturday night, my husband and I were having dinner out with another couple, and the woman was a school librarian. She knew that I was unsure of where I wanted to go with my career. She said, ‘You love children and you love books, so why don’t you get a library degree.’ I remembered that I had always envied the school librarian where I taught because I have such a love of literature, and I thought, ‘Why not?’

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On that Monday, I called Case Western Reserve University, and found out that registration for their master’s in library science program was starting the next day. So I registered and graduated with my degree in 1975. After graduation, I was unable to land a school librarian job right away. But with my degree I was able to get a job in a public library working as a children’s librarian. It was a few years before I landed my first school librarian job, working at a public grade school in Massachusetts. I was substituting for a librarian who was out on maternity leave. When I got there, the library was completely disorganized. Over the year that I was there, I cleaned up the collection, removed outdated books and replaced them with new titles. I also taught 24 classes a week. When the students came to the library, I taught them how to appreciate literature. I also worked with the older children to improve their research skills. After a year, the woman I had replaced returned and I lost my job. I then worked as a substitute teacher until my daughter was born. When she started school, I returned to work as a children’s librarian in a public library. I worked there for a year and liked it, however I always wanted to return to a school job. When the public school librarian I had replaced several years earlier left, the school offered me the job and I returned for another year. In 1999, I moved to Florida and began working in the library of a private grade school, where I continue to work today. I have helped build the library from the ground up. In the past two years, we’ve increased our collection from 2,400 volumes to 5,400 volumes, and we’ll ultimately have between 8,000 and 9,000 books. I use library review journals to look for new inventory, and I rely on recommendations from parents and students. I teach 12 classes a week and read stories to the children. Now that we have the Internet at our disposal, my job is not just about teaching children how to search through book stacks and card catalogs. Now I teach the children how to search a computerized database to find what they need. It used to be that three-quarters of a librarian’s job involved checking books in and out. It was hard to keep track of who had what book. Now every book has a bar code and every child has a bar code, so I can get 15

them all checked out quickly and spend more time doing other things. I think the biggest part of my responsibility is turning kids on to reading. For the younger kids, that means doing regular book talks and teaching them how to use the library. I require the older children, the fourth and fifth graders, to read several books a year independently. I am also using a computerized program in which children read a book on their own and then take a quiz. The children earn points for every quiz they pass, and I give out prizes. I have kids eating up books trying to get these points. Almost every school has brought in one of these programs – they have become an integral part of a librarian’s job. My favorite part of my job is working with children – they’re fresh and they’re enthusiastic. I also enjoy working with the mothers who volunteer at the library. The aspect of my job I like the least are the additional school-related responsibilities. I dread having to do cafeteria and playground duty. However, this involves only about five percent of my time.”

I Am a Librarian at a Public Suburban High School “This is actually my third career. I had worked in administration at a social service agency for a number of years and had risen through the ranks to become the interim executive director. When it came time to be considered as the permanent executive director, I decided to do something else with my life. Since I was certified as an English teacher, I decided to teach. I began working at Columbia High School as an English teacher. Once I discovered their library, I began spending a great deal of time there. While I was there it suddenly dawned upon me that this is a great line of work to be in. I applied to and was accepted to library school at Rutgers University, and I left Columbia High School to get my master’s degree in Library Science Studies (MLS) at Rutgers. In the course of doing my MLS, Rutgers required that I do a field placement. Columbia High School came to mind as the perfect place. I called and was welcomed back, and I continued working there as a part-time librarian after the field placement semester ended.

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I then applied to the PhD program at Rutgers’ Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and spent one year there as a full-time student working on my doctorate. Through the PhD program, I was able to combine librarianship and my background in literature. But I decided after a year that I needed to get a job because I hadn’t really worked in the field. In 1993, I went to work at Montclair Kimberley Academy as their middle school librarian. I was purchasing books, processing and cataloging books, and working with classes on research skills. My job was to make students more effective finders, seekers, and users of information. When classes came to the library, I would help them identify the kinds of information they needed, figure out where they could get that information, and once they had found it, helped them learn how to synthesize, summarize, and evaluate the information to know if it was what they needed. I collaborated with teachers in developing assignments that would improve skills. I also had administrative tasks – processing books, cataloging books, developing the collection to support the school’s curriculum. In addition to classroom instruction, classes would come in for book talks. Through these talks, we encourage kids to be lifelong readers. The challenge is to provide fiction, particularly, and even non fiction that hold a teenager’s attention and pique their interest. We want to have materials on hand that we think kids are going to want to read and that are on their reading level. My aim was still to go back to Columbia if there ever was an opening. An opening did come up. I applied for that job and got it, and I have been working as their librarian for three years. Part of my job includes class instruction, since classes are brought in by their teachers to do certain kinds of research. Classes are also brought in for book talks. There are also kids who visit the library but are not attached to a class, but who have a free period, so there is individualized student assistance. And there is back-room work – cataloging and shelving new books as they come in. And working with parent and student volunteers so that they can be effective in helping us. Last year, I received my PhD from Rutgers. 17

One of the great things about my work is that it’s different every day. The activities are varied – it’s not just doing one thing over and over. One of the reasons I wanted to move to a large high school was to work with a diverse student population that provides challenges I didn’t have at a private middle school. It’s an enriching experience because I get to see people from places such as Haiti, Nigeria, Ghana and Brazil. School librarians are essentially teachers. We’re grappling with the same kinds of issues that other teachers in high school have: kids who don’t like to read or who are poor readers, kids who are poorly prepared academically; kids who come from foreign countries whose first language is not English. Where librarians were once processing books and getting them into the kids’ hands, that role has changed so now we’re not only dealing with print materials but with electronic resources. We have a number of computers in the library, in a library computer lab and on the floor. They all provide access to the Internet, as well as word processing software and the catalog. We also have research databases like full text magazine articles and online encyclopedias and geography programs. These are wonderful tools. So now we’re faced with determining what kinds of electronic materials and resources we should have in the library, how accessible they should be, and what age group they should be geared to. Where once the library was a place with walls where you could use books or check them out, now you can be at home on the Internet and you don’t even have to go to the library. So what’s the use of the library, you might say? It becomes clearer to me that folks who think they can just browse through the Internet and get what they want may need an intermediary to help them find what they’re looking for. I think the more information sources you have, the more there’s a need for a librarian – someone who understands information, how it’s organized, and how to help people better utilize it. To keep up with technology changes, I read and I go to workshops and seminars. The professional development aspect of my job is very important.” 18

WHERE YOU WILL WORK Public or private grade schools, middle schools, or high schools Community colleges Liberal arts colleges Research universities

PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS GRADE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARIANS NEED MANY OF THE SAME SKILLS

as teachers, including patience and persistence. They absolutely must love children. Part of the school librarian’s goal is to understand how children develop and learn, and to accommodate their growth through specially designed programs. Although discipline is not a large part of the librarian’s job, he/she must be able to work with a wide range of attitudes and personalities. Another important skill, especially for those who are going to work in a grade school, is an expressive voice to bring the literature alive during book readings. To work at the university level requires effective problem-solving skills, especially in a research library. Having a specialty in history, languages, science, or another subject area is helpful, especially in jobs that involve the cataloging and classifying of foreign materials. While librarians don’t need to be masters of computer technology, they do need to know the basics of Internet research and to be able to find their way around a database, especially if they are going to work in a university research library. More and more of these libraries are also looking for employees with more sophisticated Internet skills, for example HTML and Web design, so that they can create and maintain library databases and websites. This is not an especially good career choice for someone who is project oriented. Most librarians don’t complete one job from start-to-finish, but instead embark on a number of long-term projects (like updating the collection) that are always ongoing.

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ATTRACTIVE FEATURES MANY LIBRARIANS SAY THEY CHOSE TO WORK IN A SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT FOR

the sheer joy of working with students. Librarians have the satisfaction of knowing that they enrich their students’ learning experience and enhance their education. That educational enrichment continues through collaborative efforts with teachers and other faculty members. For those who love to read, an added bonus is getting to spend each day surrounded by books. Librarians also get a sneak peak at new titles, because they order books directly from the publisher and are the first to open them when they arrive. A librarian’s day is never dull. It is filled with new questions to answer and new challenges to solve. Projects are ever-evolving, changing as new technologies emerge or turning in a new direction as the library shifts its focus. At the same time, the work is extremely organized. Many librarians love to see the pieces of a puzzle fall into place as they solve a problem or make order out of chaos. Librarianship offers the benefit of a flexible schedule. Most grade school and high school librarians get the summers off, and work abbreviated days (7 a.m. to 3 p.m., for example). Librarians who have families can also take advantage of part-time schedules. Many academic libraries are open on evenings and weekends, allowing for more flexible scheduling, as well. Geography is also flexible, because nearly every city and town, has at least one school. So librarians have the option of choosing from jobs in virtually any part of the country.

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UNATTRACTIVE FEATURES LIBRARIANS SPEND MUCH OF THEIR DAYS AT THEIR DESK OR IN FRONT OF A

computer terminal, which can become boring, repetitive, and downright uncomfortable. When they do get up, they may be on their feet for hours, lifting heavy books or sifting endlessly through the stacks. Assisting students can be challenging, regardless of the age group. When dealing with younger children, librarians must be equipped to handle disciplinary problems and to give students who lack interest a gentle prod in the right direction. At the high school and college levels, librarians must contend with tight deadlines, as students and academics rush to complete research projects within a matter of days or even hours. Although grade and high school librarians get the summers off, many college librarians must work through the summers, and many even work nights, weekends, and some holidays.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING ANY BACHELOR’S DEGREE (BA OR BS) IN THE LIBERAL ARTS WILL SERVE AS A GOOD

foundation for a school librarian. A bachelor’s degree alone is enough for a job as a library technician or assistant, but a full librarian position requires a Master of Library Science degree (MLS). This degree may also be referred to as Master of Librarianship (ML), Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS), or Master of Science (MS). Many school libraries will also accept applicants who have a master’s degree in education with a specialty in school librarianship or educational media from a program accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). A number of colleges offer MLS programs, but employers prefer applicants with a degree from one of the 56 schools accredited by the American Library Association. Most MLS programs take about a year to complete, but some are stretched out over two years. Course work includes the basics of information science, a history of books and printing, the issues of literary freedom and censorship. Students also learn collection development, information theory, reference techniques, and library management. Technical training, covering such topics as Internet searching and database tools, has become an integral part of nearly every degree program. 21

To work in most states, school librarians must have a teaching certificate. To keep that certificate up-to-date, librarians are required to attend a minimum of 100 hours of continuing education every five years. These are some of the top graduate programs in library science:

Drexel University http://www.cis.drexel.edu/ Florida State University http://www.lis.fsu.edu/ Indiana University http://www.slis.indiana.edu/ Kent State University http://web.slis.kent.edu/ Louisiana State University http://slis.lsu.edu/ Pratt Institute http://www.pratt.edu/sils/ Rutgers University http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/ Simmons College http://www.simmons.edu/programs/gslis/ Texas Women’s University http://www.twu.edu/cope/slis/ University of Alabama http://www.slis.ua.edu University of Arizona http://www.sir.arizona.edu University of California, Los Angeles http://is.gseis.ucla.edu/ University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign http://alexia.lis.uiuc.edu/ University of Iowa http://www.uiowa.edu/~libsci/

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University of Kentucky http://www.uky.edu/CommInfoStudies/SLIS/ University of Maryland http://www.clis.umd.edu/ University of Michigan http://www.si.umich.edu/ University of Missouri-Columbia http://tiger.coe.missouri.edu/~sislt/ University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill http://www.ils.unc.edu/ University of North Texas http://www.unt.edu/slis/ University of Pittsburgh http://www2.sis.pitt.edu/ University of Tennessee http://www.sis.utk.edu/ University of Toronto http://www.fis.utoronto.ca/index_MSIE.htm The American Library Association offers a complete Directory of Accredited Library and Information Science Programs on its website http://www.ala.org/alaorg/oa/lisdir.html. Many schools, including Drexel University, Florida State University, and the University of Missouri, have added distance learning and online library science degree programs. This is a plus for students who prefer not to commute or who are currently working in another profession. Many college librarians have a PhD in history, science, languages, or another academic subject area. Some will be expected to continue their education, publish in their field, and/or engage in related research projects. As with any profession, real world experience gives library science students an advantage in their field. Internship programs allow students to gain practical knowledge in a real library and to apply what they’ve learned in school. Internships also arm students with valuable contacts in the industry.

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EARNINGS LIBRARY SALARIES WILL VARY BASED ON THE TYPE AND SIZE OF THE SCHOOL, AS

well as the applicant’s education and experience. Half of all librarians earn between $35,000 and $55,000 a year. Elementary and secondary school librarians earn an average of $45,000, and college and university librarians make about the same. At the low end of the scale, recent graduates can expect to earn about $25,000 with a master’s degree. The highest-paid librarians can earn upwards of $60,000 a year. Technologically-expert librarians earn the highest salaries, while more traditional school and academic university librarians fall within the lower salary range.

OPPORTUNITIES THE TIME HAS NEVER BEEN BETTER FOR BEGINNING SCHOOL LIBRARIANS TO ENTER

the field. The library journals report on a tremendous shortage of qualified school librarians as baby boomers reach retirement age. Over the past few years, many schools have cut their library science degree programs, which means that fewer graduates are available to replace the retirees. In response to the shortage, many states have loosened their requirements and expedited the certification process to encourage new applicants. Some states allow public librarians and other college graduates to work in school libraries without certification. Others no longer require their librarians to have a college degree. As budgets tighten and technology improves, many school libraries have cut down or even eliminated librarian positions. Librarian jobs are expected to grow more slowly than usual in the coming decade. Part of this slow-down has to do with the increasing use of computers to catalog and retrieve information. Many users can access the library via the Internet from home, without ever having to step foot in their school library or interact with the librarian. As budgets tighten, librarian positions are often the first to be let go, especially in states that don’t require school librarians.

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That means fewer librarian positions and more responsibilities for those few individuals who remain on staff. In many states, school librarians are being asked to perform double duty as audio-visual coordinators, shuttling projectors and monitors from classroom to classroom. Where budgets are concerned, private schools tend to offer more job security, because the students pay a standard tuition and the schools are not forced to rely on taxpayer dollars for funding. Graduate students who specialize in school librarianship find that they have greater opportunities than students who focus on a public library career. With an MLS degree, there is a wide range of career options available outside of the school environment. Trained school librarians can work as archivists at museums, computer information scientists, even teachers. And, they can also work in public libraries.

GETTING STARTED BEFORE DECIDING ON A SCHOOL LIBRARIAN CAREER PATH, SPEND SOME TIME

working in a local school or public library to make sure you enjoy the work. With a high school degree, you can get a job as a librarian’s aide, checking books in and out, shelving books and assisting with clerical tasks. In a university library, you may be asked to help with simple searches or to input information into a database. As you begin looking for your first paid position, think about what type of opportunity most interests you. Do you prefer to work with very young children in a grade school setting, would you feel more comfortable with older high school students, or would you rather work with college-level students and professors? If you’re considering a grade school or high school library, would you prefer a private school or a public school environment? Location is also an important factor in your decision. You may face greater competition in cities or suburban areas than you would in more rural locations. You can increase your odds of finding a job by considering nontraditional schools, for example parochial or special education programs. Once you have picked a geographic location and a couple of schools to pursue, meet with the principals or college administrators to get an idea of their philosophy. Do they value the school library, and will they be willing to support your initiatives? Do they have a history of cutting the library budget? 25

The first place to look for work is your graduate school’s placement office. Many schools offer job placement, but all will at least have job boards and be able to guide you in the right direction. Library journals (such as the School Library Journal and American Library Association) and websites also include extensive job listings and job hotlines in various states. The American Library Association offers a comprehensive database for job seekers in the United States and Canada:

http://www.ala.org/acrl/new00ads/new00ads.html

ASSOCIATIONS n American Association of School Librarians http://www.ala.org/aasl/ n American Library Association (ALA) http://www.ala.org n American Society for Information Science and Technology http://www.asis.org/ n Association for Library and Information and Science Education (ALISE) http://www.alise.org/ n Association of College & Research Libraries http://www.ala.org/acrl/ n Association of Research Libraries http://www.arl.org/ n International Association of School Librarianship http://www.iasl-slo.org/ n Library & Information Technology Association http://www.lita.org/

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PERIODICALS n Journal of Education for Library and Information Science (JELIS) http://www.alise.org/publications/jellis.shtml n Library Journal http://libraryjournal.reviewsnews .com/index.asp?publication=libraryjournal n School Library Journal http://slj.reviewsnews.com/ n School Library Media Research http://www.ala.org/aasl/SLMR/

WEBSITES n Fifty States’ Certification Requirements http://www.uky.edu/Education/TEP/usacert.html n Librarians’ Resource Center http://www.sla.org/chapter/ctor/toolbx/resource/index.html

COPYRIGHT 2007 Institute For Career Research CHICAGO CAREERS INTERNET DATABASE www.careers-internet.org

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