Academic Librarianship

Librarians at Work

Academic Librarianship may be for YOU, if you are interested in:

• Higher education and the role of libraries
• All aspects of library operations
• Leadership in library development and change
• Working in an academic environment
• Research
• Establishing partnerships outside the libraries to serve users
• Public service

Coursework for specialization in Reference Services:

• S504 (L520) - Cataloging
• S501 (L524) - Reference
• S551 (L527) - Library Management
• S502 (L528) - Collection Development and Management
• at least one S52x course

Job Outlook for this field:

Academic librarianship encompasses public and technical services, instruction, collection development, and library automation. Opportunities vary according to the interests and expertise of individual librarians. Librarians can use a particular subject background to develop collections and provide specialized services, or devote a career to technical services or library automation. The size of operations varies from a one-person branch operation to a major research library. The focus ranges from undergraduate students to research professors. All levels of management opportunities abound.

Qualities employers seek:

Leadership ability, strong communication skills, ability to work in a team environment, good technical skills, and knowledge of the issues facing libraries and higher education are important. A broad understanding of all aspects of librarianship from reference work to technical services is useful. Experiences in teaching and Web development also are important. Flexibility to both lead and adjust to change throughout your career is critical.

Opportunities to gain experience in this field:

Work in an academic library. Take internships. Vary your experience as much as possible - teach library instruction sessions or courses, develop or contribute to Web services, supervise students, work at the reference desk, work in technical services. Do not limit your options at this point. The IU Libraries offer many experience opportunities.

Professional Associations:

• Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) division of the American Library Association (ALA)
• Library Administration and Management Association (LAMA) - Division of ALA
• Indiana Library Federation (ILF)
• Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) - Division of ALA

Interested in knowing more? Contact:

On campus:

• Patricia Steele, IU Main Library, steele@indiana.edu
• Mary Strow, IU HPER Library, mstrow@indiana.edu

Employers:

Contact department heads in areas you wish to explore, e.g. Reference Department, Technical Services, Undergraduate Library Services, Government Publications, campus libraries.

See the SLIS Job Postings under Academic Libraries.