MightyRecruiterLibrarians work in a variety of education and business settings to assist other people in information searches. They are also responsible for organizing collections available for loan or research. They may work directly with the public or in a management capacity to procure, sort and store materials.
The skills portion of your librarian job description should detail the level of education, experience and qualifications of the position you are posting. You should also explain other needed skills, such as interpersonal communications, problem-solving and attention to detail. You may want to mention software or internet proficiency, if it is a requirement.
Some librarians work in public or private education with people of all ages, so they should be patient and considerate when helping others. An ideal candidate would need to have excellent reading comprehension. You can learn more about incorporating the position’s needs by following a librarian job description sample format.
Librarian Job Summary
Are you searching for a tenure-track position that allows you time to perform searches? Put your researching skills to use as a librarian for our respected university. The student body, professors, and administration need the support of a well-read, organized and eager librarian in our library system. We are an open-minded liberal arts school in need of a team player who values higher learning and brings a wealth of understanding about school libraries to our institution. You will have the opportunity to learn more about our school and student body while you curate and manage the collection of materials we have to help all our students reach their potential.
Job Responsibilities
- Work with library department heads and directors to oversee and manage vast university collection of written and other forms of media
- Maintain databases and records concerning the movement as well as the location of library collection, including intradepartmental and student lending and retrieval
- Observe and implement administrative policies and procedures in accordance with university and library system standards on a daily basis
- Catalog new receipts and established collection as well as classifying and tracking media throughout campus on an as-needed basis
- Assist in research and retrieval of documents and materials for doctoral candidates as needed in advisory role for dissertation preparation
- Connect with student population and instructors about library resources, policies and other related duties when the opportunity presents itself
- Serve on departmental meeting team for administrative purposes on monthly basis to coordinate access and services
- Update records and prepare reports about library system for department heads to promote better communication school-wide
Job Skills & Qualifications
Reqiured:
- Bachelor’s degree in Library Science or related field
- Excellent written and oral communication skills and reading comprehension
- Problem-solving and critical thinking as well as organizational skills
Preferred:
- Master’s degree in Library Science or related field
- Previous experience in university setting
- Proficiency in library software suites, databases and desktop publishing
Librarian Job Responsibilities
When jobseekers read your librarian job description, it is the job responsibilities section that will help them determine if they want to apply. Because of this, this section is one of the most important components of a job description. A list which accurately represents the daily tasks of the position can help attract jobseekers who are good candidates for it. Working with the managers who will oversee the new employee can help you identify the tasks that are essential to the role and accurately demonstrate the position’s place in the company.
When you write your librarian job responsibilities, remember to think about the people who apply for your position. Consider what they will want to see in a list of duties, such as how the position will help the company grow, and include this information. Demonstrate the projects your new librarian will work on so jobseekers can visualize themselves in the position. Additionally, remember that many people skim job descriptions. To make sure jobseekers quickly learn the relevant information, restrict your list of duties to only the most essential ones.
The following examples demonstrate the responsibilities you might include in your librarian job description:
- Maintain library collections and evaluate quality of materials
- Assist students with research by identifying relevant books and databases
- Teach patrons how to search library collections and databases
- Catalog additions to library collections
Librarian Job Specifications
As you write the job skills and qualifications section of your librarian job description, do not list every skill you are looking for. Incorporate subheadings to indicate which skills and qualifications are essential and which are preferred but not required. List each with a bullet point. Your essential qualifications should usually consist of the level of education and amount of experience a jobseeker must have at minimum to be a good fit for the position. Preferred qualifications might be certain technical skills or fluency in another language.
Librarian job specifications can initially seem like the easiest part of a job description. However, while this section is short, it is important to give it close attention. The qualifications and skills you list show jobseekers what kind of librarian you are seeking. The skills you require for a special collections librarian may be more technical, while you may want a detailed knowledge of new books for a children’s librarian. To ensure you attract the jobseekers who are right for your position, you need to list job specifications that match the skills you need.
The following qualifications are ones to consider as you write your librarian job description:
- Master’s degree in library science
- Experience assisting scholarly researchers
- 3 years of experience in an academic setting
- Awareness of current trends in scholarly research and database technology
