Many Kinds of Librarian Jobs

What are the types of librarians? Are there more than one type? It may seem like a one-size-fits-all profession, but many kinds exist. Each kind has responsibilities unique to it.

Academic librarians

These types of librarians are those who are in charge of college and university libraries. It is rare for academic librarians to work alone because the workload is just too much. Library aides, internet staff, catalogers, book binders, and even abstractors and indexers are often found in tertiary education libraries. Usually, there is a hierarchy in an academic library; there is a head librarian and one or several other librarians. Academic librarians may also enjoy benefit of having student assistants.

Public librarians

These types of librarians are those who are in charge of public libraries (city, municipal, provincial, and congressional libraries). They’re considered elite in the profession because snagging a job in a public library means enjoying the benefits of working for the Philippine government, e.g., competitive salary + benefits.

School librarians

Those who are in charge of elementary and secondary education (grade school and high school) libraries. They’re the most patient breed of librarians for obvious reasons.

When I was training in a school library, I developed profound respect for school librarians who have been doing this for several years (even decades). Even if children can only use the library during their free time, being around dozens of eager kids who need something simultaneously can be challenging.

Special librarians

Those who are in charge of learning centers and/or libraries of parent institutions or big organizations are “special”. Among the types of librarians, these special ones are rare, because in the past, special libraries are also rare. However, many organizations are setting up their own special libraries to deal with documentation issues or to complement the research that goes on in the organization. Some examples of special libraries are WHO library, Supreme court library, and other local special libraries that also serve as specialty bookstores.

Why Do Types of Librarians Matter?

Knowing the job description of a librarianship position would help a new librarian decide whether the position is worth the application or not. After all, there are many openings for librarians in the world even in the current economic climate.

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Ruby Galvez, RL

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