Academic Libraries
Common Career Paths
- Access/outreach
- Administration/management
- Archives/special collections
- Assessment
- Audiovisual materials
- Biographic support
- Circulation
- Collection Development
- Copyright and intellectual property
- Digital/analog preservation and curation
- Digital humanities
- Digital initiatives
- Electronic services
- Geographic information specialis
- Government documents
- Information literacy
- Instructional technology
- Liaison to academic departments
- Media services
- Metadata
- Music
- Publishing
- Reference
- Research support
- Scholarly communications
- Serials management
- Service to faculty and students
- Systems administrator
- Teaching
- Technical services
- User instruction
- Web design/maintenance
Employers
- Universities and colleges
- Technical and liberal arts colleges
- Professional schools
- Community colleges
- Specialized academic programs (e.g., seminaries, optometrist programs, law schools)
Strategies
- Academic librarians may work one-on-one with students and faculty, teach and present seminars, or work in technically- oriented positions such as systems design or database management.
- Almost any bachelor’s degree in liberal arts is good preparation.
- Classes in communications, business/management, computer science, and statistics can be helpful.
- Related undergraduate subject degree is useful when working with particular specialties such as art or agriculture.
- Develop excellent computer and communication skills.
- Gain experience in business and management to work in administration.
- Work part-time in a college or university library to gain relevant experience.
- Earn a master’s degree in library or information sciences from a program accredited by the American Library Association (ALA).
School Libraries and Media Centers
Common Career Paths
- Administration
- Administrator (school system level)
- Teaching
- Technical Services
Employers
- K-12 schools
- Public and private
- Public school districts
Strategies
- School librarians or media specialists may help teachers develop curricula, prepare lesson units, team teach, or provide staff development.
- Many states require a master’s degree in library science and some require a specialty certification or an educational endorsement.
- Some states also require teaching certification or student teaching in a library/media center.
- Work or volunteer experience related to children and teaching is useful.
- Become adept with various technologies and develop strong computer skills.
- Learn to work both independently and with groups.
Public Libraries
Common Career Paths
- Access/outreach
- Administration
- Genealogical research
- Information literacy
- Special collections
- Systems administration
- Technical Services:
- Acquisitions
- Archives management
- Cataloging
- Collection development
- Serials management
- System automation
- User instruction
- User/reader services
- Children
- Information and referral services
- Reference
- Special collections
- Young adults
- Youth services
- Web development/maintenance
Employers
- Central libraries
- Library branches
- Library services to jails, retirement homes, nursing homes, hospitals, senior centers, etc.
Strategies
- Some librarians specialize in a particular subject area, such as government collections or technology, or a particular type of materials, such as maps or photography, or with a special population.
- Creativity, a flair for drama, and an enjoyment of children are important for those working in youth services. Courses in child development and psychology are helpful in this field.
- Develop a broad liberal arts background and earn a master’s degree in library or information science from an ALA accredited program.
- Build strong computer skills and learn to enjoy working with new technology.
- Cultivate a strong desire to improve communities and provide information access to all.
Special Libraries and Information Center
Common Career Paths
- Antiquarian books
- Business intelligence
- Competitive intelligence
- Copyright and intellectual property
- Data manager
- Data quality engineer
- Digital curator
- Digital preservation
- Document design
- E-mail management
- Grey literature
- Indexing/abstracting
- Information architecture
- Information management
- Knowledge management
- Museum technician
- Rare books curator
- Records management/archives
- Research
- Strategic information
- Visual resources
Employers
- Large hospitals
- Medical schools
- Law firms
- Law schools
- Large corporations
- Industrial and scientific collections
- Research labs
- Local, state, and federal government agencies
- Nonprofit organizations
- Public libraries
- Colleges and universities
- Art schools
- Museums and art institutions
- Prisons
- Galleries
- Historical societies
- Publishing houses
- Advertising and public relations agencies
- News organizations and electronic media
- Picture services
- Motion picture studios
- Television stations
- Trade and professional associations
Strategies
- Special collections librarians generally have interests, skills, and knowledge related to the collection and may work with a particular population in special libraries, (e.g., lawyers or doctors).
- Most positions require a bachelor’s degree in a field related to the collection topic, (e.g., business, science, art, etc. Some require a graduate degree in the field).
- Many law librarians have a Juris Doctor (law degree).
- Knowledge of foreign languages may be required in certain fields.
- Develop skills in research and a solid background in information technologies.
- Earn a master’s degree in library or information science from an ALA accredited program.
Information Services
Common Career Paths
- Database management
- Indexing/abstracting
- Information architecture
- Online retrieval
- Programming
- Research
Employers
- Information service agencies
- Research centers
- Large corporations
- Self-employed
- Consulting
- Freelance editing
- Research
Strategies
- Information services professionals provide research and services to corporations, writers or individuals needing information or references on a particular subject.
- Expertise in an industry or subject area may be helpful.
- Supplement undergraduate curriculum with courses in business to gain an understanding of marketing principles.
- Develop excellent research, writing, and organizational skills.
Information Systems Technology
Common Career Paths
- Consulting
- Database administration
- Design/development
- Digital preservation and curation
- Information architecture
- IT administrator
- IT analyst
- IT trainer
- Management/operation
- Network administration
- Privacy regulation
- Programming
- Software design
- Systems analysis
- Technical support network
- Web development/maintenance
Employers
- Libraries
- Public, academic and special
- Data processing centers
- Corporations
- Software and computer companies
- Financial firms
- Manufacturing firms
- Research centers
- Government
- Universities
- Consulting firms
Strategies
- Professionals involved in information systems help organizations with the storage, retrieval, and management of records or information and support information technology in an organization.
- An undergraduate degree in management information systems (MIS) or computer science is the preferred background before earning a master’s in information science.
- Build a strong computer background in programming skills using several languages, various operating systems, database management, software, and networks.
- Increase employment opportunities through product-related certification or by earning Certified Computing Professional (CCP) status conferred by the Institute for Certification of Computing Professionals. CCP’s must pass an examination and meet various requirements.
- Gain related experience through internships, co-ops or part-time employment.
- Develop excellent analytical, decision-making, and written and oral communication skills.
- Learn to work well with both technical and nontechnical staff.
Electronic Publishing
Common Career Paths
- Design, formatting and editing
- Digital Library Development
- Manuscript Preparation
Employers
- Database producers
- Distributors of electronic publications, (e.g., business firms, universities, nonprofit organizations, professional associations, etc).
- Electronic publishers
- Self-employed
Strategies
- Electronic publishers or publishing professionals create and distribute publications in electronic form.
- Develop writing skills through classes in English, journalism, or technical writing.
- Learn advanced website design and programming.
- Become fluent in electronic publishing technologies, such as HTML and Adobe Acrobat.
- Acquire advanced knowledge of formatting/troubleshooting with electronic templates.
User Experience
Common Career Paths
- Assessment
- Human computer interaction
- Human factors
- Information architecture
- Internet trainer
- Research
- Semantic modeling
- Taxonomist
- Technical writing
- Usability engineer
- Usability testing
- User experience design
- User interfaces
- Web design/development
Employers
- Software and computer companies
- Media corporations
- Government agencies
- Universities
- Libraries
- Web design firms
- Marketing and advertising agencies
Strategies
- User experience professionals typically work to improve design and development of information systems and to measure and evaluate the usability of products and applications.
- Any bachelor’s degree is good preparation, although those focusing on human behavior, psychology, and/or computeing, are especially helpful.
- Build a strong background in web design, programming, and in research methods and data analysis.
- Develop excellent computer and communication skills.
- Develop excellent research, writing, and organizational skills.
- Learn to work well with both technical and non-technical staff.
Getting Started and Advancing in Major
- Qualifications important to the field include the ability to work well with people, good written and oral communication skills, intelligence and curiosity, research and computer skills. An eye for detail, and a general love of learning are also essential.
- Understanding trends in media, computers/technology, Internet, and publishing is important to success in the profession.
- Virtually any undergraduate degree can offer good preparation for ALA accredited graduate programs.
- Maintain a high grade point average in undergraduate work and secure gaining strong recommendations from faculty.
- Work in campus or community libraries part-time or during the summers to gain exposure to the library environment.
- Supplement undergraduate curriculum with courses in communications, media, business, or technology. Some areas of information or library sciences may require bachelor’s or master’s degrees related to the job environment.
- Additional coursework and guidelines need to be followed in order to enter into healthcare occupations or teaching certification programs.
- Choose master’s degree programs in library or information science that are accredited by the American Library Association to maximize employment opportunities.
- Information science professionals work in diverse settings including school, public, and academic libraries, as well as corporations, consulting firms and information brokers, and in environments involving Internet-based information.
- A doctorate may be required for research and university teaching in library and information science programs or to reach the highest levels of library administration.
- Join professional associations such as the American Library Association.
Professional Associations
- American Association of Law Libraries
- American Association of School Librarians
- American Library Association
- Association for Information Science & Technology
- Association of Research Libraries
- EDUCAUSE
- Medical Library Association
- Music Library Association
- Society of Archivists