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Acquisitions Librarians

Experience, Skills, and Personality Traits

Experience as a volunteer or in a part-time job in a library will be helpful for aspiring acquisitions librarians. Acquisitions librarians should first and foremost have a love of information, as they are constantly in search of ways to improve their library's collection and provide its patrons with useful resources. They should also have strong computer skills, be good at solving problems, and have the business acumen to negotiate contracts and licenses for certain materials, such as e-subscriptions. Acquisitions librarians need strong communication skills since they work closely with library patrons, vendors, the library director, and other library professionals.