Librarians

Experience as a library volunteer or in a part-time job as a library assistant or technician will be helpful for aspiring librarians.

Librarians who deal with the public should have strong interpersonal skills, tact, and patience. An imaginative, highly motivated, and resourceful personality is very valuable. An affinity for problem solving is another desirable quality. Library specialists, too, must have particular personal qualifications; for example, young-adult librarians must have a real liking and affinity for teenagers, and bookmobile librarians should feel comfortable traveling to outlying areas and dealing with all sorts of people.

Librarians are often expected to take part in community affairs, cooperating in the preparation of exhibits, presenting book reviews, and explaining library use to community organizations. You will need to be a leader in developing the cultural tastes of the library patrons.

Librarians involved with technical services should be detail oriented, have good planning skills, and be able to think analytically. All librarians should have a love for information and be willing to master the techniques for obtaining and presenting knowledge. They must also be prepared to master constantly changing technology.