Librarians

There are several ways you can explore the field of librarianship. First of all, high school students have their own personal experiences with the library: reading, doing research for class projects, or just browsing. If this experience sparks an interest in library work, you can talk with a school or community librarian whose own experiences in the field can provide a good idea of what goes on behind the scenes. Some schools may have library clubs you can join to learn about library work. If one doesn't exist, you could consider starting your own library club.

You can also learn more about library science by reading periodicals such as Library Journal (https://www.libraryjournal.com) and American Libraries (https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org).

Once you know you are interested in library work, you might be able to work as an assistant in the school library media center or find part-time work in a local public library. Such volunteer or paid positions may provide you experience checking materials in and out at the circulation desk, shelving returned books, or typing title, subject, and author information on cards or in computer databases. In college, you might be able to work as a technical or clerical assistant in one of your school's academic libraries.

The ALA provides a wealth of career information at https://www.ala.org/educationcareers/careers/librarycareerssite/home. Contact the ALA or another professional organization to inquire about student memberships. For example, the ALA offers a membership option for college students and a "supporter" membership option for nonlibrarians who "through their personal commitment and support, promote library and information services." Most groups offer excellent mentoring opportunities as well. Finally, if you have an e-mail account, sign up for one or more of the listservs (sometimes known as electronic discussion groups) offered by these groups. A listserv is an e-mail list of professionals throughout the world who consult each other on special topics. ALA members monitor a number of listservs for members and nonmembers. By subscribing to a listserv, you can discover what matters concern professional librarians today. Before you post your own comment or query, however, be sure you know the rules and regulations created by the list's moderator and always be respectful of others.