There are several ways you can explore the field of librarianship and medical librarianship in particular. As a student, you probably use the library all the time. Make the most of your public and school library when working on papers and other projects.
To explore the work of librarians, ask around at local libraries or your school library if they have need for an assistant or part-time worker. If they are unable to pay, offer your time for free. Experience with 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 will be useful in the future. In college, you might be able to work as a technical or clerical assistant in one of your school's academic libraries.
Contact the Medical Library Association (MLA), the American Library Association (ALA), and other professional library organizations to inquire about membership options. Most groups offer excellent mentoring opportunities as well. Finally, if you have an e-mail account, sign up for one or more of the e-mail lists (sometimes referred to as listservs) offered by these groups, which professionals use to consult each other on special topics.
Visit the Career Resources section of the MLA’s Web site, https://www.mlanet.org/resources/career-development-resources/, for a wealth of other information about medical library education and careers.
- Acquisitions Librarians
- Archivists
- Book Conservators
- Children's Librarians
- Corporate Librarians
- Database Specialists
- Exhibit Designers
- Film and Video Librarians
- Information Brokers
- Law Librarians
- Librarians
- Library and Information Science Instructors
- Library Assistants
- Library Directors
- Library Media Specialists
- Library Technicians
- Music Librarians