library types & personnel roles

Library Types & Personnel Roles

LIB 101Fall, 2014

Types of Libraries Academic Public School Special

Academic Libraries Colleges & Universities Collection designed to meet the needs

of the curriculum AVC Collection Development

Usually one main library May also have subject-specific libraries

Low focus on fiction Controlled population (students) Part of campus budget

Public Libraries Collection designed to meet the

needs of the general public (broadest range of all library types)

Large fiction collection Uncontrolled population Part of city or county budget Community services

Public LibrariesIndividual

Palmdale City Library

Branch Systems City Systems

L.A. Public Library (68 Branches) County Systems

L.A. County Public Library (84 Branches) City/County Systems

Sacramento Public Library (25 Branches) A Central/Main library is common

School Libraries Part of a public or private school

Elementary – Junior High/Middle – High Some combined with Public Library

• Scottsdale Public Library – Palomino Library

Collection designed to meet the needs of the school

Good fiction collection at the level of the school

Part of school budget

Special Libraries Government

Federal (U.S. Army Libraries) State (California State Library)

Law Private Librarians often have law degrees (J.D.) Government (Public)

Corporate (M.L.S. not always required) Non-profit Organizations (IELC) Museums & Galleries Archives (NARA)

Personnel Roles Leader Administrative Supervisory Librarians Paraprofessionals Clerical

Librarians Stereotypes

Librarian Images lollibrarian This is What a Librarian Looks Like Ryan Gosling Meme

Librarians Master’s degree usually required.

M.L.S., M.L.I.S., M.S.L.S., M.M.L.I.S. List of institutions with Library Science Programs Library & Information Careers: Emerging Trends and

Titles Bureau of Labor Statistics information on Librarians

Second advanced degree may be required in universities or some special libraries.

Two Areas of Librarian Services

Technical Services Catalog

Management Book Ordering Book Processing

Public Services Reference Services Collection

Development Special Programs Pathfinders and

Research Guides Community

Services

Two Areas of Librarian Public Services

Adult Services Reference Service Collection

Development by Area Programming

• Books Clubs• Classes• Outside Speakers

Community Services• Taxes• Special Groups

Children’s Services Reference Service Collection Development Programming

• Storytimes• Reading Clubs• Special Contests• Literacy

Encouragement Community Services

• Schools• Parents

Leader Library Director

Also Called City/County/State Librarian Appointed by Board Usually a former librarian with M.L.S. Many years of experience May have Ph.D. Usually does not perform librarian duties

Administrative Not necessarily librarians Administrate the Library Director’s

directives May not have advanced degree

Supervisory Usually librarians with M.L.S. Several years experience and

leadership skills Supervises branches or departments

of a central library Titles: Head Librarian, Branch

Librarian, Supervising Librarian, Regional Librarian

Paraprofessionals Library Technicians/Assistants Also called Circulation Technicians Often have different levels based

education and experience

Paraprofessionals Book maintenance & management Issuance of library cards Fines & fees

Clerical No education requirements Usually part-time Typing/Labeling Shelving Books Often college students in colleges &

university libraries and high school students in public libraries.

Statistics (Source: American Library Assoc.)

There are about 150,000 librarians in the U.S. working in 121,000 libraries. 27,000 Academic Librarians

• 88,000 total staff 46,000 Public Librarians

• 140,000 total staff


Librarians answer around 6.6 million reference questions per week.

58% of U.S. adults have a public library card.

Americans visit libraries three times more than they go to movie theatres.

There are more public library branches than McDonald’s franchises. 16,700 vs. 14,000


Academic and public reference librarians answer about 6.6 million questions each week.

There are 584 students in colleges and universities for every academic librarian (14 students for every teaching faculty member.)


The cost of all public libraries is about $36 per American per year.

2 million more people visited an academic library reference desk than saw a college basketball game.

Academic libraries receive about three cents of every higher education dollar spent.

The largest libraries in the U.S.

library types & personnel roles

Education