What is librarianship? A LIBRARIAN is no longer the stereotypical lady with a grey bun shushing library users to keep quiet! A librarian organises, researches and also presents information to his/her library’s users. Librarians work in a rapidly changing working environment and also need to embrace new and emerging information and communication technologies. What does a library and information professional do? Depending on where a librarian works, she/he may be involved in: • Selecting and purchasing of information resources; • Organising and managing information resources and facilities; • Managing electronic resources which includes licensing agreements and facilitating access to electronic databases, journals and books; • Creating and managing digital collections in institutional repositories; • Assisting library users in finding the materials or information they need and also training them in finding the resources on their own; • Organising library programmes, events and community outreach projects, such as holiday activities, and community learning programmes; • Marketing the library and its services; • Managing technologies and automated systems; • Creating and managing MakerSpaces (multidisciplinary collaborative and creative spaces where clients can engage, and share resources such as 3-D Printers, 3-D scanners and other electronic equipment). Where do the opportunities lie? • In public libraries; • In school libraries and media centres; • In university, university of technology, and technical vocational education and training college libraries; • In special libraries (for example, law libraries), resource centres, and information services; • In national libraries, which are responsible for material published in and relating to a specific country; • In allied fields where library training and skills are relevant, such as freelancing and lecturing. A librarian needs the following skills: • Creative and innovative thinking; • Strong communication and people skills; • The ability to collaborate with others; • Organisational skills and the ability to give attention to detail; • Critical, flexible and problem-solving thinking skills; • Marketing and advocacy skills; and • Technological expertise. • Post School Education • There are 10 Library and/or Information Schools in several provinces in South Africa. Qualifications can be obtained through full-time, part-time or distance education
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