How to Become a Librarian

About Librarian

History of Libraries and Librarians have been witnessed ever since the evolution of writing. People have been writing and recording their thoughts and ideas on different platforms. To keep a check of these documents, professionals were appointed. These professionals were later termed as librarians and the work of Librarianship then came into existence. The history of Librarianship in India can be witnessed with the presence of a large number of artifacts related to Indian mythology and kings and their kingship. Libraries at that time were mostly privately open for selective readers and writers. Whereas, in the modern era, there are two types of libraries - Public Library and Private Library. The work of a librarian, however, has remained the same, that is, to keep a track of the books and arrange them systematically and in order as prescribed by the concerned authority of the respective library.

The work profile of a Librarian, today has gained recognition with proper degree and training. So, if you like being around books and have an interest in reading and maintaining books, then this job meant just for you. Grab all opportunities to become the best Librarian of all times. To help you with this we have assembled relevant and necessary details that you must know if you are thinking of becoming a Librarian.

In a nutshell: People who choose to become librarians assist others in gaining access to the enormous amount of information present in books, periodicals, and contemporary tools like ebooks, audiobooks, video recordings, and other digital sources. He or she is in charge of running and setting up a library so that it is simple to find the study materials.

Roles and Responsibilities of a Librarian

Typically, a librarian is in charge of organising and running the library. Reading book reviews, publisher announcements, and catalogues are among his or her duties because it is up to him or her to stay current on the literature and find other resources to buy books from different publishers. People who choose to become librarians analyse collections and keep databases of periodicals, books, articles, audiovisual resources, and electronic resources up to date. A librarian gathers and arranges books, manuscripts, pamphlets, and other relevant materials.

• Collection: All of the library's resources, including books, movies, and other publications, must be gathered and catalogued by a librarian. He or she is in charge of seeing to it that the library's guests' needs for resources are met
• Maintenance: A librarian is a specialist who updates and maintains library records. It contains information such as the day and time the study materials were released. He or she must make sure that all of the library's resources are easily accessible and findable
• Setting Up Events: A librarian plans and manages author appearances, sales, and book promotions. He or she oversees employee activities, plans events, and manages budgets. Publishers must be contacted by a librarian in order to purchase books and place them on library shelves
• Providing Assistance: A librarian's job is to assist people in finding books and direct them to related reading material or study aids based on their interests. He or she is in charge of making sure the library satisfies the demands of its patrons
• Educating: A librarian must also instruct customers on how to use the library's databases for information search. Additionally, it is his or her duty to inform patrons of the library's rules. A librarian also instructs customers on how to use the library's electronic resources

Eligibility to become Librarian

For those who want to pursue this career path, they must know the process of how to become a Librarian and follow the steps designated for the same. Aspirants should know the different courses offered to become a Librarian. These courses include Certificate in Library Science (C.Lib.)/ Library and Information Science (C.LISc.), Diploma in Library Science (D.Lib.)/ Library and Information Science (D.Li.Sc.), Bachelor in Library Science (B.Lib.)/ Library and Information Science (B.Li.Sc.) and Master of Library Science (M.Lib.)/ Library and Information Science (M.Li.Sc.). Apart from this, a candidate can also pursue M.Phil or Ph.D. in these courses. Candidates must know the subjects they must study to become a Librarian and the eligibility criteria prescribed by the colleges offering courses related to the designated field. The different Librarian courses include Certificate Aspirants of Librarianship can read the details given below and start preparing for it accordingly.

Subject Combination – Any Stream in 10+2 

Exam – As per the institutional guidelines and courses’ requirement

Eligibility –

• A candidate who wants to pursue a Certificate Course must have a passing mark sheet of 10+2 from a recognised institution with at least 55% total aggregate.
• Candidates planning for Diploma Course should have passed 10+2 with at least 55% total percentage. The certificate must be valid and issued from recognised school or college.
• For a Bachelors course, candidates must have cleared their graduation with qualifying marks from an affiliated or accredited institution.
• Those who want to do Masters course, must produce their Bachelors mark sheet at the time of admission. Candidates must remember that a minimum of 55% total aggregate in Bachelor course is compulsory for taking admission in Masters course.
• Aspirants opting for M.Phil or Ph.D. courses need to qualify entrance exam defined by the concerned institutions. Along with the mark sheet of the entrance exam, candidates will have to produce the passing scorecard of Masters course with a minimum aggregate of 60% to take admission in the M.Phil or Ph.D. course.      

Steps to become a Librarian

The steps listed below can be used to become a librarian:

Step 1: Clear 10+2

Successful completion of the 10+2 in any subject from a recognised board is required for a librarian.

Step 2: Entrance Exam

No need to worry if you were considering how to become a librarian after your 10+2; we are here to assist you. There are many colleges and universities that hold entrance exams to grant admission to the programme.

AMUEE: Aligarh Muslim University Entrance Examination

Step 3: Pursuing Bachelor

After earning a bachelor's degree in any specialisation, you must choose a bachelor's degree in library sciences if you want to work as a librarian. The main bachelor's degree programmes are listed below.

Step 4: Pursuing Masters
If you have a bachelor's degree in a non-relevant field but have no idea how to become a librarian, you should enroll in a master's degree programme.

Types of Job Roles Librarian

Being a Librarian is not an easy task. It is very important for candidates to have a strong memory power so that they may remember the different slots and categories of books present in the library. To make things easier for the Librarians, different job profiles for Librarians have now been introduced. These profiles have been categorized according to the type of role and type of library we have around us. Let’s check these Librarian job profiles and see what profile suits best for candidates of different caliber.

Public Librarian: These Librarians work for the libraries that are open for all. They assist people to search the right book they want to read. Public Librarians also help people in their research work by providing the researchers with the artifacts and scholarly books. They also check and keep the record of the term of due dates for each reader.

Academic Librarian: Academic Librarian is the person who is hired by the academic institutions to look after the library of the institution. These librarians help students in their projects and researches. They also help students in finding the right book and reference material related to their course.

School Librarian: These professionals are different from the others. They are hired to teach school students the essence and usage of a library. School Librarians help primary, middle and high school students to understand what exactly a library is, how they can search for the right book, they should maintain the library norms and what procedure they should follow to issue and return a book.

Special Librarian: Special Librarians are the professionals that are hired by organisations for their personal libraries. These organisations and firms include law houses, museums, corporate houses, hospitals, media firms, government agencies, research organisations, etc. Librarians of these libraries work to organize data, files and records of the organisations. They also keep a track of video and audio file (if available), and arrange them accordingly so that the information need of the organisation is fulfilled.   

Employment Opportunities for Librarians

To become a Librarian is a tough task, as the candidates will have to remember and track the books, reference materials, records and other related files and folders of the organisation they are serving. Employment opportunities for Librarians explain the different sectors and fields where the Librarians are hired. These sectors hire Librarians to get their libraries well organised and arranged the way they want. Let’s check out the list of these sectors and fields that hire Librarians.

• Educational Institutions
• Governmental Organisations
• Law Firms
• Corporate Houses
• Media Houses
• Hospitals
• Research Organisations
• Private Firms
• Foreign Embassies
• Museums and Galleries

Top Recruiting Companies for Librarians

Librarians are those professionals who work in a literary surrounding and are hired by organisations that possess a library of books, reference materials, audio, video, journals, etc. for the purpose of research, knowledge or reference. These organisations are present in different sectors including educational institutions, medical firms, governmental organisations, media houses, corporate houses, etc. Mentioned below is the list of some these top recruiting companies for librarians for the reference of interested aspirants.

• All India Radio
• Doordarshan
• Lawyers Associations
• St. Xavier's Collegiate School
• La Martiniere For Girls School
• The National Library of India
• Sinha Library
• Delhi Public Library

Skills Required to become a Librarian

You must be wondering how to enter the field of librarianship. Therefore, we will address the most frequently asked question—how to become a librarian—in this section. One needs to have certain skills in order to become a librarian. Here are some abilities a librarian needs to have:

• Digital literacy is a necessary skill for a librarian to have in order to manage and organise the library's digital resources. He or she must understand how to get at and use these resources. Due to the popularity of audiobooks, video lectures, and ebooks among students today, librarians must be digitally literate
• To keep up with records, a librarian must work on computer systems to maintain and update the database of library resources. He or she must maintain a record of the titles, authors, and prices of all books as well as the names of those who obtain them for class assignments
• A librarian's job is to organise the library's materials so that it is simple to find a specific book among the thousands of other items that are kept there. He or she frequently needs to handle several tasks at once, making organisation skills essential
• A librarian must be able to interact with visitors and customers effectively in order to help them find the materials they need in the library and to provide them with information
• An analytical career for a librarian is essential. In order to find opportunities for process improvements and policy changes, he or she must be able to recognise the needs of clients and conduct research

Pay Scale/Salary of Librarian

The salary of a Librarian is determined by the organisation for they are working. The pay scale can be based on the merit of the candidates, their level of understanding, educational qualification and work experience (if any). Given below is the Librarians’ Salary in general which may differ according to their job profiles and work role as specified by the hiring organisation.

Note: The figures mentioned above are an approximate estimate and may vary.

Career Path for a Librarian

A librarian can be found in many places like universities and colleges, courthouses, public schools, law offices, museums, local library buildings, etc. Librarians typically find employment in the education sector. A librarian must have a strong passion for reading and education.

• Assistant Librarian: An assistant librarian is in charge of helping with all facets of circulation and customer service responsibilities. He or she assists users in finding the necessary study materials
• Senior Librarian: A senior librarian oversees the library and maintains database updates to guarantee the accuracy of information regarding books and other library resources. He or she organises the catalogue and keeps track of the loan of library materials

Books & Study Material to Become Librarian

In order to pursue this career, you will first need to acquire a related professional degree. To do so, all that you can do is take admission in a good, reputed and recognised institution offering the course of your choice. There are no specific entrance exams for taking admission into these institutions. You will have to prepare for the admission as per the norms described by the concerned institution. Books related to your course can help you in clearing the admission process easily and smoothly. So, if you desire to go to a good institution then you must read good books related to the Library and Librarians. However, experts also advice to grab all possible opportunities of learning available to you and strive hard to become a good Librarian. Given below is a list of best books and study materials for preparation of becoming a Librarian.

• Becoming a Powerhouse Librarian by Jamie M Gray
• Being Indispensable: A School Librarian's Guide to Becoming an Invaluable Leader by Ruth Toor Hilda K Weisburg
• I'm a Librarian (a Tinyville Town Book) by Brian Biggs
• How to Teach: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Beverley E. Crane
• So You Want To Be a Librarian by Lauren Pressley
• Data Librarians Handbook by Robin Rice and John Southall

Pros of becoming a Librarian

• If you are an avid book lover, then being a librarian will help you satisfy your thirst for different books of your choice.
• This job profile will improve your sense and taste of books as your involvement with a variety of books will automatically increase.
• It will help you improve your communication skills to a great extent.
• Being a Librarian is an interesting job as you will be surrounded with not only books but good magazines, reference materials and audio and video stuff.
• A library is usually a relaxed and quiet place where most people want to be. So, if you are Librarian you will be fortunate enough to enjoy the peace of the surrounding. 
• Being a Librarian enables you to interact with people of different thoughts and fields. 

Cons of becoming a Librarian

• No doubt that you will be around your favorite books but the biggest drawback is that you will not be able to read them all due to your work role.
• You might be unfortunate if you encounter a bunch of chaotic people. Making them understand the rule of silence can become difficult and sometimes impossible for you.
• Keeping a track of all the books, reference materials audio and visual inputs, etc. can sometimes be confusing and hectic.
• Not always you would want to talk to strangers but if you are a Librarian it will be compulsion as you will have to help them in their searches.
• Level of stress can also be high as by being a Librarian you will have to look after everything related to the library.