BellaOnline Forums Career Library Sciences The future of the library

Recruiting for Librarian positions used to be difficult.

There are fewer and fewer people going to school to obtain their MLS. With the recent economy, however, recruiting for librarian positions has become a lot easier.

I'm wondering what is going to happen when (and I believe it will) the economy turns around. Who (or what) will take the place of that friendly, knowledgable librarian we've come to love in our local branches?

"Who (or what) will take the place of that friendly, knowledgable librarian we've come to love in our local branches?"

What need will there be?

It seems you are saying that once the economy improves, libraries will fail (or cease_).

Hi Frank,

Thanks so much for your response, no not what I'm saying. While I did use libraries in the subject line, the post was actually pertaining to Librarians - not libraries. Sorry for the confusion.

Libraries will not cease to exist. Libraries will always be around (hopefully) - but are going electronic. We have automated checkout, ebooks, etc... Librarians, at one point, were at a short supply depending on the job. Right now they're not (economy reasons).

As a recruiter for a library system, I am seeing more applicants but mainly because of the economy (as they share during the interview). Directors are looking for ways to decrease costs and "going automated" seems to be the way to go.

I believe that as our current librarians retire and the economy improves - we may no longer get to visit with our favorite librarians.

I am Library Technician so I can understand that you are all worried that we won't have any Librarians left. Rest assured that they are other people trained to help even if we don't have a masters. Techs are trained to answer research questions, provide customer service, work the circulation desk, do cataloging, staff management, and many other important things.

I think there are many things/tasks within the libraries that will always require the need for librarians, as bookwormer has mentioned. One of the things I wanted to be when I grew up was a libraian.

When I was in the seventh grade we had a choice of one class that was for training purposes. I chose 'librarian assistant'. I loved that class. I spent most of my time in the back room making covers for the books. At that time, all the books were hardbound and had to have the slip cover to protect the book from so many youthful hands.

It was my job to take off worn and torn covers and make new ones, then write the name of the book on the cover and the spine. I also had to replace the books out in the library in their proper places.

I still remember the love I had for that library which was full of knowledge, fantasy, and places where one could wander into different lands.

Hi Bella Family:

I don't know about your location, but here in Columbus - Georgia, it seems that the libraries are leaning more to "self help"(lol)

No problem with me "helping myself" - but there are times when I NEED a human being with more knowledge than ME to help me out at the library.

Oh well, just glad the one near to my office is still open just in case the internet goes down. Not giving up my famous "library card" that entitles me to a DAILY "free" 3 hours of computer time. Now, they are closed 2 days instead of the 1 they usually was and have cut back on their hours drastically. But I thank God it is still OPEN...

Happy Friday Bella Family

I think the degree of automation and self-service depends on the location. In my town, our library budget cannot afford self-checkout stations and as many fancy automated toys. We still have plenty of people without computers at home who need guidance at the library, either to find material or to get help with the computers. In addition to that, with the increase of the popularity of e-readers, we are getting more and more patrons who need help working their e-reader and downloading e-books from our mediamall. I think there will still be a need for librarians in all of the normal reference type aspects, the questions may just become more technical. Also, one key difference between a librarian with a degree and the rest of the staff is generally that the librarian is the manager as well, and handles all of the management issues (along with the board's help, of course). I've worked as a Page, a Clerk and now as an Associate Librarian and I've done many jobs that the Librarian does, but never the management type jobs, or jobs that entail writing grant proposals, purchasing, etc. There may be exceptions in other libraries, I suppose, but I haven't encountered them yet. The current trend in our area is that libraries are remodeling or rebuilding nice, new facilities or improving upon old one's, to the point they cannot afford their current staff to pay for it. So now these newly renovated libraries are cutting costs by closing their doors (limiting hours of operation) and letting staff go. In answer to the original question, I would have to say that nothing is going to take the place of librarians because there will always be those who cannot afford the latest technology and those who refuse to learn it and who depend on a human face to help them out. There may be fewer librarians with Masters, but the benefit of that degree is worth it, in my opinion. What are the benefits? Well, the way I see it, that degree will allow me the opportunity to continue to advance in the library system, no matter what direction it goes in. It gives me the opportunity to enter into management positions and continue advancing in my career. It's great to be a clerk and work the desk and handle everything that is thrown at you, but if you want the more professional aspects of the job, the degree is a must-have.

I have a Master's in Library Science. In fact, I am in the medical library at Vanderbilt University in Nashville at this very moment.