Times Article

Read the full article in the Timesonline and have included key points:


The Times
April 23, 2009

Shh, this is a digital library
The modern librarian is an online facilitator with an MA


"Once upon a time a love of books and reading was considered a key requirement for an aspiring librarian. Today, with the advent of digitalisation and moves towards the virtual library, such an interest is no longer enough. Librarians must master sophisticated IT and information management skills as well as the traditional techniques.....

Even Oxford University's venerable Bodleian Library is moving into the 21st century with plans to allow more online access to materials and electronic document delivery. And a significant proportion of Oxford's 19th-century out-of-copyright holdings, including Jane Austen's Emma and the first edition of Charles Darwin's On The Origin Of Species, have been digitalised to allow online access......

So what does it take to be a librarian in the digital age? Well, you can start work in a library with GCSEs, A levels or a first degree in information sciences. However, a postgraduate qualification - an MA or MSc - is necessary in certain sectors where there is a bar to promotion for anyone without a professional qualification. This is the case in schools, colleges and universities, and government and local authorities.


What kind of qualities does a librarian need? Vanda Broughton, MA programme director for library and information studies at University College London, cites an interest in information, curiosity and, for those going into the technical areas of IT or cataloguing, an interest in detail and a methodical approach.

For librarians dealing with readers, people skills are important in helping users to find information, use databases and negotiate online resources.

Traditional librarianship skills of managing information, compiling collections, selecting and organising material and making it available to readers are still important but they are exercised in an increasingly digital context.

Bibliographic databases have replaced print-based services. Scholarly journals are now delivered electronically. E-text books are increasingly prevalent and rare texts such as the Gutenberg Bible and the Beowulf manuscript have been digitalised to allow public access."