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What is a Librarian?

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Talent.com talent.com
Answered April 15 2021
Career Expert at Talent.com
A Librarian is a person who provides access to information. In effect, one of the central tenants of library sciences participates in the democratization of information through community outreach. 

While many people may think of Librarians as working only in schools or public libraries, Librarians work in many different contexts. For example, there are dedicated law libraries where lawyers and paralegals research case history and precedents. There are also medical libraries that provide information to the public and health professionals on topics specifically related to health and medicine. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these medical libraries have helped provide the community with valuable, accurate information.  

Regardless of the context, the Librarian is in charge of documenting, archiving, and organizing the library's information to be accessible and valuable. They help patrons access this information and become better at researching, thus improving their informational literacy. 

Personality of a Librarian
Librarians tend to be detail-oriented, organized, and social people. In addition, here are some personality traits that can make you a successful Librarian. 

  • Good Research Skills
People come to libraries with a question, be it "which novel should I read next?" or "how do planes stay in flight?". They constantly look over their collections, decide what materials to add to the groups, and take out. They need to guide patrons to reliable information sources and provide them with access to the information they are looking for.   

  • Technologically-Savvy
Libraries rely on several different technologies, including computers used by patrons, databases, and cataloging software. They need to be comfortable using and explaining these technologies to people. 

  • Leadership Skills
Librarians work and often spearhead projects within their community to improve their patrons' lives, organizing workshops and Storytime to trivia nights. They work with other community leaders to make their libraries spaces of learning, not just halls of books. 
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