Academic Librarianship

What is it?

Academic libraries serve colleges and universities, their students, staff and faculty. Larger institutions may have several libraries on their campuses dedicated to serving particular schools such as law and science libraries. Many academic librarians become specialists in an area of knowledge and can have faculty status. (Source: American Library Association)

What can I do with this background?

Service to faculty and students, reference, circulation, technical services (acquisitions, cataloging, system automation, indexing/abstracting, archives), serials management, manuscripts, access/outreach, music, metadata, Web design/maintenance, digital files, digital/paper preservation, government documents, special collections, media services, teaching, administration/management, research support, cartographic information specialist, publishing, bibliographic support, electronic services, prospect research, collection development, instructional technology, audiovisual materials, information literacy.

Employers: Universities and colleges; junior and community colleges; specialized academic programs e.g., seminaries, optometrist programs.

In addition to the required core courses, what courses should I take?

Suggested electives include:

• 60601 Information Sources and Reference Services

• 60604 Research Methods for Libraries and Information Centers

• 60615 The Academic Library

(Refer to the program guidesheet above for additional suggested coursework.)

What professional organizations are relevant to this career path?

• Academic Library Association of Ohio (ALAO)

• ALA: Association of College and Research Libraries

• Association of Research Libraries