Academic Librarian
"I know exactly where to find the information you require. I select, develop, catalogue and classify library resources in a way that ensures ease and efficiency. I answer questions, direct library users and manage the data they are looking for. I always have an answer at hand."
Salary Range:
$49,000 - $78,000
The Tip
Be different and do one thing every year that causes people to ask, “So, why did you do that?”
Priority Knowledge & Skills
Advanced Research & Analysis Skills
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Formulate research questions
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Critically analyze literature in a variety of subject areas within psychology or the broader social sciences
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Develop and execute qualitative research
Contextual Knowledge
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Able to relate to a wide range of individuals
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Understanding of context and values of audiences
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Understanding of topics and themes as they relate to an audience
Additional Skills
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Strong organizational skills
Excel in defined core transferable skills with a focus on transdisciplinary systems thinking, adaptive thinking, communication, organizational and interpersonal skills
Advanced Communication Skills
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Sensitivity to how communication is shaped by circumstances, authorship and intended audience
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Formulate and defend positions
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Write for a specific audience
Inter-personal Skills
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Work with diverse populations
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Support individuals to discuss difficult topics for their classes or research
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Empathetic
Intra-personal Skills
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Manage stress both personally and of others
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Calm during a crisis—especially helpful with the stress students find themselves under at the end of term
Self-aware, able to manage biases
Building Block Experiences
Education & Learning:
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Bachelor of Arts (Psychology)
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Master of Library & Information Science (MLIS)
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Ongoing professional development
I’ve always loved working with children and teaching. I decided to pursue a psychology degree to develop my core research and written communication skills and to provide myself options for graduate school as I was uncertain whether I wanted to do a Master of Arts in Psychology or a Master of Library & Information Science. In my final year of my psychology degree, I decided to become a professional librarian.
Employment Experiences:
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I worked at a public library as a volunteer for teen fiction purchases while I was in high school
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Teacher’s assistant (TA) in the U.K. for 12 months
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I was a virtual reference intern with the Virtual Librarian Service
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I was a camp counsellor for two summers in university. In my second summer I was a coordinator with a staff of eight counsellors.
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I worked at the university library I attended as an undergraduate. I worked my way up from shelving books at night to working part time at the circulation desk for my last two years as a psychology major.
Being a full-time librarian is rare, as many positions are part time. I knew I needed to differentiate myself from my peers who had identical educational backgrounds. My combination of volunteering, plus my work with children as a camp counsellor and TA differentiated me from my competitors.
Community Experiences:
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Volunteered at the local public library from age 12. I was hired part time when I was 15.
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On the board of a literacy nonprofit
Volunteering in the library system created great opportunities for me to build relationships in the industry and diversify my contextual experiences.
Contextual Experiences:
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I took a year off from university to become a teacher’s assistant in an elementary school for kids with special needs in the U.K.
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I’ve traveled to 14 countries
My parents thought I was crazy to take a year off school and move to the U.K. for work. I worked for basically minimum wage and lived in a dorm room, but the experience was invaluable. My goal was to test-drive if I wanted to become a psychologist working with children or a librarian. Though I loved it, it confirmed my desire to pursue a career as a librarian.
Relationships:
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I had senior professional mentors in the library from a young age
My professional mentors have made a huge impact on my career. My guides were the librarians I worked alongside from age 12 and they supported my key decisions later on. They were the ones that recommended psychology as a major and recommended taking a year off to work as a TA overseas. They also were my references to get into graduate school and ultimately I was hired full time by one of my mentors following graduation with my master’s degree.