Almost all librarian positions in the United States and Canada require a master’s degree in library science. ALA’s “Education & Careers” website
<http://www.ala.org/ala/education/degrees/degrees.htm> says: “A Master’s degree from an ALA-accredited Library and Information Studies program prepares you for a professional career in library and information science.” We wondered how librarians felt their education had prepared them to work in this field, so we took a very informal, completely unscientific poll. We emailed friends, colleagues, and discussion lists, and posted on our blog <http://liscareer.blogspot.com>, asking for brief initial responses to this question: “What do you wish you had learned in library school?” We received 72 replies, which were as diverse as the respondents. Some were serious, some were funny, and all were thoughtful. (For a more detailed breakdown of the responses, see http://liscareer.com/school_chart.htm.) Although many mentioned specific library job skills, most responses focused on non-library areas such as business, interpersonal, technology, and writing skills.

BUSINESS SKILLS

Those who leave library school expecting to spend all day selecting materials, repairing fragile books, or answering reference questions may be surprised to find themselves crunching numbers and writing performance evaluations. As one librarian wrote, “I wish I had learned more of the practicalities and legalities of running a library as a ‘business’ with a mission and resources and constraints.”

Accounting, Budgeting, Statistics

Many people who go into librarianship are comfortable with—and fond of—operating in the realm of ideas and philosophy. As a result, new professionals are sometimes unnerved when they quickly find themselves spending just as much of their time in a world of spreadsheets and pie charts. “One of the first things that I realized I was clueless about in an early job was budgeting and finance,” wrote one respondent. Whether it’s a collection budget or staff salaries, many librarians must quickly learn how to work with figures much larger than those they’re used to dealing with when they balance their checkbooks.

Marketing

Contrary to popular stereotypes, librarianship isn’t a place for introverted hermits who want to be left alone with their books. Librarians quickly learn the importance of promoting their libraries and the services they provide, not just to patrons but also to county commissioners, university trustees, and others who hold the purse strings. In an era of shrinking budgets, librarians sometimes have to justify their existence—especially when faced with critics (who may happen to control the budget) who say, “Isn’t everything just on Google anyway?” It’s never been more important for information professionals to be able to explain what they do and why they’re important. “I don’t think we’re very well prepared for promoting our services in a language other than library-speak,” wrote one respondent.

New librarians in particular also need to learn to market themselves when the time comes to find employment. Several respondents mentioned that library schools could teach students more about the job-search process. “I have been paying attention to the resumes and interviewing skills of new librarians,” wrote one, “and am a little worried that students are not getting tangible skills to use in their job hunts. Interviewing skills, creating effective presentations and resumes, dressing the part, communicating with a diverse group of people ... I think we are not preparing our students, even in the slightest way, to get the jobs they are preparing for.”


Personnel Management

Library schools may teach students a fair amount about dealing with difficult patrons, but what about the difficult people who are on the payroll? And personnel matters aren’t limited to problematic staff; even the world’s best employee makes demands on a manager’s time and energy. Students might imagine they might be responsible for personnel management many years from now, but the truth is that many will find themselves managing staff in their very first jobs.

Being a manager requires you to spend much of your time scheduling staff, writing performance evaluations, interviewing and hiring new employees, approving requests for leave ... and that’s when things are going right. When problems arise—that new hire just isn’t working out, and hey, wasn’t Employee X supposed to be here an hour ago?—things get even trickier. One librarian wrote that she wished she’d learned “more about managing people and less about managing things.” “I wish I had been able to take a whole class on personnel management,” said another. Learning on the job can be scary when you’re in charge of real, live people. Many wished that library school had better prepared them to face the challenges of managing others.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

Dealing with people—difficult or otherwise—isn’t just an issue when you’re the boss. Working with patrons and colleagues can also present challenges.

Customer Service

Customer service skills are essential in almost any position. Having a customer service orientation is so crucial that one library manager said he prefers hiring staff with retail experience. Several respondents wished they had learned some social work skills, particularly when dealing with problem patrons, difficult coworkers, and unpleasant situations. “How do I disengage politely from a lonely patron who wants to chat when the branch is very busy?” one asked. Another wondered how to enforce policies without offending patrons: “How do I deliver bad news with a smile?”

Committee Work

Several people mentioned that they wish they had realized how much of their professional lives would be spent working in groups. “In library school we learn that we’ll have to work in groups but we don’t really learn how to participate in and/or lead committees effectively,” wrote one. “The fact that many committees are convened with a mandate but no authority and often very few resources makes it even more challenging. I think teaching basic organizational and communication skills for committee work would be very helpful.”

Copyright 2007 by Richard A. Murray and Priscilla K. Shontz