Academic librarian

Academic librarians play a vital role in supporting learning, teaching and research within universities and further education colleges

You'll ensure that students, lecturers and researchers have access to the physical and digital information and resources they need. This involves managing collections, facilitating access to electronic resources and providing guidance on effective information use.

You may specialise in a specific academic subject, developing in-depth knowledge to support specific departments. Responsibilities can include:

• cataloguing and classification
• resource ordering and collection development
• the licensing and authentication of electronic information resources
• loans
• faculty liaison
• overseeing specialist collections
• maintaining and developing IT systems, open access and e-resources.

A key aspect of the role involves supporting students and staff to develop the skills needed for effective research. This includes teaching information and digital literacy skills on areas such as the ethical and responsible use of AI, copyright law, literature searching and referencing. Training can take place in person or in a virtual learning environment.

You'll spend considerable time working with electronic resources, involving database management and webpage development. The role is very customer focused.

Job titles vary, so it's important to look beyond the title to the actual work involved when applying for jobs. Related titles to look out for include:

• collections librarian
• information adviser
• learning support librarian
• liaison librarian
• partnerships librarian
• subject librarian.

Responsibilities

As an academic librarian, you'll typically need to:

• develop and manage collections of physical and digital resources, including books, journals, databases, multimedia and open access materials
• select, acquire and catalogue information using library and information software
• create, maintain and manage electronic and printed information resources
• design and deliver information literacy and digital skills sessions for students, researchers and academic staff, both in person and online
• integrate emerging technologies, such as AI and research analytics tools, to support learning and teaching
• collaborate with academic departments to embed information skills into the curriculum and contribute to course design
• manage and support the provision of reading lists, including resource availability, copyright compliance and loan periods
• support researchers with complex literature searches, reviews and reference management tools
• deal with user enquiries, which may involve one-on-one advice sessions
• build and maintain effective working relationships with academic staff and students, as well as external bodies such as suppliers
• take on responsibility, in some cases, for archives, institutional repositories or other special collections
• oversee budgets and resource purchasing for specific subject areas or faculties
• lead on the licensing, procurement and authentication of electronic information resources
• monitor and manage the life cycle of subscriptions to databases and journals, including trials, renewals and usage evaluation
• keep up to date with developments in the library sector and participate in professional groups or networks.

Senior librarians may also:

• line-manage library staff and oversee service delivery across multiple sites
• be responsible for space planning, furniture, equipment and the design or refurbishment of library buildings
• contribute to strategic planning, service development and institution-wide initiatives.

Salary

• Salaries for graduate trainees are typically £18,000 to £23,000.
• Salaries for assistant librarians range from £22,000 to £38,000, with an average salary of £30,000.
• Subject/liaison/academic or research librarians can expect to achieve salaries of £28,000 to £48,000, with an average salary of £36,000.
• Salaries for senior/deputy librarians can range from £38,000 to £81,000 (average salary £58,000), rising to around £100,000 for head or director of library and information services (average salary £66,000).

Your salary will vary depending on a range of factors, including your qualifications, experience, location, the size of the library you work at, team structure, your specialist area of library work and whether you have chartership.

Income data from TFPL (knowledge and information management recruitment specialists). Figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

You'll typically work a 35-hour week and may be expected to do some evening, weekend and bank holiday work.

Part-time work and job share opportunities may be available. There may be some scope for remote working.

What to expect

• Work takes place in a variety of locations and environments within an academic institution. As well as the library, you may also work in teaching or seminar rooms.
• Most opportunities are in cities and towns with further or higher education institutions.
• The majority of academic librarian roles include a lot of contact with people, including students, researchers and academics.
• Fewer staff and financial cutbacks within this field may present challenges.
• If you're working for an institution that has more than one library on different campuses, you may need to travel between sites.

Qualifications

To work as an academic librarian, you'll usually need a degree in any subject plus a postgraduate diploma or Masters in information and library studies, information or library science, librarianship or library and information management accredited by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals. Search CILIP-accredited qualifications.

Posts for subject librarians may require specialist subject knowledge, e.g. a degree in a relevant subject or fluency in a language.

Many of the larger academic libraries and some special collections advertise graduate trainee roles as a way into the profession. These are fixed-term, full-time roles designed to give you practical experience before applying for a postgraduate qualification.

If you don't have a degree, it may be possible to start out in a library assistant role and then work up to a full librarian position by gaining extra qualifications and undertaking further training. Library assistant posts are often filled by people gaining experience before taking a postgraduate qualification.

Some people begin with a Level 3 Library, Information and Archive Services (LIAS) Assistant apprenticeship, which provides a vocational route into the profession.

Competition is strong for graduate trainee posts, postgraduate courses and first professional posts, so be prepared to be flexible about geographical location.

Check with individual institutions about the availability of any postgraduate course funding. Early applications are advised, especially if you're applying for funding.

Search postgraduate courses in information science and librarianship.

Skills

You'll need to have:

• strong customer service and interpersonal skills, with the ability to support a diverse academic community
• confidence in building collaborative relationships with students, academic staff and researchers
• strong IT and electronic resources management skills
• digital literacy and an awareness of emerging technologies such as AI, data analysis tools, and open research platforms
• excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to present information to different audiences
• information and research skills
• a flexible and adaptable approach to work
• accuracy and attention to detail
• negotiation and problem-solving skills
• the ability to work collaboratively as part of a team but also independently  
• strong organisational skills and the ability to manage your time effectively to meet deadlines
• logical thinking and analytical skills for evaluating resources, systems and user needs
• self-motivation and the ability to work proactively, particularly when managing subject responsibilities or service areas
• an appreciation of the pressures and demands within the academic work environment
• the ability to lead and motivate others (for more senior roles).

Work experience

To get a place on a CILIP-accredited postgraduate course, you'll usually need some relevant work experience. If you don't already have this, you'll need to arrange something within a library or information service, either paid or voluntary, to build up some experience. Look for internships on company websites or advertised locally.

If your degree is unrelated to information and library work and you have little or no library and information work experience, you can find paid experience via CILIP's Graduate Training Opportunities scheme. Jobs are usually advertised near the end of the year and during spring and will introduce you to the information and library sector, giving you the experience needed to apply for a postgraduate course. Trainee jobs typically last one year, fixed term.

These roles can also be used as a first (or second) job if you're new to the profession to help you build up experience.

Getting relevant experience as early as possible will show your self-motivation and enthusiasm for the work. Search for pre-course experience in a range of libraries - not just academic.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

Academic librarians work in higher and further education institutions, as well as in research institutes attached to academic institutions.

The size and arrangement of academic institutions vary considerably, but an institution's learning resource centre consists of both information and computing facilities, and support services for academic departments. Subject librarians often enjoy a close rapport with their academic department and staff.

Some institutions have qualified librarians working on different sites and in different specialisms. Central procedures, such as resource ordering, cataloguing and an inter-library loans facility, may be housed in a central location.

In smaller institutions with fewer staff, there may be only one information or resource centre, and you may find yourself undertaking a mixture of qualified and non-qualified tasks. However, you're likely to be closely involved in management decisions and are in a good position to get an overview of the entire operation.

Look for job vacancies at:

• Information Professional Jobs - (the job board for CILIP), for librarian and graduate trainee jobs
• Jobs.ac.uk

Specialist recruitment agencies also handle vacancies. These include:

• TFPL
• CB Resourcing
• Glen Recruitment

Professional development

There are three levels of professional registration available with CILIP:

• Certification (ACLIP)
• Chartership (MCLIP)
• Fellowship (FCLIP).

For all three levels you must undertake a range of continuing professional development (CPD) activities reflecting on your personal performance, organisational performance and on your knowledge of the wider library and information service profession. You must also submit a 1,000-word evaluative statement along with supporting evidence. (All three levels are accredited by the Scottish Qualifications Agency.) It's advised that while undertaking registration you have a mentor to guide you.

CPD activities can include reviewing and contributing to professional literature, taking part in email discussion lists, teaching on relevant postgraduate courses as practitioners, networking, attending relevant conferences and courses, and getting involved in CILIP's regional member networks and special interest groups.

Most members gain Chartership two or three years after graduating. Although not all academic librarians have Chartership, there are many benefits and gaining it may open up new career opportunities and higher earning potential.

Fellowship, the highest level of professional registration available, is open to those who have made a significant contribution to the profession. For full details, see CILIP - Professional Registration.

Many universities will have their own staff training programmes. Research degrees are also offered by university libraries and information studies departments. Training and development is also provided by CILIP.

Many employers also look for CILIP chartership or a willingness to work towards chartership for higher-grade roles.

Career prospects

Career progression is achievable, but competition at all levels is keen, so perseverance and dedication are essential. It's important to update your skills regularly and be willing to take on new tasks to develop your knowledge. You may need to move between jobs in order to experience more than one type of work or setting, and promotion may involve a change of employer or location.

There may be opportunities to undertake secondments with different institutions, take on special projects or move to another job on the same grade in order to increase your skills and experience. This shows initiative, particularly in preparation for more senior posts. Some universities have merged their library services with IT departments or learning support, which may offer further opportunities for progression at the highest levels.

You may specialise early on in your career, by becoming a subject librarian, for example. Other options include specialising in particular functions, such as digital learning, systems management, partnerships management or electronic resource management.

Experienced librarians may be able to progress to more senior posts, such as senior librarian or library manager. Jobs at the highest level include deputy director and director or head of library services. In these roles, you'll have responsibility for strategy, operations and finance.

It's also possible to move into other areas of work in an information management or related role. Relevant settings include local or central government, law courts, healthcare, professional practices, public libraries, schools, voluntary or commercial organisations.