Librarianship in the 21st Century

1
Librarianship in the 21st Century

• Bernard Becker Medical Library
• Washington University School of Medicine

2
What is a Librarian?

• Librarians
• help people find information and use it
  effectively for personal and professional
  purposes
• have knowledge of scholarly and public
  information sources
• follow trends related to publishing, computers,
  and the media
• develop and direct information programs and
  systems

3
What is a Medical Librarian?

• Medical Librarians
• Link people to health information
• Organize and help people find health, science,
  and patient care information
• Teach people how to use information to improve
  health care

4
Where do Medical Librarians Work?

• Research centers
• Hospitals
• Colleges and universities
• Corporations (pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and
  chemical companies)
• Government agencies
• Internet companies

5
What do Medical Librarians Do?

• Teach people how to find the health information
  they need
• Select, purchase, and organize books, journals,
  and electronic information resources
• Design, develop, and maintain Web sites
• Operate computers and computer networks

6
Who do Medical Librarians Work With?

• Health care providers
• Physicians
• Nurses
• Allied health personnel
• Researchers
• Students and teachers
• Patients and their families

7
What Characterizes Librarians?

• Service orientation
• Excellent communication skills
• Teaching ability
• Technological aptitude
• Creativity
• Web design talent
• Flexibility in a changing environment

8
What Education do Librarians Need?

• An undergraduate degree in any field
• Supplemented by courses in biology, medical
  sciences and terminology, computer science, and
  management
• Knowledge of computer software
• A graduate degree in library and information
  science from an ALA accredited program
• A second graduate degree in a specialty-related
  discipline

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Want to Know More?

• Information on graduate schools of library and
  information science
• Association for Library and Information Science
  Education, 1009 Commerce Park Dr., Suite 150, PO
  Box 4219, Oak Ridge, TN 37839 (http//www.alise.or
  g )

10
What is the Job Outlook for Librarians?

• Job opportunities are expected to be very good
• A large number of librarians will retire in the
  coming decade, creating many job openings

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How Much do Librarians Earn?

• Salaries vary according to individual
  qualifications and type, size, and location of
  library
• Median annual earnings of librarians in 2002 were
  43,090
• Elementary and secondary schools 45,660
• Colleges, universities, and professional schools
  45,600
• Local government 37,970

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How Much do Medical Librarians Earn?

• In 2001 the average starting salary (less than
  two years experience) was 40,080
• The overall average salary for medical librarians
  in 2001 was 49,955
• Library directors can earn up to 125,000

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Professional Organizations

• American Library Association
• http//www.ala.org
• Medical Library Association
• http//www.mlanet.org
• Special Libraries Association
• http//www.sla.org