Forget the Desk Job: Current Roles and Responsibilities in Entry-Level Reference Job Advertisements

Abstract

This study examines the evolving roles and responsibilities of entry-level academic reference positions, as stated in recent job advertisements posted on the American Library Association’s JobLIST Web site and other sources. Findings from a content analysis of these advertisements indicate that current entry-level reference positions in academic libraries incorporate a strikingly diverse and complex range of responsibilities. The study provides valuable insight into the expectations and priorities of hiring institutions in regard to entry-level reference work, offering a broad perspective on the reference job environment to library science students, first-time job seekers, and libraries seeking to recruit entry-level candidates.

Scholarly Communication as a Core Competency: Prevalence, Activities, and Concepts of Scholarly Communication Librarianship as Shown Through Job Advertisements

“…Incongruities identified, such as job responsibilities listed in advertisements but not commonly offered in standard education and training, can lead to opportunities for improvement. This is particularly true given the dynamic nature of the information professions, as evidenced by the sudden expansion of librarian job responsibilities in recent decades (Wang, Tang, & Knight, 2010;Detmering & Sproles, 2012).…”

“…Kim, Warga, and Moen (2013) looked at 173 job advertisements related to digital curation between October 2011 and April 2012 and concluded that the field "currently intersects with a variety of problems and domains from cultural heritage collections to eScience and data science" (p. 67). Detmering and Sproles (2012) determined scholarly communication to be a duty in 7.3% of the listings they studied and noted that "while not pervasive, scholarly communication emerged as another significant trend, particularly in science subject specialist positions. This duty requires collection development and management skills...data sharing projects, open access initiatives, digital repositories" (p. 552).…”

Core Knowledge and Specialized Skills in Academic Libraries

“…16 Robert Detmering and Claudene Sproles found that nearly 98 percent of academic library reference jobs included responsibilities for information literacy and instruction. 17 Russell Hall confirmed that academic library directors identify instruction as highly important, finding that more than a quarter of librarians with instructional responsibilities spend 50 percent or more of their time on instruction. 18 Other studies have focused on the need for skills related to distance learning and designing and delivering online instruction.…”

The Public Services Job Hunt: Observations and Advice

“…Among the most frequently referenced ''soft'' skills are adaptability, oral and written communication skills, customerservice orientation, and comfort with instruction and=or public speaking. In fact, Detmering and Sproles (2012) noted that virtually all academic reference librarians will be engaged in instruction, and that knowledge of information literacy standards is implicit in these positions.…”

“…Another concern raised by employers is a lack of professionalism on the part of some candidates. Specifically, employers point to poorly written resumes and cover letters, and cover letters or interviews that convey an arrogant or overfriendly tone (Sproles & Detmering, 2012). In addition, they are not impressed by candidates that do not dress professionally for interviews, who do not arrive on time, or who post unprofessional pictures, messages, or even user names on social media and networking sites.…”