Librarian careers beyond the Public Library and all over the world

JobGuppy

Summary

In this conversation, Karen Holt, a Library Director in a national lab for the Department of Energy, shares her journey and experiences in the field of librarianship. She discusses the different types of libraries and the various roles within the profession. Karen explains her daily responsibilities as a library director. She has also worked in diverse roles all over the world. She shares insights into her career path and the value of her diverse experiences. Karen goes on to provides advice for aspiring librarians and shares ideas on job searching and what skills she looks for when interviewing potential job seekers.
JobGuppy show notes and other related items at:
https://jobguppy.com/librarians/library-director-karen-holt/

Takeaways

• The role of a librarian offers a wide range of career opportunities in different types of libraries in the U.S. and abroad, including schools, college academia, museums, corporate companies, law firms, medical libraries, Congress, and even international organizations like NATO and the United Nations.
• Librarians often have diverse responsibilities, including managing, removing, and adding new collections, assisting patrons, conducting research, and implementing new technologies.
• Building relationships and providing excellent customer service are essential skills for librarians.
• Librarians can benefit from a variety of educational backgrounds, and there are different paths to enter the profession, including obtaining a master's degree in library science or information studies.
• Networking, reaching out to professionals in the field, and being open to new experiences can help aspiring librarians navigate their career paths.
• Being a librarian allows for flexibility to relocate to many different geographical locations over ones career.

Chapters

00:00 Episode Introduction – How many kinds of librarians are there?

02:19 Karen's Introduction – Her Career Journey and the Role of a Library Director

02:58 What is the role of a Library Director?

06:06 What are different places librarians can work?

07:33 How do you allocate your time and do you travel?

11:45 How did you know you wanted a career as a librarian?

26:43 What would surprise people to know about you?

29:02 What are your likes and dislikes about working in a library?

30:16 What is the work-life balance like for a librarian?

31:13 Is there anything unique that sets you apart from other librarians?

32:37 What kind of education is required to be a librarian?

37:02 How to search for librarian jobs

40:08 What hiring managers look for in librarian candidates

40:53 What is the income for a librarian?

45:26 What advice can you share with listeners about career exploration?

47:14 The wrap-up

Chapters

1. Episode Introduction – How many kinds of librarians are there? (00:00:00)

2. Karen's Introduction – Her Career Journey and the Role of a Library Director (00:02:19)

3. What is the role of a Library Director? (00:02:58)

4. What are different places librarians can work? (00:06:06)

5. How do you allocate your time and do you travel? (00:07:33)

6. How did you know you wanted a career as a librarian? (00:11:45)

7. What would surprise people to know about you? (00:26:43)

8. What are your likes and dislikes about working in a library? (00:29:02)

9. What is the work-life balance like for a librarian? (00:30:16)

10. Is there anything unique that sets you apart from other librarians? (00:31:13)

11. What kind of education is required to be a librarian? (00:32:37)

12. How to search for librarian jobs (00:37:02)

13. What hiring managers look for in librarian candidates (00:40:08)

14. What is the income for a librarian? (00:40:53)

15. What advice can you share with listeners about career exploration? (00:45:26)

16. The wrap-up (00:47:14)