what qualifications to become a librarian?

[franca70]

Does anyone know "how to become a librarian or archivist" in England? any suggestion?
Is there a specific degree or a post graduate specialization?
thank you!

this is a good place to start

I'm sure someone actually helpful will come along....

Google CILIP (Charted Institute for Library and Information Professionals)

go to the CILIP website for details of becoming a librarian/information professional.
The UK is a bit different from other European countries in that archives and librarianship are separate career paths with separate qualifications and professional bodies. For archives work you need The Society of Archivists .
I am a librarian, not an archivist - for professional-grade library work you do need an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in Librarianship/Information Studies. The "best" schools for the past 20-30 years have consistently been Sheffield, Loughborough, UCL in London and City University in London. (Going on RAE rankings etc).
And Lili stop posting my picture on the internet or I will be in touch with my lawyers

am in silly mood today
good luck franca!!

LOL!!!
thank you all. I was expecting it involved studying, again...
(wonder if I've got any cerebral cell left, but that's another issue)
and there's the small matter of london being quite far away (though certainly nearer than Sheffield).
I'll look at the websites.
have to say that that deluxe librarian action figure looks exactly like me (don't have a red suit though. It's a good start...
Marina, do you like working as a librarian? (what a silly question sorry)

Basically, first degree plus a diploma or MA in Library and Information Studies (recognised by CILIP) or Archival Studies (recognised by the Society of Archivists). You will generally need relevant experience to get onto the diploma/MA course, so the "standard" route is to finish first degree, get a lower-grade library job for a year (if you are lucky a specific trainee post that will make an effort to give you a broad range of experience), then do the MA/diploma course. You can also do the MA/diploma part time one day a week at many establishments.

For librarianship an undergraduate degree in Library & Information Studies is an alternative to the first degree followed by diploma/MA route, but IMO isn't taken as "seriously" by academic libraries.

Once you've done the diploma/MA you're a "qualified" librarian, but you then need to get more relevant experience (etc.) to become "chartered" and able to apply for professional-level posts.

All this and the pay is still crap... AND the general public/students/business professionals will assume that all you've had to do is advanced shushing classes and will patronise you like anything

(I jumped ship sideways into IT and then less sideways into photography )

All the info you've already been given is top notch. I did a degree in English and an MA in Literature and then an MA in Library and Information Management (to become and academic subject librarian). If location is a problem for studying, check the CILIP website for accredited distance learning courses (I think it's Northumbria, Aberystwyth and a Scottish university that are generally accredited. It takes two years, but is manageable and the workload isn't enormous when done this way.

I agree that a lot of people don't realise the work that goes into becoming a qualified, chartered librarian. And the pay needs addressing, but it's a fantastic and varied job. I could go on about the demise of the qualified librarian in public libraries and the IT bias in library training today (necessary and applicable in most jobs now, but the job description changes on an almost monthly basis), but you don't want to hear all that .

I love my job and worked hard to get where I am. It's challenging and satisfying but a big committment too. Do your research, ask lots of questions and think about what area you are interested in. Good luck!

I MIGHT BE TOO OLD FOR ALL THAT then! (I have a degree in history, I graduated in Italy, 11 yrs ago, therefore I'd go for the MA/diploma route). well, I'll study my options...

If you are incredibly put off by all the rigmarole that seems to be involved, there are other levels of library work that don't involve so much training, or offer on the job training if you want to progress onto something else. I started out as a library assistant (our library assistants are paid £13,000+, senior assistants £19,000+) and there was a lot of opportunity for progression. Other colleagues that started as assistants are now Cataloguers, User Service Managers and qualified librarians. Lots of options!

Franca
To add to what everyone else has said:
It is very difficult to get a job as an archivist and you may have to do some unpaid intern work first. I believe that the courses are quite difficult to get on to. Salaries aren't great when you do get a job.
Pay is a big issue for librarians and a lot of us call ourselves Information Officers, Knowledge Managers etc nowadays - because these titles sound better to our employers than "librarian"
You need to have some idea of what work you would be interested in - public, academic, legal etc.
I'm a librarian/information officer/ knowledge manager/ information professional (I don't mind what I'm called, within reason).
It isn't always the best job for mothers because of the need in many libraries to work evenings or even weekends. Also, as the pay is poor it may not be economically worthwhile to work whilst children are young (in my experience).

Absolutely. I think first of all I'll have to do my research and decide exactly what area I'm interested in. Among the courses taken for my degree I did an exam in "Theory and methods of archive-keeping". Also for my dissertation I did my research in an archive of a big Italian industry and it was great.
I suppose my biggest problem is location. Not just for studying, and it's good to know that I can do distant learning courses, but in order to find a job afterwards.
Thanks again for all the info you gave me

what's wrong in being called librarian? ahhhhh modern times!

If you are a librarian you must wear a grey cardigan, have your hair in a bun and wear pince-nez spectacles. You may not be married and should preferably own several cats.

If you are a Librarian then you should be an orang-utan and covered in orange fur. In this case the cardigan, bun and spectacles are optional.

If you are an Information Officer (etc.) then you are allowed to look normal and have a life.

At least, that's the public perception...

Oh yes, librarians smell slightly musty too, are born aged 50 and like to discuss shelving uprights at length over a tomato juice. That is your only social life, you are otherwise socially-challenged and your grey cardigan is alway baggy, moth-eaten and covered in cat hair. You are also called Maureen and a virgin.

And only working in the library to get out of the house you share with you parents for a few hours a day.

May I just point out that while I am a librarian, I am 25 years off 50, married, severely lacking in the grey cardigan department, like live and loud music, pg (so probably not a virgin) and have never drunk tomato juice in my life. I do have two cats though, so maybe I'm slowly slipping into the librarian persona.

Franca, I love my job. But I am very lucky with where I work - sort of a dream role given my interests and background.
I agree totally with ShowofHands about the deskilling of public library work at branch level - always nice people, just a lack of professional expertise in terms of stock selection to suit the branch demography, etc.
But in many organisations it is still a great chance for someone who loves helping people and is curious about life, the universe and everything to really make a difference .
Yes the pay is poor - but in a traditionally female-dominated profession that is sadly not news . At least the job satisfaction levels can be very high to compensate.
Evenings and weekends - yes, potentially problematic, but jobshares abound and flexible working is often encouraged. Term-time only working is often available in school and some college libraries.
And socially, librarians are always at the least interesting characters. We have a well-hidden party animal side - and often other strings to our bows - musicians, writers, priests, chefs, painters, architectural historians. My year on a postgraduate course at Sheffield was non-stop parties and weekenders and the lecturers were as bad as we were.

Fecking Ronnie Corbett has a lot to answer for IMO. I am more of the Casanova type of librarian personally and I am sure you are too ShowofHands.

Too right Marina! I personally like the generalisations surrounding the profession as few people expect us to be as...erm... lively as we generally are, believe me it's always the quiet ones...

nothing like confounding expectations is there!

did someone mention having lots of cats?

I do love librarians really and can be found in bristol city centre library from time to time

I have contacts at Bristol Central Library. I can get you barred just like that.

I love librarians
they rule
they are so cool
grey cardigans are very in this year

And we are watching you, always watching (nurse secret admiration for Ros in Monsters Inc, surely inspired by a lady librarian)

Librarian - Jonathan Rundman

when I was just a baby, before I could speak
I would line up all my letter blocks alphabetically
and now it?s my vocation and my passion to assign
every decimal-numbered shelf to every decimal-numbered spine

I?m a librarian, I?m a librarian
and I like it quiet so the pages can be heard
I?m a librarian, I?m a librarian
and I do it for the love of the word

I bring order out of chaos, I shine light into the dark
because power comes from knowledge just like fire from a spark
and like Gutenberg and Luther with press and pen in hand
I take the message to the masses in a form they understand

I?m a librarian, I?m a librarian
and I like it quiet so the pages can be heard
I?m a librarian, I?m a librarian
and I do it for the love of the word

and when the day is over I go home at 5:03
and I give thanks to God and then to Andrew Carnegie
and the U.S. Constitution and Orwell, Poe, and Twain
and I?ll return at 8AM to open up again

I?m a librarian, I?m a librarian
and I like it quiet so the pages can be heard
I?m a librarian, I?m a librarian
and I do it for the love of the word

You know they you've almost convinced me? it's probably my unhealthy obsession for grey cardigans...