State Library of Queensland recently hosted 30 ‘librarians of the future’ currently enrolled in Librarian and Teacher Librarian degree programs at Charles Sturt University (CSU). The students were given the opportunity to go behind the scenes and tour our storage repositories, reading rooms, staff work spaces and The Edge. SLQ staff from: Queensland Memory; Discovery; Regional Access and Public Libraries; GRAIL (Government Research and Information Library); and Community Engagement, presented a snapshot of their roles, highlighting the diverse range of work delivered by State Library.
Australian Bureau of Statistics data from the 2011 census reported that 10,021 people are employed as librarians. The role of librarian or information specialist is considered a professional role and requires a degree qualification. The Australian Library and Information Association accredit courses at both an undergraduate and postgraduate level. The range of tasks a librarian performs in their role can be diverse. Speakers at the CSU study visit highlighted their work in collecting and preserving collections; lending; client engagement; promoting collections via platforms such as Flickr Commons and Historypin; advocacy; development and delivery of programs which support early childhood literacy; and social connections.
Students attending the study visit said they didn’t know there were so many different job opportunities for a librarian. “Lovely to see so many staff so engaged and passionate about their careers,” one student said.
State Library is committed to supporting the next generation of librarians through events such as hosting this study visit. SLQ also offers fieldwork opportunities to students enrolled in relevant courses. Find out more on our website:
CSU students Stephan, Kim and Vikki
References
Australian Bureau of Statistics 6273.0 - Employment in Culture, Australia, 2011 http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/6273.0Main+Features12011?OpenDocument
ALIA accredited courses https://www.alia.org.au/employment-and-careers/courses-eligible-alia-membership
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