Librarian

Shrines of tomes and texts, libraries are where people go to immerse themselves in learning and page turning. To voracious readers, Libraries are sacred places. When you’re a Librarian, it’s up to you to make sure they stay that way. As such, you sometimes have to play the part of literary Police Officer, making sure library patrons remember the golden rule of reading: Silence is golden.

Really, though, that’s only a fraction of your job as a Librarian. Although you’re best known for stereotypical silence and shushing, the truth is: When you’re a Librarian, you have lots to say. After all, you’re a Farmer who harvests information instead of crops. Employed by public libraries, as well as libraries at schools, universities, hospitals, and law firms, you don’t just “enforce.” You “inform.”

Because people come to libraries to find knowledge, your number one duty is research. Students, for instance, use libraries to find facts for use in reports, while other people use them to look for resources that will help with genealogy projects, legal research, medical information, etc. Like a metal detector on the beach, you therefore spend most of your time helping library patrons find what they’re looking for, both offline—in books, journals, and newspaper clippings—as well as online, in electronic databases.

You’re also in charge of library administration, which means maintaining the library’s collection, ordering new materials, supervising staff, and managing budgets, as well as cataloging, checking out, and re-shelving books.

Still, your most important duty isn’t administrating or policing. Simply put, it’s finding buried treasure.