Research Librarian

If you’ve heard of the Oracle of Delphi, you know she was a famous prophet in Ancient Greece. People came from all over to ask her questions about the future, and she always had an answer. In fact, her prophecies determined everything from when Farmers planted their seeds to when empires declared war.

As a Research Librarian, you’re as close as it gets to a modern-day oracle. You can’t see the future, but you nonetheless answer people’s questions. As a matter of fact, that’s your job: helping people acquire knowledge — using research, not psychic powers.

Also known as a Reference Librarian, you help people find the proverbial needle in a haystack, whether it’s a fact, a book or an online resource.

A Research Librarian is not just a fact-finder, however. As your title suggests, “research” is your No. 1 priority, which means you also help library patrons with in-depth searches. If someone’s researching their family history, for instance, you won’t just show them where the genealogy books are; you’ll also help them locate historic newspaper clippings that mention their family members, search online databases for mentions of their family name and suggest other resources, such as the state or city archives, where they can continue their research.

Of course, the Research Librarian is 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. Ultimately, though, you’re not there just to run the library; you’re there to help people use it.