It’s a question I absolutely love. “How did you get into your role and is that something I can do?”
Working in a school libraries is the best job in the world (I’m biased, but just try and prove me wrong!). Yet becoming someone who works in a school library is a path shrouded in mystery. If you are considering working in a school library, there are a few ways to get started.
How To Get Started
Do your research
There are lots of myths and stereotypes around school libraries. The job is not what you remember from your school days and is not at all what books and media like to portray. So, what is it? It depends on your role and every day might look different, but it’s definitely customer service driven and focused. It is an area requiring a high level of skill, continual on the job training and upskilling, openness to new things and change, as well as flexibility and adaptability. Read about school libraries, look at the websites of school library associations. Check out the social media accounts of school libraries or school library staff to get an idea of what happens in a school library.
Talk to a school library staff member
Maybe you have a connection through your local school. Reach out to the staff to see if there would be anyone willing to talk to you, show you their space or even let you shadow them for the day. This is a great way to understand what the role looks like and if it suits you.
Decide on a role
Each role within school libraries is specialised and it’s not a clear career chain path, you specialise, you don’t work your way up, so to speak. Deciding to become a library technician is a completely different job from that of a teacher librarian. It requires different specialised skills, different attributes and different qualifications. You can see my description of some of the common roles here and ALIA has a list of library staff roles here.
Check out which qualifications suit you. Check out the ALIA roles and recognised studies list to see which qualification pathway might suit you best.
Changing career? If you’ve got other qualification and experience and have worked in other sectors, many of those skills will come in handy in the library due to the varied nature of the role. Moving into libraries from another career is a great move. Skills in education, training, research, customer service, working with young people, event planning, graphic design, technology, robotics or coding, marketing, hand crafts are all extremely useful skills to have when working in a school library. The same is true of any knowledge of experience in English, history, geography, science, mathematics, languages or any other subject covered at school.
Get experience
Even while studying, you can and should try to get experience in a school library. You might be able to volunteer your time. Reach out to your local school library to see if this is something they can support. If they say no, don’t be discouraged or offended, school libraries are busy places and often understaffed, so they might not have the resources to take on a volunteer. You might also be able to get relief work in a school library, contract work or part-time work. Even visiting a school library space or spending a day there can show you what the rhythms and routines are like.
Upskill
Qualifications and formal training aren’t the only way to gain the skills you’ll need to work in a school library. There are plenty of webinars, courses, articles and conferences you can attend. My monthly list of professional development opportunities is a great way to start. Many are free and offer both training and exposure to school library issues, contexts and knowledge.
Connect with the local school library staff network
These networks are a great way to connect with school library staff in your area, visit school libraries, hear of job opportunities, and gain practical professional learning.
Get a mentor
There are plenty of school library mentoring schemes, like the ALIA or ASLA schemes, or just connect directly with a school library staff member and ask if they would be open to mentoring you. Mentors are ideal for guiding you through the process of joining the school library profession, sharing their knowledge and experience, and answering questions you might have.
If you are at all interested in school libraries, why not explore the options available to you. This vibrant, diverse and rewarding career just might be the perfect fit for you.
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