To work as a reference librarian, you must first complete the standard education requirements for general library work. An associate’s or master’s degree in library science is required, though educational requirements differ between libraries and library districts. This usually entails two to six years of study, with specialized training and licensing thrown in for good measure. You must be familiar with the tasks involved, which include the reference interview, which is a technique unique to reference departments. If you meet these requirements, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a reference librarian.
Anyone interested in becoming a reference librarian should first gain a basic understanding of how modern libraries operate. This can be accomplished even before enrolling in a library science program. Spend some time in a library getting to know how reference materials are organized, indexed, and accessed. Resources and information are available from the American Library Association and similar organizations in other countries. If you’re a student, you could volunteer in the school library or look for work as a library page to get a feel for how a library works.
Librarians are required to complete specialized information management training. Smaller libraries may only require an associate’s degree, which can be earned in as little as two years. However, you may need to complete a graduate program in library science to work as a reference librarian. Only after completing a bachelor’s degree, sometimes in a related field such as law, English, or social science, can this be pursued. If you want to advance to an administrative position in the future, an advanced degree may be useful.
To work as a reference librarian in some libraries, you’ll need a license. A teacher certification, for example, is frequently required school and university libraries. To be eligible for work in some states and cities, you may need a license or certificate. In a law or business library, a reference librarian will also need to be well-versed in these subjects. A working knowledge of computer information retrieval is also required.
The reference librarian must be skilled at conducting reference interviews. This is a set of questions that librarians use to decipher and process a request for information correctly. When asking for assistance, some library users are uncomfortable or ignorant because they are unfamiliar with the library environment. The purpose of the reference interview is to clarify the information request and to direct the user as precisely as possible to the requested information. This necessitates interpersonal skills and a natural ability to communicate, as well as familiarity with the available reference materials.