A bibliographer is a person who has a broad understanding of publications in a specific field. Bibliographers compile lists of books related to the subjects they research, assist libraries with collections, and work for private collectors. A degree in library science and a degree in the subject the bibliographer is interested in are usually required, as well as active training in libraries, auction houses, and other places to learn the rules of the trade.
Because they were assigned bibliographies in school, many people are familiar with the concept of a bibliography. The work of a bibliographer is similar, but slightly different. A bibliographer, rather than compiling a list of sources used in a paper, tries to compile an exhaustive list of resources related to a subject. Someone who specializes in the French Revolution, for example, would include a wide range of texts, from personal journals written those who lived through it to the most recent academic works on the subject.
Bibliographers can locate and include books, articles, journals, poetry, unpublished manuscripts, and even works of art in their bibliographies. A successful bibliography on a particular subject can take years to complete. The bibliographer identifies, categorizes, and learns more about a wide range of texts during this process. Meetings with other bibliographers and book professionals to gather information, as well as visits to archive facilities to identify new works that may be relevant, are all possible parts of the job.
A bibliographer can be a very valuable member of a library’s staff. A library that wants to build and maintain an authoritative collection on a specific subject would hire bibliographers to help with the task. A bibliographer trained in Renaissance Studies, for example, would work in a Renaissance Studies library. The bibliographer may also be involved in the arrangement of rare book loans or exchanges, which can be used to improve the library’s collection quality.
Working in this field necessitates a wide range of abilities and interests. People should enjoy reading and have a specific interest in a subject or group of related subjects, such as flowers in art or medical history, and they should be adept at gathering and synthesizing information. A bibliographer is also skilled at categorizing and describing materials, and being multilingual facilitates access to materials that aren’t widely available in the bibliographer’s native tongue.