THE traditional image of a librarian is that of a person (usually a woman) who is concerned with organising collections of books and related materials, usually in paper form, in libraries, and servicing users with these resources.

But with the coming of the information age, the career of library studies has evolved to include accessing materials from a range of electronic sources, such as CD roms, DVDs, and of course, that unfathomable frontier of information, the Internet.

Career & Education recently visited the Department of Library and Information Studies at the University of the West Indies, where we learned of the new developments in this interesting career. On hand to share with us were head of the department Professor Fay Durrant, lecturer Barbara Gordon, departmental librarian Mark-Shane Scale, and fieldwork coordinator Eppie Edwards.

What sort of training is needed to become a librarian?
Here at UWI our basic degree course, started in 1971 is the Bachelor of Arts (BA) which is for people coming in without any degree and through the regular undergraduate matriculation. But we encourage students to do a number of courses outside our department, and also do several library studies courses so they can develop the skills of librarianship. We have two postgraduate programmes. These are the Master of Arts in Library and Information Studies (MALIS) for students who come in with the BA in Library Studies, which allows them to do more research and expand their area of specialisation; and the Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) for students with degrees in another areas.

What level of interest is there in library studies?
There is a high level of interest. Currently we have 162 undergraduate students, and 70 postgraduate.

How is the remuneration in this field?

The pay depends on where you work. Most likely UWI has the highest pay, followed by the other universities and colleges. But some private sector librarians and those in the public sector, such as at the Bank of Jamaica, the Planning Institute of Jamaica and other specialised libraries are doing well, too. Librarians with a first degree tend to be remunerated similarly to a teacher in a similar institution, while those with a masters degree may be comparable to a lecturer in a university or college.

During their studies, do students get any practical experience in working in a library?

Certainly. Undergraduate students are required to do six weeks of field work at a library in their first and second years, while postgraduate students must do 12 weeks of field work. This can be at a school library, or one in the government or private sector.

How do libraries in Jamaica compare with those in other Caribbean countries?

Jamaica has a very developed network of libraries, and most public libraries have Internet access. Most high schools have libraries; most are operated by the schools themselves but some are run by the government. But the national library of Trinidad and Tobago is really impressive; it has many different sections, areas for exhibitions, sections for storytelling for children and so on. In that respect, we have some catching up to do.

How has information technology changed the work of librarians?
The change has been dramatic in that the introduction of IT allows the librarian to access resources much faster, and therefore (s)he can accomplish much more. The Internet allows for faster communication and greater access to materials from libraries online. We are now getting into using social networking websites such as Facebook and Hi5 to promote the use of library resources, such as online catalogues; to promote library events such as exhibitions, and to educate users on issues such as how to evaluate the reliability of online sources. We also use the Internet to connect to other library professionals over the world.

Are students using libraries less because of the Internet?
Not at all. In fact, some years ago when our main library was closed because of damage from Hurricane Ivan, our students were so unhappy because they couldn't access the books and materials in the library, even though they had access to the Internet. Also, visit the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Library on Tom Redcam Avenue on a Saturday and you will see scores of young people streaming in all day. Furthermore, there are some things you cannot access on the Internet, such as old diaries, legal documents and letters written by important figures and many books which are yet available online.

Are jobs readily available for persons trained in library studies?

The skills learnt in library studies makes our graduate very flexible. There are vacancies in libraries of all types, but many graduate go into other fields such as records management, archiving, public relations, journalism, publishing and teaching.

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