Careers
Do you enjoy helping people with information problems and enquiries?
Do you want to help artists and designers, and the artists and designers of the future?
You may be an art librarian.
Art librarians collect, organise and make accessible material relating to the visual arts, architecture and design. This material may include digital resources, DVDs/videos, graphic material, slides and artists books as well as the more conventional books and journals.
Art librarians play a key role in helping visual arts researchers, art and design students and teachers, curators and the general public to access the specialist information and resources they need to pursue their research, studies and interests.
As an art librarian you could equally well be responsible for documenting a rare photographic research collection as working with a course team to build a virtual art library on Second Life. Your work as an art librarian could include:
- Identifying, acquiring and organising information about art, architecture and design
- Advising and supporting library users, whether they are looking for information on zoot suits or needing to locate a sixteenth-century Dutch painting reproduced on a teapot lid
- Engaging in teaching practice which helps library users to develop good information,research and critical evaluation skills
START
Where do I start?
CILIP (The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) provides lots of useful information on routes to becoming a qualified librarian.
To specialise in art librarianship, it is not essential to have a degree in an art-related subject, as long as you can demonstrate a genuine interest in the subject. After graduating, many people spend a year gaining paid experience as a Graduate Trainee in a library or information service. CILIP provides information about Graduate Trainee opportunities, including many placements in art institutions, such as art colleges, galleries and museums.
Graduate Trainee opportunities may also be advertised on CILIP’s jobs website LisJobNet.
QUALIFY
How do I become qualified?
To progress to a professional role as an art librarian or information professional, it will be necessary to gain an undergraduate or postgraduate qualification in Library and Information Studies, or a related subject.
For a list of CILIP-accredited courses in the UK, go to:
https://www.cilip.org.uk/page/Qualifications
If you’re considering studying internationally, you may find similar information on the website of the relevant professional body, for example, the American Library Association’s list of accredited courses, some of which offer joint honours in Library and Information Studies and History of Art or related fields.
Most, but not all, courses require previous experience in a library or information service. There are also different course durations and modes of study to choose from, including full-time, part-time and distance learning.
There are currently no UK courses specialising in art librarianship, but students can choose to focus their coursework and/or dissertation on art-related topics and contexts.
SKILLS
How can I demonstrate my skills?
It´s important to keep up-to-date with current issues and developments in the field of information studies, by reading journals, such as the ARLIS Art Libraries Journal and CILIP’s Information Professional magazine.
Getting involved in ARLIS and taking advantage of its networking and training opportunities is an excellent way to gain extra experience and knowledge in the field of art librarianship. Joining the ARLIS discussion list, ARLIS-LINK, enables users to find out more about current issues in the field by reading questions from other colleagues or posting their own.
ARLIS organises a varied programme of events including visits to libraries and archives, talks by information professionals, workshops, an annual conference and internal ARLIS meetings that may be of interest. Upcoming events and details of how to book are available at the Events section of the ARLIS website.
The Professional Development Committee organises an annual event for anyone considering becoming an art librarian or information professional: Taking the Plunge: art librarianship as a career option. This includes presentations from professionals working in diverse roles within the sector and is an ideal opportunity to ask questions and meet other people with similar interests.
It is also very useful to be able to demonstrate a current awareness of the art world, by visiting exhibitions, attending gallery talks and reading journals, such as The Art Newspaper or Museums Journal.
The ARLIS Professional Development Committee runs an annual workshop, An Introduction to Art & Design Reference Resources which introduces delegates to the varied art-specific resources available to them and offers a practical workshop to try them out.
JOB
How can I find a job?
Job vacancies for qualified art librarians and information professionals will be advertised directly on the websites of employers (such as art colleges, galleries, museums and other arts organisations) and often on the following sites as well:
CILIP’s jobs website, LisJobNet lists vacancies for library and information professionals at all kinds of institutions and organisations, including art-related opportunities.
Guardian Jobs lists all types of job vacancies including art-related opportunities for library and information professionals.
The Information Management section of Jobs.ac.uk includes vacancies at art-related academic institutions and organisations.
The library jobs site in Ireland is http://libraryjobs.ie/ and it includes jobs from north and south of the border.
The Jobs page of the Museums Association website includes vacancies at art galleries and museums, for which you will first have to register. Posts in museum and gallery libraries are sometimes advertised on the National Museum Directors Council website.
Vacancies are also often advertised via the ARLIS-LINK discussion list.