What Do Employers Expect? The Educating Systems Librarian Research Project

An investigation of 133 job advertisements for systems librarians in American Libraries in 19961997 was conducted to examine the increasingly important role that systems librarians play in the everchanging information environment, and to identify the knowledge, skills and qualifications of systems librarians expected by employers in various types of libraries. The results show that although systems librarians in different types of libraries may play different roles and have different emphases in their duties, the responsibility and knowledge requirements for them are generally expanding. Systems librarians are not only technology experts but also managers and coordinators. Positions for systems librarians in most academic and public libraries require at least one year of work expérience. Employers expect systems librarians to have a strong computer and network background. Over two-thirds of the positions in public and academic libraries and more than half of the openings in other libraries require MLIS/MLS degrees.