Whom Do Employers Actually Hire? The Educating Systems Librarian Research Project Report 2

This follow-up report of 133 job advertisements for systems librarians in American Libraries during 1996-1997 compares the results of a content analysis of job advertisements and a survey of employers and newly hired systems librarians. The report shows that, although a majority of employers are satisfied with their newly hired systems librarians, they indeed have higher expectations for the positions in terms of qualifications and responsibilities. There is a great gap between job advertisements and reality in regard to systems librarians' education requirements, work experience, job responsibilities, and areas of knowledge and skills. The types of libraries, to a certain extent, influence systems librarians' actual qualifications and job responsibilities.