If Not in School, Then How? Education, Training, and Career Development of Academic Access Services Librarians

Abstract

Access services is not taught as a dedicated course in any ALA-accredited program curricula. Yet Access Services Librarian, or equivalent, positions are posted each year. Without receiving training in graduate programs, how do future access services librarians learn the necessary skills to assume these positions? Do access services librarians rise up from the ranks of the paraprofessionals? Or are access services librarians former reference librarians looking to advance into more managerial roles? Is the access services librarian a "destination" position within academic librarianship? Should access services librarians assume the training role of new access services librarians? This presentation will answer these questions, report preliminary survey data that looked at the education and training needs of academic access services librarians as well as their career trajectories, and discuss the implications of this research.,