Librarianship
A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science. This refers to the organisation of information and management of information services or materials in a library or resource centre, for the users of this facility.
People who are best suited to become librarians are those who enjoy research and working with people. It is very important for a librarian to be skilled in both these areas, so that they can quickly find and give out relevant information when it is needed. Those who are interested in this career should be able to express themselves clearly. Communication is very important because a librarian works closely with library users all day, every day.
Library information is available in different formats like books, magazines, newspapers, audio recordings, video recordings, maps, manuscripts and photographs. These days, a lot of information is available on the internet. This makes it cheaper and easier for librarians to find information and provide it to their users.
There are many different types of libraries that you can work for e.g. a public library, academic library, school library, reference or research library, technical service library, collections development library etc. Some librarians start and operate their own businesses. They call themselves information brokers, researchers, knowledge management specialists or information specialists, depending on their areas of specialisation.
Those who are interested in pursuing a career in librarianship need to have a relevant diploma or degree. Below is a list of tertiary institutions that offer courses in Librarianship.
University of the Western Cape
Admission requirements: - National Senior Certificate (NSC)
Duration- 4 years
Department of Library and Information Science
University of the Western Cape
Private Bag X17
Bellville 7535
Tel: (021) 959 2137 / 9592431
University of the Western Cape
University of South Africa
Admission Requirements: - NSC Degree OR Matric Exemption
Duration: - 2 Years
University of South Africa
P O Box 392
UNISA
0003
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Last Update: 02 December 2010
