Web Librarian Career Report

1. Web Librarian Career Report LIS5033 Fall 2010 Group 2 Kara Ramsey D. Brent Carroll Juliet Spencer Lynn Weissinger

2. Introduction Methodology Our group planned the task of exploring and presenting the role of the Web Librarian by meeting at weekly scheduled chats at 7:00 p.m. each Saturday evening via the chat function on the University of Oklahoma's Desire2Learn system. We divided the individual research in the following manner: Introduction and Conclusion: Kara Ramsey collected the introductory material for the presentation. She described the methodology for the report and created a framework for the report, briefly describing the basis for the need of the Web Librarian and brief description of the position, responsibilities and pay scale. She provided a conclusion of the overall report as well. • Job Description and Salary: Brent Carroll researched the job description and salary ranges for a Web Librarian.  He also surveyed twenty current job postings for an accurate description of what employers expect Web Librarians to do.

3. Introduction Cont. Career Opportunities and Environment: Lynn Weissingerresearched and described the career opportunities and work environment for a Web Librarian. She detailed the skills considered for career advancement and the multiple factors that contribute to the work environment. Characteristics and Profile: Juliet Spencer determined the characteristics and profile for a web librarian. She began her review with job advertisements listed for web librarians and associated titles. In reviewing these, she looked for themes within the ads that would indicate the dominant characteristics of the position. In addition, the ads were viewed in terms of creating a profile that covered educational levels, experience, age and number of years in the field. Research was also done to locate scholarly and professional association articles that discussed characteristics, competencies, and skills for this position.

4. Introduction Cont. We gathered our information via: • Online sources • Journal articles • Investigation of job listings, availability, and salaries All materials were submitted to Kara Ramsey, our group leader and final editor. She created the and submitted the final document. All team members communicated through the Desire2Learn discussion boards, E-mail, and chat. Additionally, all members reviewed each portion of the presentation before it was submitted.

5. Introduction Cont. In 2007, 67% of Americans had internet access at home. (Young, 2009) In the 2006-2007 academic year, 77% of the 12.2 million enrollments in college-level credit-granting distance education courses were online courses. An additional 12% were hybrid courses, requiring online as well as an additional form of correspondence, such as through the U.S. Mail. (National Center for Education Statistics, 2008) During this academic year, there were an estimated 11,200 college programs designed to be completed entirely through distance education. (National Center for Education Statistics, 2008) The web librarian has a number of responsibilities, including the integration of the construction, development, management and preservation of the library's website. (Educause: Professional Development, 2001)

6. Introduction Cont. A web librarian also determines the website's content, assists in the creation of web-based instruction, analyzes access and effectiveness of a library's website, and instructs library staff on the utilization of the internet and its capabilities. (Educause: Professional Development, 2001) In addition to the aforementioned web-based duties, a web librarian may also participate in the more traditional duties of an on-site librarian, such as “reference, library instruction, collection development” and even on-site hours. (Educause: Professional Development, 2001) According to www.salary.com, a Digital Collections Librarian in Central Oklahoma can hope to make anywhere from $31,880 to $58,790 annually. (MySalary.com, 2010) In wealthier areas, such as Hartford, Connecticut, the same job title is estimated to earn between $39,184 and $72,259 annually. (MySalary.com, 2010)

7. Alternate Job Titles • Web Services Librarian • Media and Web Librarian • Electronic Services Librarian • Electronic Resources Librarian • Digital Librarian • Digital Collection Librarian • Digital Technologies Development Librarian • Virtual Librarian • Virtual Reference Librarian

8. Web Librarian 3 Main Areas of Work: • User Services • Administrative Services • Technical Services In larger libraries, a web services librarian will be primarily specialized within technical services. In smaller libraries, the web librarian will be responsible for all 3 areas of work.

9. Job Description • Quite a few libraries are able to remotely access databases and maintain their own computerized databases. Since automation has become so common within libraries, it is important that librarians are skilled in database searching. • The Journal of Web Librarians states that Web Librarianship is: • Any traditional library activity that is now practiced in the virtual space known as the World Wide Web • New and emerging forms of librarianship practiced in the Web environment

10. Primary Duties • A web Librarian helps construct, maintain, and teach others the library’s online collection of databases, literature, catalogues, and any other web content. • Some Libraries will utilize the Web Librarian to design information storage and retrieval systems, create techniques to help collect, organize, interpret and classify information. • Because of the Web Librarian’s vast skill set, we have seen them employed in other agencies than libraries, such as freelance librarians, information brokers, government agencies, etc.

11. Job Descriptions from Actual Employers • Memorial University of Newfoundland • the Web Services Librarian works in a highly collaborative environment to develop, support and manage the Library's web site (http://www.library.mun.ca), applying principles of usability and accessibility to develop functionality and features across the entire web site. • University of Alabama • Work on leading edge web design and development projects in a team environment; work with department colleagues in maintaining existing and developing new web applications and software tools; supporting Drupal and AquaBrowser; gather, report, and evaluate web statistics and data; facilitate the use of assessment and other tools.

12. What is an Information Professional? • Is it the volunteer reading a book to a group of children at the local library? • Is it the young adult who sits down to write a piece of poetry for a slam competition? • Is it the web services librarian who updates metadata information on the library’s website?

13. The answer is yes! • An information professional concerns oneself with the: • Creation, • Dissemination, • Management, or • Use of information

14. A Web Librarian may possess these core competencies • Foundations of the profession • Information resources • Organization of recorded knowledge and information • Technological knowledge and skills • Reference and user services • Research • Continuing Education and lifelong learning • Administration and management (ALA 2010)

15. Technological Skills • Transmission and Management • “Develop, evaluate and organize electronic databases” (ACRL 2010) • “Keep abreast of technological advancements and develop strategies to take advantage of them; plan, implement, and administer computer-based systems” (ibid) • “Manage electronic resources” (ATU 2010) • “Provides leadership in the use of emerging technologies” (ibid) • “Catalog the links and writer abstracts for them to be published on our websites (CTI Career Search 2010)

16. User Services • Creation and Use • “Provides reference and research assistance (in collaboration with the public services librarian)” (ATU 2010) • “Collaborates with special collections libraries…to coordinate the work done by the teachers and help to publish their work on our website” (CTI Career Search 2010) • “Evaluate websites for use the in K-12 classroom” (ibid)

17. Profile of Web Librarian • Education (degrees may be required or preferred and also may depend on environment) • Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science (often from American Library Association accredited program) • Additional Master’s Degree in subject expertise or other technology-related field • State Certifications as applicable to environment

18. Profile of Web Librarian • Experience - Highly driven by technology • Expertise in website design and content management • Use and management of electronic databases • Understanding of application development within various operating systems • Knowledge of web validation and accessibility standards • Understanding of network systems and usage • Knowledge of various software applications

19. Profile of Web Librarian • Experience - Non-technology driven • Excellent research and educational skills • Great communicator either in verbal or written form • Team player with consensus building emphasis • Excellent supervisory skills and project management • Promotes philosophy of service-oriented profession

20. Profile of Web Librarian • Age – Adults of any age • Limited to the time it takes to complete any required educational degrees and gain appropriate experience) • Number of Years in the Field • Many listings focus on the type of experience rather than the number of years in the profession • When specified in a particular sector, the general expectation was two to five years of experience

21. A Web Librarian’s Salary • Since Web Librarianship is a relatively new profession, many employers still base the salary range on the average rate for a reference librarian. • If the candidate is well equipped with newer technologies, and specialized in web content development, the starting salary for Web Librarians rises two to three thousand dollars over the national librarian average.

23. Salary for a Web Librarian by State • Average National Annual Salary is $46,600 • Highest Paying State – Mississippi - $57,000 • Lowest Paying State – Louisiana - $35,000 • Oklahoma’s Sooners  - $41,000 • Interesting Note – In Canada, the average salary for a full time Librarian in 2009 was nearly $79,000!

24. Additional Salary Information • According to Salary.com – roughly 50% of all Web Librarians currently earn between $47,962 to $64,473 • Only 10% of all Web Librarians make under $40,000 while only another 10% earn over $72,000

25. Benefits • Like many Librarian related careers, the Web Librarian is no different in the excellent benefits they receive: • When searching through various job offers, a majority of the employers offered Web Librarians 2 to 4 weeks vacation annually. • Matched 401K plan • Relatively inexpensive Dental and Medical full coverage plans

26. Work Environment • Academic and research libraries • Public libraries • School libraries • Special libraries • Independent consultant or consulting firm

27. Work Environment (cont.) • Real world • Working with others on design and training • Online • Designing and implementing web services • Virtual world • Offering expertise in virtual worlds, such as Second Life

28. Autonomy and Teamwork Decisions regarding web site design and services may be divided: • Individual responsibility • Web department • Web committee containing members across the library departments • Library administration • Outside consultants

29. Other Notes on Work Environment • May have to work evenings, late nights, or weekends • Technology is constantly changing • Must have patience • May be in “perpetual beta” • Must understand the library or organization to determine what is appropriate • Online users may not be traditional patrons

30. Career Opportunities • According to McDermott (2010, 7), “almost 60% of librarians are 45 years of age or older” • The AFL-CIO (2010) states that “58% of librarians in the U.S. are projected to reach the retirement age of 65 between 2005 and 2019 • The Bureau of Labor Statistics (2009) predicts that employment for librarians will increase 8% between 2008 and 2018

31. Career Advancement • Transferable skills are more important than technology skills that can be learned • Management, interpersonal, project management, and teamwork skills are increasingly important • Web librarians may “have had other library positions and have developed various librarian skills” (Plumb 2008, 346) • Previous positions within libraries and transferable skills will aid advancement

32. Conclusion A Web Librarian may be known as many things, including a Web Services Librarian, Media and Web Librarian, Electronic Services Librarian, Electronic Resources Librarian, Digital Librarian, Digital Collection Librarian, Digital Technologies Development Librarian, Virtual Librarian, and Virtual Reference Librarian. Each of these may be responsible for three areas: user services, administrative services, and technical services.

33. Conclusion Cont. As is any information professional, a Web Librarian is in charge of the creation, dissemination, management, and use of information. The Journal of Web Librarians declares web librarianship to be the charge of any traditional activity that is now practiced in the virtual space known as the World Wide Web. The characteristics of a Web Librarian include possessing the foundations of the profession, information resources, the organization of recorded knowledge and information, technological knowledge and skills, desire for continuing education and lifelong learning, and administration and management skills.

34. Conclusion Cont. Typically speaking, a Web Librarian will hold a master’s degree in Library and Information Sciences, often from an American Library Association accredited school. State certifications may also be required. Their level of experience is highly technologically involved, with previous supervisory and management skills. A typical Web Librarian requires the same non technological skills as any information specialist. Many job advertisements require a minimum of 2 – 5 years experience in a related field. The career is not limited to any particular age group.

35. Conclusion Cont. As a reasonably new field, the salary of a Web Librarian is generally based on that of a Reference Librarian, with average earnings of $46,600 annually. Oklahoma’s average is $41,000. As for a ReferenceLibrarian, a Web Librarian typically receives excellent benefits such as a 401K and paid vacation time. The work environment is typically that of academic and research libraries, public libraries, school libraries, special libraries, and consulting firms. As technology rises and a greater number of librarians reach retirement age, the career opportunities for Web Librarians are only increasing.