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A library director’s duties vary depending on the type of library they work in. They are responsible for implementing library policy, maintaining the library’s mission statement, and supervising staff. They typically hold a master’s degree in library science.
A library director holds the highest administrative position in a library. While the duties of a library director will vary according to the type of library a person works in, in many cases the director will be responsible for defining and implementing library policy and maintaining the library’s mission statement. Library directors often also directly supervise library management; develop and implement hiring policies; and establishing contact with the organization, institution, or government that sponsors the library.
The library director’s duties can vary according to the type of library a person works in. For example, the director of a public library usually reports directly to a community’s board of trustees and can be expected to take on a significant public relations role. Public library directors are often very concerned with community standards and censorship issues and may have to play an active role in setting standards for collection development. The library director of a small public library may have limited staff and must create and implement much of a library’s programming. The director of a large public library, on the other hand, may have little hands-on involvement with library programming, but may spend more time supervising other librarians who take on specialized roles in the library.
The director of an academic library has other considerations, including a commitment to providing adequate resources for faculty and students. Because scholars rely on the library to carry out their research, a library academic director must ensure that the library actively supports collection development. The director of a large public university library or libraries may spend a great deal of time managing his staff, which consists of other academic librarians with specialized areas of interest. In a small college, the director of the library may have a limited staff consisting mostly of students. As with public libraries, the director of a small school may be much more involved in the day-to-day operations of the library.
Directors of special libraries, including corporate, legal, and medical libraries, may have even more varied tasks. In some cases, the director of a special library may be its sole employee or its sole chartered librarian. The director of a special library is often tasked with developing processes to help staff get the information they need, which can be a significant challenge. The library director may have to spend a lot of time working with staff, department heads, and executives to develop ways to efficiently and accurately provide the necessary information while working within the organization’s budget.
Library directors typically hold at least a master’s degree in library science. Some librarians may have an additional master’s degree, either in an academic specialty or a complementary discipline such as business or public administration. Academic librarians may also hold doctorates. Small town library directors or school librarians do not always hold a master’s degree, but they may have significant experience working in libraries.
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