What's the Alternative? Career Options for Librarians and Info Pros

Citation

Freeman, M. (2009), "What's the Alternative? Career Options for Librarians and Info Pros", New Library World, Vol. 110 No. 5/6, pp. 303-303. https://doi.org/10.1108/03074800910954343

Librarians by their nature have always been flexible, innovative and forward thinking. And this well written and timely book from an America author sets out to cover the many and disparate career avenues now available in the rapidly expanding information world.

The author is a well respected and knowledgeable figure in the CPD sector and makes good use of pithy and illuminating case studies – mainly American and Canadian, but nevertheless no worse for that.

Librarianship is undergoing massive transformation, and a well‐written and engaging book such as this is a godsend to library and information workers seeking careers and opportunities in new arenas of employment. Librarians have valuable transferable skills, eg problem solving, budgeting, IT literacy, customer service, researching – and it just needs some lateral thinking “outside the box” to see what potential new areas of work exist. The author gives lots of interesting and germane examples of librarians who have found exciting and satisfying careers in all sorts of parallel universes to traditional libraries. Multi‐tasking, being a virtual librarian, running a website, research services, library supplies management, bookselling and publishing, webmaster, genealogist, knowledge manager – the list seems endless.

So, an interesting and readable book, full of good, clear advice and interlayered with good pertinent examples. More than anything else the book seems to incorporate that wonderful “Can do” philosophy of American life, encouraging librarians not to fear change but to be flexible and reinvent themselves for the new markets and new avenues of professional work. A useful book for all LIS workers interested in CPD and possible career change. It is well produced with a good index and helpful bibliography and list of appropriate web sites.