171
The Electronic Library,
Vol. 17, No. 3, June 1999
ARTICLE
1. Introduction
With the growth of local, national and international
networking initiatives over the past two and a half
decades, the deployment of library and information
services across computer networks has become an
activity of considerable importance. The systems
librarian, the person in charge of managing library
information systems, plays an escalating role in the
development of information services. The demand
for this relatively new position has rapidly increased
over the past few years (Muirhead, 1994; Muir,
1995; Zhou, 1996). The requirements and job duties
for systems librarians are undergoing a significant
change.
There is abundant literature that discusses the
impact of information technologies on library and
information professionals. However, research on
systems librarians was almost entirely ignored until
the late 1980s (Martin, 1988). A few studies con-
ducted in the United Kingdom and the United States
indicate that systems librarians are more likely to be
computer-trained librarians rather than library-
trained computer experts. Their lack of computer
and other relevant skills may affect their profession-
al development and their work performance.
Systems librarians in different types of libraries
become engaged in different job duties. Several
reports also show that formal library and information
science (LIS) education and library qualifications
were not seen as highly relevant to a systems librar-
ian’s job (Woodward and Meadows, 1994; Hatcher,
1995; Muirhead, 1994). This raises several ques-
tions. What job responsibilities and qualifications
does a systems librarian normally have? To what
extent are courses offered by LIS schools relevant to
the work of a systems librarian? Can LIS schools
provide qualified graduates for information technolo-
gy related work? None of the earlier studies has sys-
tematically explored these questions. Therefore, the
overall purpose of this project is to carry out a large-
scale investigation into the job responsibilities and
qualifications of systems librarians in the United
States, to evaluate relevant courses offered by LIS
programs accredited by the American Library
Association (ALA), and to provide a suggested cur-
riculum for educating systems librarians.
The more specific objectives are:
1. to recognise the increasingly important role that
systems librarians play in the ever-changing
information environment;
2. to identify knowledge, skills and qualifications
necessary for systems librarians to perform their
job;
3. ‘to indicate to employers and potential employ-
ers the qualities and experience needed by sys-
tems librarians, as well as the training and
opportunities that should be provided’
(Muirhead, 1994);
4. to highlight the need for possible curriculum revi-
What do employers expect?
The educating systems
librarian research project 1
Hong Xu and Hsin-liang Chen
University of Pittsburgh, IS Building, 135 North Bellefield Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
Abstract: An investigation of 133 job advertisements for systems librarians in
American Libraries
in 1996-
1997 was conducted to examine the increasingly important role that systems librarians play in the ever-
changing information environment, and to identify the knowledge, skills and qualifications of systems librari-
ans expected by employers in various types of libraries. The results show that although systems librarians in
different types of libraries may play different roles and have different emphases in their duties, the responsi-
bility and knowledge requirements for them are generally expanding. Systems librarians are not only tech-
nology experts but also managers and coordinators. Positions for systems librarians in most academic and
public libraries require at least one year of work experience. Employers expect systems librarians to have a
strong computer and network background. Over two-thirds of the positions in public and academic libraries
and more than half of the openings in other libraries require MLIS/MLS degrees.