Purpose

The purpose of this lesson is to teach you the basic roles

of librarians and how they apply to our school library.

Table of contents

Introduction

01

Circulation Desk

02

Stacks Clerk

03

Information Desk

04

Makerspace

Assistant

05

Program Design

and Marketer

06

​Read it to me

The Changing Role of
the Librarian

Librarians used to spend the majority of their time

● Ordering and cataloguing books

● Organizing Reference Materials for classes and patrons

● Repairing and re-shelving books

● Creating and Implementing Reading Groups

Advocate

New Roles Librarians Play

Librarians are frequently not just

advocates of libraries and

readership, but the greater good

of the community, organizing
resources and spaces for the
various groups that use the

library.

Creators and
Instructors

Most librarians also now work as
skills developers, helping patrons

improve their employability
through entrepreneur and

maker/builder skills

Tech

Support

Patrons who lack tech skills to navigate
these new technologies often come to

libraries for support in learning how to use
and troubleshoot anything from phones

to computers to other devices.

​Read it to me

Student

Librarian Roles

01

​Read it to me

Circulation Desk Roles

Circulation Desk Clerk

●Provides customer service for patrons returning
and checking out books

●Makes recs and looks up books in the catalog (this
used to be long drawers with actual cards in it,
called a card catalog)

Stacks Clerk

●Re-shelves books

●Makes sure books are in correct order in the stacks

●Cleans and makes stacks presentable

Information Desk

These are the librarians who greet patrons when they
enter the library, help them find information about the
library and its programs and often sign patrons up for
library cards.

MakerSpace

Assistant

These are the librarians that work in the
MakerSpace Labs and help patrons to

plan and create new designs and

sometimes help with entrepreneurial

ideas too.

Program Designer & Marketer

Libraries need to market themselves to the communities they serve,
and they need to serve them with programs that improve the lives of its
members. This may be the most important librarian job now.

Programs

● Special Interest
● Community Stakeholders

Various Patron Groups

● Groups for Parents
● Groups for other age groups and interests

Spreading Literacy

Marketer

Traditional Media

Social Media

● Community Boards
● Print and Radio

How Do Students Play These Roles?

You are a Student Librarian!

Each week, there will be Should Do and Aspire to Do Opportunities to complete within the parameters of each
of these librarian roles. Some will require interaction with your peers, some will not. Some will replace book
work that is available in each category of assignment, some will not. You will use the Choice Board for the week
to sign up for the role you would like to play. Some will require additional training, but most will not, because I
want ALL students to better understand how vital to their communities libraries are and the important roles
that librarians play.

Your final lesson
Question is to become familiar with a Google Form

​Google Form

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Thanks!

Do you have any questions?
amy.mccorkle@fwcs.k12.in.us

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