Skills in the market: an analysis of skills and qualifications for American librarians

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to create a profile of the modern American academic librarian through the content analysis method of job advertisements. Design/methodology/approach – One hundred thirty-four advertisements were analyzed in various ways, e.g. salary, skills, qualifications, duties, followed by a multivariate analysis. Findings – Most significant findings include the importance of communication skills for all academic librarians, the significance of the Library and Information Science (LIS) degree and that applicants should expect a salary of $40,000-60,000. Originality/value – This paper builds on the previous studies in the field to verify that communication skills are among the most, if not the most, desired skills for a modern librarian, and that an LIS degree is still an asset.