Oh dear. They really should check. Today's Society Guardian runs a hypothetical what-else-can-I-do feature on a librarian." And last week the Independent ran a piece, including a profile of Claire Honeybourne under the title Information is the key to success in the new NHS: Independent Online Edition > Careers Advice. All good, but still...
The Guardian says, "Tony, 22, is a librarian... after five years working in a children's library...he wants new horizons," they say. How did he manage that? We do have degrees you know, some of us even have first degrees and postgraduate qualifications. Not, it seems, Tony, who has gone straight from school into a professional post.
The options discussed are unremarkable, but option 3 says:
"Tony's research skills could lead to employment as an NHS librarian. Many hospital trusts have onsite staff libraries to help keep clinicians up to date and boost the professional development of other staff. He would ensure information could be found easily through clear library indexing and catalogue keeping. Tony might also provide regular summaries of clinical journals for medical staff. He can expect at least £25,000."
Yes, as far as it goes: but is "clear library indexing" and "catalogue keeping" really all a health librarian does? Where's the information skills teaching, where's the support for evidence based practice, where's the clinical librarian role, where's knowledge management where's the advocacy for new models of scientific communication? Shall I go on?
