Job Titles and Responsibilities

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Information professionals with MLIS or MARA degrees have skills that are in demand in technology firms, corporate offices, and many other special settings. Job titles will vary based on assigned responsibilities and the culture of the organization. An example of the range of titles, drawing on the “MLIS Skills at Work” report and Rethinking Information Work, 2d ed (Dority, Libraries Unlimited, 2016):

  • Business analyst
  • Business information analyst/specialist
  • Business intelligence analyst
  • Chief content officer
  • Chief knowledge officer
  • Communications specialist/writer
  • Competitive intelligence (CI) analyst
  • Compliance information manager
  • Content manager
  • Copyright specialist
  • Corporate archivist
  • Corporate librarian
  • Data analyst / curator / manager / librarian
  • Database editor / manager / design analyst
  • Digital acquisitions coordinator
  • Digital assets/rights manager
  • Digital collections coordinator
  • Digital image control specialist
  • Digital resources librarian
  • Digital services librarian
  • Director of research
  • Document manager
  • Donor/prospect researcher
  • Electronic text and imaging center manager
  • Embedded/integrated librarian
  • Enterprise content manager
  • Grants writer/manager
  • Health informatics administrator
  • Imaging coordinator
  • Industry analyst
  • Information architect
  • Information center director
  • Information resources manager/project manager/specialist
  • Intellectual property analyst
  • Intranet manager
  • Knowledge engineer/analyst
  • Knowledge management administrator
  • Knowledge resources specialist
  • Legislative analyst
  • Library product manager
  • Litigation intelligence analyst
  • Management information systems (MIS) officer
  • Manager, electronic text and imaging center
  • Manager, external content
  • Market analyst
  • Market research
  • Marketing/copy writer
  • Mergers & acquisitions (M&A) research
  • Network designer
  • Online community manager
  • Patent searcher
  • Photo-archivist
  • Policy analyst
  • Product researcher/analyst
  • Research librarian
  • RIM (records and information management) specialist/analyst
  • Risk management researcher
  • Senior information analyst
  • Social media researcher
  • Systems architect
  • Technical information specialist
  • User experience designer/specialist (UX)
  • Vendor relations manager
  • Web content producer/development librarian

Since this list provides just a sample of the potential roles information professionals may play in special library settings, you can see that the field offers myriad opportunities for those with solid LIS skills. In terms of in-demand expertise, some of the skills that employers find highly desirable and that you can learn during your iSchool studies include:

  • Taxonomical management (how to select and utilize taxonomies)
  • Metadata management (how to select, curate, and implement metadata standards)
  • Customer service experience
  • XML/HTML/CSS
  • Project management
  • Content management
  • Digital media management (photos, blogs, videos, etc.)
  • Content strategy (how to use and strategize content creation and usage)

To read more about what skills employers are looking for, see the iSchool’s annual report, “MLIS Skills at Work: A Snapshot of Job Postings,” especially the information on Data Management, Analysis and Preservation (slide26), Information Management (slide 28), Information Systems and Technology (slide 29), Web Services, User Experience (UX) and Social Media (slide 30),Government Agencies and Organizations (slide 36), and Business and Nonprofit Organizations (slide 37).

Additional Resources:
About Information Professionals (SLA)
Expand Your Horizons: New Roles for Information Professionals (SJSU iSchool webcast)
LIS Career Options (LinkedIn Group)
MLIS Skills at Work: A Snapshot of Job Postings (SJSU iSchool)
Special Librarianship Career Pathway (SJSU iSchool)