When we think of librarians, we tend to imagine their role as being a rather limited one. Not many people realize that the qualification that many librarians choose to study for prepares them to not only manage libraries in their community, but also to manage the storage and organization of information within databases.
In fact, most businesses could benefit from the services of a qualified librarian. A dedicated librarian can make a dramatic difference to the efficiency that the business they are embedded. The ability to manage both information and digital media archives are useful skills for any modern business to have access to.
How Can a Librarian Help?
There are any number of situations that a business can find itself facing where the addition of a librarian to your staff can make a big difference.
For example, if your furniture business has a website which makes extensive use of various digital media file formats, then having a member of staff on hand with a library science degree means that you will have someone qualified to manage and deploy digital media assets.
Information Management
There are two very important aspects of effective information management. The first is in ensuring that all the information a company gathers, especially the statistics within corporate decision making, is gathered from reliable and verifiable sources.
A source is reliable if the information it provides is usually correct and if it takes active steps to remove or clarify any inaccuracies. A source is also verifiable if it provides sources for the information it provides so that they can be checked. Librarians are trained to assess the validity of sources and to recognize the value of consistently high-quality sources.
Librarians are also trained in the most efficient methods of storing information, and accessing it when it is needed. Without a qualified librarian on hand, it might not always be obvious what the best way of organizing any databases of information that you hold is.
Cost Effective
Trained librarians are capable of both overseeing and assisting other individuals within your company to ensure that the handling, storing, and processing of information is standardized throughout the business. This will prevent confusion arising from different people or groups storing their data in an archaic way that no one else recognizes.
Given the many roles that librarians are perfectly poised to fulfil in any business, they represent an excellent investment in terms of the return business owners see on their investment. If you think a librarian would be a worthwhile addition to your workforce, then consider paying for one of your employees to study an online MMLIS degree. Studying the library science masters online reduces costs and allows students to continue to work while they study.
As businesses conduct more and more of their operations including sales online, it is always worth having people on staff who are able to respond to any problems your employees might encounter in cyberspace. Librarians are often capable of performing the more basic aspects of IT management as there is a lot of overlap between the two roles.
Librarians have a great deal to offer the world of business. Their skills extend beyond those needed to run a community library, and savvy entrepreneurs should have no problem in finding a variety of tasks that a qualified librarian can help out with.
James Daniels is a freelance writer, business enthusiast, a bit of a tech buff, and an overall geek. He is also an avid reader, who can while away hours reading and knowing about the latest gadgets and tech, whilst offering views and opinions on these topics.