Specalization & lateral entry into the library world

Libraries are versatile places of work that increasingly rely on interdisciplinary expertise. Whether you are a specialist: In your knowledge in special areas or as a career changer: in new ways, there are excellent opportunities for both ways. You either qualify you for subject -specific tasks or make it easier for you to get started in library activities. In the following you will find an overview of possible study and training qualifications that can be relevant in libraries:

Buchbinder: In, restorer: in

• Area of ​​application: conservation
• Example: bookbinding or restoration workshop in large libraries with a historical inventory

Bookseller: In

• Area of ​​application: existing structure, advice, reading promotion
• Example: purchase and maintenance of book stocks, reading advice

Content management (not directly a degree, but relevant as a department)

• Area of ​​application: social media management, digital public relations work
• Example: conception and care of social media channels, digital communication

Diversity management

• Area of ​​application: inclusion and diversity in libraries
• Example: Development of programs to promote diversity

Retailer / hotel management

• Area of ​​application: service orientation, reception, simple administrative activities
• Example: reception area, support in the library organization

photography

• Area of ​​application: digitization projects, image archiving
• Example: Head of digitization bodies

Humanities

• Area of ​​application: specialist department, scientific library work
• Example: specialist work, management of a specialist library

IT experts, software developers: in

• Area of ​​application: IT infrastructure, database management, research data management, digital services, digital humanities
• Example: maintenance of library software, management of digital resources, development and mediation of software solutions

Culture management / cultural and media education

• Area of ​​application: libraries as extra -curricular learning locations, event management
• Example: conception and implementation of cultural events, development of communication strategies

Marketing, communication science, media design

• Area of ​​application: public relations, image maintenance, user acquisition, social media, event management, web presence
• Example: Development of marketing strategies, user acquisition, design of materials for public relations

Mediävistik, Latinistics, History, Book Sciences etc.

• Area of ​​application: historical collections, provenance research, preservation
• Example: Head of special collections (manuscripts and old prints), work in manuscript centers or subsequent exposure projects

Media education

• Area of ​​application: promotion of reading, media and information competence, conception of educational offers
• Example: Teaching Library, development of didactic programs

Musicology

• Area of ​​application: curating of music stocks
• Example: Head of a music library, inventory in the field of music

Natural sciences, mathematics

• Area of ​​application: specialist department science
• Example: Head of the Open Science Office, specialist work, management of a specialist library

Office / office management

• Area of ​​application: Directorate assistant, office organization
• Example: appointment coordination, office organization

Personnel development

• Area of ​​application: further and further training organization, strategic personnel development
• Example: recruitment, further training for changing professional fields

Political science

• Area of ​​application: democracy education, information competence, fake news prevention, international
• Example: implementation of workshops and class tours

Social pedagogy / social work

• Area of ​​application: library education, participation and participation of children and adolescents, district work and cooperation management
• Example: dealing with conflict situations, moderation of rooms, networking in the district

Event clerks

• Area of ​​application: planning and implementation of events in libraries
• Example: organization of readings, workshops, exhibitions

Administrative sciences

• Area of ​​application: project management, administration, financing applications
• Example: project applications and administrative tasks

Lateral entry into librarianship through a course of study is open to graduates with a bachelor's, diploma or master's degree as well as people with a comparable degree via a so-called continuing education master's degree program. In order to gain access to this professional field, certain professional experience in the library sector is required.

Depending on the university, the master's degree can be acquired as part of a full-time or part-time continuing education course. This course of study usually requires a fee.

Further education master:

• Library and Information Science: HU Berlin, Institute for Library and Information Science
• Library and Information Science: TH Cologne, Institute for Information Science
• Digital data management: FH Potsdam in cooperation with the Institute for Library and Information Science at HU Berlin
• Library informatics: TH Wildau, Wildau Institute of Technology
• Contact study program in library and information management: HdM Stuttgart, continuing education center

Certificate courses for lateral entry offer scientifically sound and application-oriented further training in thematically and organizationally self-contained modules. These courses are internationally recognized and are offered at various institutions. They are characterized by their scientific foundation and are tailored directly to the requirements of professional library practice.

Further training/certificate courses:

• Center for Library and Information Science Continuing Education (ZBIW) at the TH Cologne
• Contact study program in library and information management: HdM Stuttgart, continuing education center
• Basic knowledge library for career changers and those who want to become one: Further education center at the FU Berlin

Of course, interested career changers can also apply to the advertised legal traineeships and volunteers. In the case of the legal clerkships, it is particularly important to pay attention to the age limit, since a temporary civil servant is civil servant. Otherwise, the same conditions apply to people with completed studies and professional experience in other areas as for the other applicants: inside. It is not uncommon for career changers to be set: inside and acquire the library qualification "On-the-Job".

• Here you can find further information about the traineeship and the training libraries .
• traineeship and the training libraries here .

Are you thinking about pursuing a degree as a specialist in media and information services (FaMI) with a focus on libraries? There are various routes, including a regular 3-year apprenticeship, which can be shortened to 2.5 years under certain conditions. Alternatively, you can take a retraining measure where you can complete a full-time course at a training provider such as Berlin Information and Documentation or North Rhine-Westphalia Medical Documentation. This usually includes an internship lasting 6 to 12 months.

Another option is an individual company retraining measure in a training institution, often in cooperation with an educational provider. The examination is carried out on the basis of a retraining examination regulation, if available, or in accordance with Section 45 BBiG (admission in special cases). Problems in teaching theory can arise, and in such cases it is the responsibility of the educational provider to find solutions. Ideally, theory is taught in a vocational school, but this is not always possible due to capacity restrictions. In such situations, you can switch to another school location, or the educational provider can provide suitable lessons, taking costs and quality into account. It is also important to coordinate the timing of the measure with the relevant examination dates.

You can find further information about shortening your training and retraining here:

• Retraining FaMI
• Overview of the educational libraries
• Promotion of retraining measures

If you have no formal training but have worked in a library for at least 4 ½ years, it is possible to take the external examination in accordance with Section 45 (2) of the Vocational Training Act. This means that you will be admitted to the exam if you can either prove that you have completed one and a half times the required training time in your profession or can convincingly demonstrate in another way that you have acquired the necessary professional skills.

Preparation for the exam can be done through self-study, but part-time preparation courses show greater success. Appropriate offerings are available in the library department:

•  Further education center of the Free University in Berlin

The bridge course "Arriving in library work in Germany" is aimed specifically at specialists with a foreign library-related studies or professional experience that have knowledge of German at least B2 level. The central goal of this course is to make it easier to get started with the Library and Information professional field in Germany. In the course of the bridge course, you have the opportunity to adapt your qualifications to the requirements of the German library system. You will be familiarized with the specific working methods and standards and you can acquire the necessary skills to work successfully in German libraries. You can find more information here.