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Research librarian skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
Quoted expert
Kerol Harrod
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical research librarian skills. We ranked the top skills for research librarians based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 13.0% of research librarian resumes contained research support as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a research librarian needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 research librarian skills for your resume and career

1. Research Support

Here's how research librarians use research support:
  • Provided research support for editors, authors and illustrators creating patient education materials.
  • Provided research support for internal consultants and senior executives.

2. Library Services

Library Services are those resources, products, and events provided and held by a library or a similar entity to an individual. Users of the library may make use of these tools, which often differ from one institution to the next but amongst which may be things like online information and phone services, literary and other classes, book clubs, referencing services, and a number of other things.

Here's how research librarians use library services:
  • Conducted presentations of library services to all seminarians.
  • Instilled new library services and policies to assist our patrons.

3. Collection Development

Collection development is the systematic and economical creation and evaluation of a library's inventory to meet the information needs of library users in a timely and cost-effective manner, using local information resources as well as resources from other organizations. Its purpose is to aid the mission of the library and involves both selecting and deselecting library resources. The library collection also includes general information resources to assist in a learning environment in subjects not covered in the classroom.

Here's how research librarians use collection development:
  • Fulfilled information research and collection development for R&D, Legal and Business functions.
  • Contributed to collection development in adult non-fiction and Spanish language materials via Baker & Taylor.

4. Research Services

Here's how research librarians use research services:
  • Provided in-depth information research services to faculty, staff and students at the library and through online access.
  • Provided research services to Time Inc.'s family of magazines using online, internet and print resources.

5. Library Resources

Here's how research librarians use library resources:
  • Provided instructional sessions on specialized online library resources increasing employee self-sufficiency with article and content searches.
  • Assisted patrons in the use of library resources.

6. Research Projects

Here's how research librarians use research projects:
  • Conduct research projects for medical writers * Maintain digital bibliography of published works
  • Assisted administrators with a variety of research projects for the Records Management department.

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7. Emerging Technologies

Here's how research librarians use emerging technologies:
  • Attended conferences and workshops to stay abreast with the emerging technologies.
  • Maintained knowledge of emerging technologies and programs relevant to public libraries.

8. Research Assistance

Research assistance means helping in private/academic research.

Here's how research librarians use research assistance:
  • Provided marketing and research assistance to departmental managers and created, compiled and completed project-specific graphs, charts, and presentations.
  • Provided guidance and research assistance to the public.

9. University Libraries

Here's how research librarians use university libraries:
  • Maintained the consortium services of academic libraries in Thailand and other provincial university libraries.
  • Assist students with academic research at the reference desk for the University Libraries at the Hayward campus.

10. Library Operations

Here's how research librarians use library operations:
  • Identify information management needs and select databases and software for library operations.
  • Managed daily library operations, ensured orderly operation and maintenance for all library materials and programs.

11. Library Materials

Here's how research librarians use library materials:
  • Monitor copyright compliance of library materials.
  • Planned and managed library's traditional and electronic resources, ordered library materials ADDITIONAL INFO U.S. citizen LANGUAGE Chinese, English

12. Legal Research

Here's how research librarians use legal research:
  • Assisted public patrons, faculty and students with legal research and locating government information.
  • Performed business and legal research for an audience in excess of 500,000 employees.

13. Library System

Here's how research librarians use library system:
  • Selected, installed and maintained integrated library system.
  • Marketed library programs in the library system's monthly newsletter, Happenings, via the Apollo database.

14. In-Depth Research

Here's how research librarians use in-depth research:
  • Delivered in-depth research, quick reference and custom tailored information using financial based data sources.
  • Execute in-depth research and analysis for scientific, marketing, business development and regulatory functions.

15. Libguides

Here's how research librarians use libguides:
  • Initiated purchase and implementation of LibGuides.
  • Developed and maintained more than 15 subject reference guides (LibGuides) Administrative Responsibilities:.
top-skills

What skills help Research Librarians find jobs?

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What research librarian skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Kerol Harrod

Lecturer, School of Library and Information Studies, Texas Woman’s University, Texas Woman's University

Knowing how to navigate AI and the types of issues that arise therefrom (copyright, plagiarism, AI hallucinations, etc.) will become more important as the technology progresses. Generally keeping abreast of new technologies and ways to access information is also key to providing good service to library patrons. Understanding the basics of community librarianship, evidence-based practice, marketing, and community outreach will be crucial to libraries and librarians looking to maintain relevance in an increasingly connected world.
Do you want to know more?
Read more about what experts have to say about research librarian

List of research librarian skills to add to your resume

Research librarian skills

The most important skills for a research librarian resume and required skills for a research librarian to have include:

  • Research Support
  • Library Services
  • Collection Development
  • Research Services
  • Library Resources
  • Research Projects
  • Emerging Technologies
  • Research Assistance
  • University Libraries
  • Library Operations
  • Library Materials
  • Legal Research
  • Library System
  • In-Depth Research
  • Libguides
  • Training Sessions
  • Electronic Resources
  • OCLC
  • Electronic Database
  • Research Library
  • SharePoint
  • Literature Searches
  • Reference Desk
  • Reference Assistance
  • Search Strategies
  • Litigation
  • Intranet
  • Research Materials
  • Cataloging
  • Bloomberg
  • Westlaw
  • Lexis-Nexis
  • Dialog
  • Print Resources
  • Search Engine
  • Budget Planning
  • Pacer
  • Business Development
  • Research Reports
  • News Articles
  • Reference Materials
  • Training Materials
  • Factiva
  • Background Research
  • Government Agencies

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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