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Special collections librarian skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical special collections librarian skills. We ranked the top skills for special collections librarians based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 27.2% of special collections librarian resumes contained customer accounts as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a special collections librarian needs to be successful in the workplace.

12 special collections librarian skills for your resume and career

1. Customer Accounts

Here's how special collections librarians use customer accounts:

Manage customer accounts receivable balance.
Receive payments and post amounts paid to customer accounts.

2. 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 special collections librarians use collection development:

Assisted in collection development activities in academic libraries.
Directed collection development for Westernhistory, including print and manuscript purchase.

3. Outbound Calls

An outbound call is made by the call center representative to the customers on behalf of the company. Such calls help increase sales and generate revenue for the organization.

Here's how special collections librarians use outbound calls:

Answered customer services calls and also made outbound calls to collect in-house debt.

4. Problem Accounts

Here's how special collections librarians use problem accounts:

Identify problem accounts and refer to appropriate department.

5. Collection Efforts

In general, collection efforts referr to the process of collecting specific objects. The object can be tangible such as clothes, money, any physical product, or intangible such as data and information. However, the term is mostly used to indicate the collection of money or funds.

Here's how special collections librarians use collection efforts:

Documented all collection efforts for each assigned account in accordance with established collection standards.
Record information about financial status of customers and status of collection efforts.

6. Reference Assistance

Here's how special collections librarians use reference assistance:

Reference Librarian Provide ready reference assistance and bibliographic instruction with both print and electronic research resources.
Provided research consultation, reference assistance and technical assistance to faculty and students.

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7. Reference Services

A reference service іѕ an іntеgrаl раrt of any lіbrаrу, the аіm of whісh іѕ tо educate users on hоw tо uѕе reference mаtеrіаlѕ to hеlр thеm gеt factual іnfоrmаtіоn іn the best роѕѕіblе way аnd аt the right tіmе. Thе rеfеrrаl ѕеrvісе hаndlеѕ rеԛuеѕtѕ аnd аѕѕіѕtѕ uѕеrѕ fіnd, ассеѕѕ, аnd uѕе thе rеԛuіrеd information to mееt thеіr nееdѕ.

Here's how special collections librarians use reference services:

Provide reference services for students, faculty, staff, History and Archives researchers, and public patrons.
Provided reference services, maintained library collection, made recommendations for the selection of new materials, and supervised inventory activities.

8. OCLC

Here's how special collections librarians use oclc:

Created electronic bibliographic and authority records for OCLC and Voyager databases.
Performed copy-cataloging operations using OCLC database and online databases.

9. Cataloging

Here's how special collections librarians use cataloging:

Coordinated and prioritized cataloging and metadata for SC materials.
Managed the execution of cataloging standards and procedures within the Archives Research Center.

10. Payment History

Here's how special collections librarians use payment history:

Maintain a record on client's statements and payment history.

11. Marc

Here's how special collections librarians use marc:

Provide preliminary bibliographic control for serial titles including creating and editing descriptive MARC records.
Proofread and edited MARC records, performed database clean-up, and maintained records in online catalog.

12. Payment Arrangements

Here's how special collections librarians use payment arrangements:

Place calls to account holders with past due balances to negotiate payment arrangements or settlements within set guidelines.
Receive calls from past due account holders to answer payment questions or make payment arrangements.

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List of special collections librarian skills to add to your resume

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

Customer Accounts
Collection Development
Outbound Calls
Problem Accounts

Collection Efforts
Reference Assistance
Reference Services
OCLC

Cataloging
Payment History
Marc
Payment Arrangements

Updated January 8, 2025

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.

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