Unintentional Librarian: A Beginner's Guide to Working in a Public Library

by Nathan Hansen

If you’ve ever wondered what you might need to know to get started working in a public library, Unintentional Librarian will get you pointed in the right direction. Whether you are a high school or college student who wants to work evenings at your local library or a seasoned professional looking to shift gears into something new, this book will help you understand what you need to know to get in the door and what you might experience once you’re there. Readers will learn the basics of service principles, collection management, library programming, community building, how privacy is viewed in the library, and much more.

142 pages, Paperback

Published July 25, 2021

Reviews

[Andrea Anderson]

I must be a more experienced librarian than I thought; most of the information in this book was familiar to me. I expected to learn and enjoy this book more than I did. I most appreciated the discussion surrounding male librarian tropes. This is where I learned the most. That discussion almost earned this book a fourth star, from my perspective.

[Debby]

This is an excellent overview, not only what you can do for a library but what is available at a library for the community. I discovered there is more a library can offer than just books, such as computer help, topic suggestions, events, programs, lending games, things homeschool teachers can check out, and even privacy policies I didn't know about. A genuine, heartfelt dive into how to deal with the people you meet and those you work with. It is well written, and the sections make it easy to find what part you are looking for. As a patron, I appreciate understanding more about libraries in general, and what I can also do to make the librarian's job just a little easier. Helpful for everyone!