High School

Take English, business, mathematics, computer science, and foreign language to prepare for this career. Also, taking courses that require the writing of reports will help you hone your research and writing skills. Being a voracious reader will also be very helpful. You should become a media center aide at your school library to get valuable working experience while at the same time familiarizing yourself with the library.

Postsecondary Training

Undergraduate training will vary depending on the type of library career you choose to pursue. Many library directors, especially those employed in a reference library, have a bachelors degree in education (in addition to a masters degree in library science). If you plan to become a director of a special library, then it would be wise to earn an undergraduate degree in a related field. Directors of corporate libraries, for example, often have degrees in business. Those who manage a music library may have degrees in music.

All librarians, including library directors, must have a masters degree in library science (M.L.S.) or a masters degree in library and information science (M.L.I.S). Employers prefer to hire graduates of ALA-accredited programs. Visit the ALAs Web site, http://www.ala.org/educationcareers/accreditedprograms/directory, to view a list of accredited schools. Programs last from one to two years. Typical classes might include Administrative Management of Library Information Centers, Human Resource Management in Libraries and Information Centers, Collection Development and Management, Information Technology in Library Management, and Management of Specialized Information Services. Larger libraries or university libraries require library directors to have a Ph.D. in library science or a related field.

Certification

Colleges and universities offer certificate programs in library science, library technology, library media, library management, and related fields. One example is the library management certificate that is offered by Carolina Community College. Students can earn the certificate by completing the following core courses: Introduction to Libraries, Library Collection Development & Acquisition, Library Public Services Operation, Library Management, Human Resource Management, and Customer Service. Certificate programs typically last six months to a year and are available in online, in-person, and hybrid formats. The American Library Association offers a list of certificate programs on its Web site, https://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/library-certificate-and-degree-programs.

Other Education or Training

Many library directors choose to continue their education by attending conferences, training seminars, webinars, and workshops. Continuing education classes keep library directors current with emerging trends in information services. These educational opportunities are provided by the American Library Association (ALA), Music Library Association, Special Libraries Association, and many other professional associations. Some recent learning opportunities from the ALA included Strategic Planning: What Your Library Board Needs to Know; The Top 5 Mistakes Renovating Your Library; Build Better: Effective Library Project Management; and Translating Mission Statements into Metrics.

Certification or Licensing

The American Library Association offers the certified public library administrator designation to public librarians who have at least three years of supervisory experience. For more information, visit https://ala-apa.org/certification/what-is-certification-2. No licensing is required for library directors.

The American Library Association (ALA) reports that library directors typically have 10 years of experience as a librarian with five years of managerial or administrative experience, although requirements vary significantly based on the size of the library and responsibilities of the job.

Library directors should have excellent organizational and financial management skills, be good communicators in order to be able to successfully interact with and manage employees, have a love of information, and be willing to continually learn about the field and new technologies. In addition, the ALA says that library directors should have the "ability to think analytically and to develop new or revised systems, procedures, and work flow; [have the] ability to exercise initiative and independent judgment; and [have] knowledge of computers, the internet, and commercially available library software."