Working in a library requires much more than stamping the inside covers of books and shelving novels. Binghamton University students interested in delving deeper into the research, database and organizational skills required to be a librarian attended the Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development’s first-ever panel on library sciences.

Held on Wednesday, the panel was composed of five BU librarians who serve in a wide variety of roles within the library system. The event was centered on career advice for the jobs of librarians and library tech, as well as roles focusing on administration, collections and cataloging. The librarians unanimously agreed that a master of library sciences (MLS) degree — which BU does not offer — is a near requirement to enter the field.

“The first thing we look for in hiring is the MLS,” said Laura Evans, assistant head of cataloging services. “But other than that it depends on the position you are going for.”

Several students asked questions about the differences between the roles of teaching faculty and library faculty at a university.

“We do have more or less 9-to-5 jobs that are really service-oriented,” said Erin Rushton, interim director of library technology. “We aren’t exactly like teachers or research faculty because we don’t work on the University calendar, we are here all year-round.”

Other students expressed some concern about post-graduation job opportunities. The panel agreed that with a well-developed skill set and a degree of determination, there are still entry-level library jobs to be found, such as a subject librarian, which entails work as a librarian for a single department or subject area. Jill Dixon, the director of public services, stressed the importance of being versatile, especially when looking for a job at a university.

“You also have to be flexible and willing to relocate,” Dixon said. “If you want to be an academic librarian, there’s only so many places you can actually do your job.”

The panel also dove further into the ideal skill set for a librarian at a research university. Mastering database and technology skills is paramount, especially at research libraries like BU, where using software like Aleph and Interlibrary Loan is standard procedure, said Head of Library Reader Services Nancy Abashian.

“Organization of information in terms of building databases is key,” she said. “An understanding of databases is important no matter what position you are in.”

Abashian also talked about the human interactions that define what being a librarian in a day-to-day context is all about, such as requesting books from other SUNY libraries.

“Some of the more librarian-like tasks [include] creating reciprocal programs between universities, making sure that you guys have access to a global network of resources that we can deliver to you instantly, if they’re electronic resources,” Abashian explained.

Students said they were happy with the opportunity to network with those who have found success in a field they were examining for their potential career path.

“I worked in a library part-time as a page and am really interested in being a youth-services librarian,” said Molly Creveling, a junior majoring in English. “I liked getting to learn more about the services offered at an academic library.”

Others who were not yet set on a career as a librarian found the presenters’ advice helpful and were impressed with the amount of knowledge and work required to work in a library. Jacklyn Chan, a junior majoring in sociology, claimed that the amount of technological knowledge required was surprising.

“I’ve got a background working in the library here and what I’m studying now doesn’t really have anything to do with what I want to do, so I figured I would come see,” Chan said. “A lot more goes into working in a library than I thought.”

Anne Larrivee, a subject librarian who also works in faculty engagement at BU, stressed that librarians are here to stay in the digital age and their presence remains vital.

“One thing to take from this is [to] remember that librarians are not phasing out,” Larrivee said. “Just because the roles are changing doesn’t mean they are going away.”