Librarian to archivist
A librarian already meets 39% of what the archivist role asks for. The move turns on 11 required skills not yet in the profile.
62.8/ 100
1 How much of what an archivist is expected to do is already part of a librarian’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the archivist role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An archivist role treats 4 of its required skills as things a librarian already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- collection management
- create semantic trees
- digitization
- manage digital archives
What stands in the way is 11 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 14 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An archivist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a librarian background worth leading with.
- already held manage information access aids information skills
- already held collection management social sciences, journalism and information
- already held create semantic trees information skills
- already held digital curation social sciences, journalism and information
- already held develop classification systems information skills
- already held use software for data preservation working with computers
All 14 carried skills, including the 4 the archivist role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 13 missing skills fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn appraise historical documents required
- still to learn facilitate access to information required
- still to learn perform records management required
- still to learn study a collection required
- still to learn aid archive users with their enquiries required
- still to learn respect data protection principles required
- still to learn contextualise records collection required
- still to learn write scientific publications required
- still to learn manage archive users guidelines required
- optional, not held manage budgets optional
- still to learn conservation techniques required
- still to learn store archival documents required
1 further area in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an archivist role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 aid archive users with their enquiries practise this
- 02 appraise historical documents practise this
- 03 contextualise records collection practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 14 skills that carry over
- already held collection management knowledge
- already held create semantic trees skill
- already held digitization knowledge
- already held manage digital archives skill
- already held coordinate educational programmes skill
- already held develop classification systems skill
- already held digital curation knowledge
- already held digitise documents skill
- already held manage human resources skill
- already held manage information access aids skill
- already held perform customer management skill
- already held recruit employees skill
- already held use databases skill
- already held use software for data preservation skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
- optional, not held manage digital documents optional
2 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held manage budgets optional
- optional, not held manage digital documents optional
40 held skills the archivist role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role analyse library users' queries skill
- not needed by the target role apply for library funding skill
- not needed by the target role apply social media marketing skill
- not needed by the target role arrange interlibrary loans skill
- not needed by the target role assess informational needs skill
- not needed by the target role assist in library facility planning skill
- not needed by the target role assist in the organisation of school events skill
- not needed by the target role assist students with library operations skill
- not needed by the target role buy new library items skill
- not needed by the target role classify library materials skill
- not needed by the target role compile library lists skill
- not needed by the target role conduct scholarly research skill
- not needed by the target role confer with library colleagues skill
- not needed by the target role copyright legislation knowledge
- not needed by the target role develop artistic educational activities skill
- not needed by the target role develop solutions to information issues skill
- not needed by the target role draw up professional texts skill
- not needed by the target role escort students on a field trip skill
- not needed by the target role evaluate information services using metrics skill
- not needed by the target role guarantee students' safety skill
- not needed by the target role information governance compliance knowledge
- not needed by the target role kindergarten school procedures knowledge
- not needed by the target role literature knowledge
- not needed by the target role maintain library equipment skill
- not needed by the target role manage digital libraries skill
- not needed by the target role manage fundraising activities skill
- not needed by the target role music and video industry knowledge
- not needed by the target role musical genres knowledge
- not needed by the target role negotiate library contracts skill
- not needed by the target role organise information skill
- not needed by the target role oversee extra-curricular activities skill
- not needed by the target role perform playground surveillance skill
- not needed by the target role post-secondary school procedures knowledge
- not needed by the target role primary school procedures knowledge
- not needed by the target role provide library information skill
- not needed by the target role scientific research methodology knowledge
- not needed by the target role secondary school procedures knowledge
- not needed by the target role select new library items to acquire skill
- not needed by the target role supervise daily library operations skill
- not needed by the target role types of literature genres knowledge
1 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn conservation techniques required
Common questions about this move
Can a librarian become an archivist?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A librarian already covers 39% of what an archivist is expected to do: 14 skills carry over, 4 of which the archivist role treats as required.
What skills does a librarian need to become an archivist?
11 required skills are missing, plus 2 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by information skills. The single most important is aid archive users with their enquiries.
How hard is the move from librarian to archivist?
Its learning distance is 62.8 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.