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Online librarian courses
Take your love for books and learning to establish a career as a librarian with an online course.
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Gov. Assistance
Certifications
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If you feel right at home amongst piles of books and love sharing information, a career as a librarian could be the path for you. Librarians not only embark on a lifelong journey of learning, they have the opportunity to contribute to and inspire the community around them in valuable ways.
Gaining a qualification in library or information services can open up a whole range of new career pathways that you may not have considered, including work as a metadata officer, gallery technician or digital services officer.
We've done an in-depth search for you to come up with a list of online librarian courses that cover everything from entry-level qualifications to postgraduate studies.
Where can I find librarian courses online?
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What librarian courses are available to study online?
Short courses
Gain an introduction into the field of librarianship with an easily accessible short course.
| Course | Information | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| The Crash-Course in Advanced Library Science | Course length: 3 hours of on-demand video lessons Subjects include: First steps into library science, Think and act like a librarian, Master the library | |
| Apps for Librarians and Educators | Course length: 2 hours of on-demand video lessons Subjects include: Reading, Productivity, Research and reference, Multimedia | |
| Copyright 101 | Course length: Up to 6 months self-paced Subjects include: History and purpose of copyright, Legalities and practicalities, New models and a changing world, Libraries and copyright |
|
| Cataloguing Basics | Course length: 30 hours self-paced Subjects include: Identify and apply current national and international standards for cataloguing records such as RDA, ISBD and MARC |
|
Certificates
Start your journey as a professional librarian with a certificate level course that could lead to early career job opportunities such as a shelving assistant, library aide or customer service assistant.
| Course | Information | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate II in Information and Cultural Services | Course length: 12 months Subjects include: Operate application software packages, Deliver a service to customers, Use business technology |
|
| Certificate III in Library and Information Services | Course length: 12 months full-time, 18 months part-time Subjects include: Develop and apply knowledge of information and cultural services organisations |
|
Diplomas
A diploma level course could lead you further into the field as a library technician, digital services officer or museum technician.
| Course | Information | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| Diploma of Library Services and Information | Course length: 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time Subjects include: Manage quality customer service, Copyright and licence requirements, Information literacy skills |
|
Bachelor's degrees
Set yourself up for a solid career path in librarianship with a bachelor's degree that could open up pathways including librarian, information manager and archivist.
| Course | Information | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Information Studies (with specialisations) | Course length: 3 years full-time, 6 years part-time Subjects include: Supervision and management, Metadata for resource discovery, Information sources and services, The information society |
|
Postgraduate degrees
A postgraduate degree will establish you as a dedicated professional in your field and could see you working as a records manager, library manager or archivist.
| Course | Information | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| Graduate Diploma in Information and Library Studies | Course length: Not specified Subjects include: Information design, Reference services, Information literacy, Collection management |
|
| Graduate Diploma in Records Management and Archives | Course length: Not specified Subjects include: Information design, Recordkeeping concepts and practice, Information literacy, Enterprise content management |
|
| Graduate Certificate in Information Management | Course length: 6 months full-time Subjects include: Technological foundations, Information resources and services, Information management, Professional practice |
|
| Graduate Diploma in Information Management (Library and Information Management) | Course length: 1 year full-time Subjects include: Managing collections, Organising resources, Reading and readers' advisory, Digital literacy |
|
| Master of Information Management (Library and Information Management) | Course length: 2 years full-time Subjects include: Technological foundations, Managing collections, Organising resources, Information management foundations |
|
Who should take an online librarian course?
Online study offers great flexibility with options available at all levels for those interested in becoming a librarian. If you have no experience in the field but are keen to get started, you could take a certificate level course to get a sense of what's involved. A certification will equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to get your foot in the door.
If you're really serious about establishing yourself as a professional in the librarian world, a bachelor's degree is often highly regarded and should hold you in good stead.
On the other hand, if you already have a background as a librarian but want to upskill or become a library manager, there are options to gain further qualifications with a diploma or postgraduate qualification such as a Graduate Certificate in Information Management.
What topics may be covered in an online librarian course?
An online librarian course can cover everything you need to know about the world of information services including the technology involved, how to manage and record information, and how to serve customers effectively.
Here are some of the topics you may explore with a librarian course online:
- Operation of application software packages
- Delivering customer service
- Developing and using information literacy skills
- Leading team effectiveness
- Providing multimedia support
- Supervision and management
- Collections
- Web publishing for information agencies
- Information management
- Children's librarianship
- Records and archives management
- Digital literacy
- Metadata
- Research methods
- Reading and readers' advisory
How long does an online librarian course take to complete?
In many cases, an online librarian course offers flexible options to suit your own schedule. You can do a short online librarian course that will only take around two hours of your time. Conversely, you could study a bachelor's degree in information services that could take you between three to six years.
What are the career opportunities after taking a librarian course?
Completing a course in Library or Information Studies could see you working in schools, universities, colleges, public libraries, or government and commercial information centres. Knowing how to collect and record information and use the appropriate software are highly useful skills in the world of librarianship.
Some of the career paths that could open up for you after you complete your studies include:
- Librarian
- Digital services officer
- Education assistant (museums and galleries)
- Museum technician
- Metadata officer
- Shelving assistant
- Library assistant
- Data or records manager
- Archivist
- Technical services officer
What equipment and software will I need?
Studying your online librarian course will require minimal equipment. You'll need a desktop or laptop computer and a good Internet connection, as well as a quiet space to study.
You might also like to download a copy of Microsoft Office as you'll need somewhere to not only take notes, but also complete and submit your assignments with Microsoft Word and PDF conversion options.
You may also need access to video calling software such as Zoom to attend online tutorials.
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Ask an Expert
Am I illegible to do, Basic library & information Management Skills Course I work as a medical librarian in Papua New Guinea.
Hi Wendy,
Thanks for your inquiry. Please note that we are not affiliated with any company we feature on our site and so we can only offer you general advice.
You may fill out the form on the page to get a free consultation and help you find the right course and get more information about online courses then click on ‘Enquire Now’ button.
Cheers,
Rench
I have an Associate Diploma of Applied Social Studies (Library Technician). I have not worked in a library role for 12 years and would like to update my qualifications in the hope of gaining employment in a library in the near future. Any suggestions on what I should do would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Pauline,
Thanks for your question.
Please be advised that we are a financial comparison website and not an educational institution. Your best course of auction is to contact an educational institution that has librarian courses to discuss the best options available for you to update your qualifications. Some schools worth contacting include TAFE and Curtin University.
You might also like to browse the Alia for a list of accredited courses from a variety of educational institutions.
Hope that helps!
Stephanie