Government Librarians fulfil a very important job in supplying the government of the day with accurate and up-to-date information. Librarians in Civil Service Departments retrieve and exploit information from a wide range of subjects.There is no central government library structure which means that each government department or agency employs its own professional librarians and has a local view of that Library's priorities and specialisms.
Government libraries make up one of the largest sectors in the UK library and information field focusing on
- environment
- transport
- science
- defence
- education
- crime
- international relations
- health
Government libraries are also scattered around the world giving librarians regular opportunities to attend international conferences and visit other libraries overseas.
As well as collecting,organising and retrieving information from traditional resources such as books,journals and reports government librarians can develop specialist skills in the fields of online searching,information audit and both internet and intranet development. They may also develop expertise in project management,enquiry work and knowledge management.
All in all government librarians receive excellent training and development which enables them to exploit what can be unique sources of national, international or statistical information.
The Network of Government and Library Information Specialists (formerly The Circle of State Librarians) is a non profit making organisation run by and for librarians and other information workers from government departments and other agencies.
It runs courses on subjects and skills tailored to the needs of government library staff.
www.nglis.org.uk