This document discusses how librarians can apply their skills in a digital environment and benefit businesses. It profiles a digital librarian working for a large pharmaceutical company. The librarian helped transition the company's library from a physical to digital space, utilizing cataloging, communication, and leadership skills. These core skills remain important despite changing methods. The document emphasizes that continuing professional development allows librarians to communicate effectively and apply their skills in relevant, current ways. It concludes by advising those interested in becoming digital librarians to demonstrate how their skills translate digitally and gain experience using digital library platforms.

1. Benefitting Business – Applying the
Librarian’s Skillset in a Digital World
Sarah Lyons – Digital Librarian

2. Introduction

3. A Librarian in a Pharmaceutical
Company

4. • HQ in Basel, Switzerland
• Produces prescription
medicines, generic and
bio-similar medicines, eye
care products (contact
lens, solutions) surgical
equipment.
• 133,413 FTE operate in
over 140 countries
The Company

5. The Job
• Part of the Digital
Marketing Team
• Offer Library services
internally within the
company globally
• Primary content is
marketing materials for
those 140 countries.

6. The OLD Library

7. The OLD Library

8. The NEW Library

9. The NEW Library

10. The NEW Library

11. The Digital Librarian’s Skillset

12. • The most important of all librarian skills
– Know your audience
– Speak their language
– Know the communication challenges
– Use the correct tools and the correct time (and be
a competent user of them)
Communication Skills

13. Communication Tools

14. ‘Soft’ Technical Skills
– Understand the technical aspects of your platform.
– Be able to present a roadmap of requirements to your IT
Department
Leadership Skills
– Being a ‘Best Practice’ Leader/Advocate
– Influencing decisions & being confident in your expertise
Troubleshooting Skills
– Know your collection, it’s metadata & platform intimately!

15. Be Detail Focused
– Be a careful cataloguer
– Audit your work
– Learn from mistakes

16. Business Benefits

17. Business Benefits
CUSTOMER
COMPLIANCE
Compliant Information in
terms of approvals and life
cycle
RELIABILITY
Provides a searchable
repository that customers
can rely on to create and
innovate
SAFETY
Automatic creation of
disaster recovery (backup)
media
ACCURACY
Uploaded and tagged to
provide accurate and
meaningful resources
UTILISATION
Measures information
performance - identifies
improvements for utilisation
FLEXIBILITY
Deliver information through
centralization and
accessibility
COST
Provides storage of rich
media in a cost-effective
manner
Librarians in business can deliver benefits across a number of key areas...

18. Information Skills for the Future

19. Skills of the Past
Communication Skills , Cataloguing Skills

20. Skills of the Past
Leadership Skills, Troubleshooting Skills

21. Skills of the Past
Technical, Practical Skills

22. Methods may change but the core
skills are constant…

23. BUT- CPD is Crucial for Librarians
• Enables us to apply our skills in a way that is relevant
and current
• Allows us to communicate in the language of our
stakeholders and patrons
• Allows us to consider the broader influences on
libraries & librarianship

24. So you want to be a Digital Librarian?

25. Tips
• Know how your skills are relevant in the
Digital Environment!
• Try to get some experience in Digital Library
platforms – project work, work shadowing,
volunteering.
• Take some digital based classes – but no need
to be a networking or programming expert!

26. Thank you for listening