Librarian in 859: Fatima al-Fihri founds al-Qarawiyyin

This page follows the profession from Nineveh and the Pinakes of Alexandria through al-Qarawiyyin, Panizzi's Round Reading Room and the trade's modern birth in 1876, to a present in which circulation and cataloging are largely automated while librarians defend collections in courtrooms and teach readers to navigate misinformation. It covers how people enter the work today, what the craft actually consists of, who reached the top of it, and how much of it a machine can take.

Do you need a degree to become a librarian? In most countries, yes, though the shape differs. The United States and Canada expect a master's degree in library and information science accredited by the American Library Association. The UK accepts an accredited degree plus CILIP professional registration. France recruits its senior librarians through a competitive state examination, and Germany trains academic librarians in a salaried two-year Referendariat after a subject degree.

What do librarians actually do all day? Far less shelving than the stereotype suggests. A working day mixes reference questions, teaching sessions or children's programs, selecting and weeding the collection, fixing metadata, managing e-lending platforms and negotiating with vendors. In academic libraries much of the work is teaching research skills and managing data; in public libraries a growing share is frontline social work — helping people with forms, jobs and services.