Abstract

Many libraries devote a great deal of time and resources to developing job descriptions, but are they relevant, current and useful? The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) Dunn and Wilson Scholarship allowed this question to be researched. This research project focused on examining job descriptions from an organisational perspective. The objectives of the project were to:

determine the current practice of the role of job descriptions in Australian libraries, using Library Technicians as a sample group;
collate examples of Library Technician job descriptions to determine the type of information contained in them;
identify best practice in the design, content and uses of job descriptions; and
present recommendations to the library profession which would aid them in developing effective job descriptions that are current, relevant, accurate and useful.

The project consisted of three stages. Stage one involved a literature review covering the period 1988-1998. This review identified why job descriptions are important, what they are used for, what is included in job descriptions and trends in the literature.

Stage two surveyed a sample group of library technicians in Australian libraries in order to determine the usefulness, currency and accuracy of job descriptions within the Australian library industry. As the survey response rate was 66 percent a number of findings are generalised to the library industry.

Stage three gained a wider perspective on the uses of job descriptions and the type of information contained in them, by surveying a sample group of organisations who were considered best practice in human resource management. The findings from the Library Technician survey and organisational survey are compared. Based on information obtained through this research project a number of recommendations to improve the usefulness of job descriptions is provided, including a sample job description which incorporates the of recommendations.

A a