Essential knowledge, skills and attributes of a Librarian 2.0

There are many skills and attributes required by librarians and information professionals in today’s information environment. The following list outlines those I personally feel are important and actively endeavour to attain and practice:

1. Accept change as part of the natural order, not as an incongruent occurrence. Challenge, question and assess everything. Don’t wait for things to happen, but rather make them happen by a taking a lead role as change agent. This sometimes means playing ‘devil’s advocate’, stirring the pot and challenging those long held assumptions, attitudes and practices. 
2. All influence, no power; status within the hierarchy is not a constraint. 
3. Strive for excellence (continual improvement), but not necessarily perfection – beta is good. Better to have functional outcomes today, than a perfect product or service some indefinite period into the future. 
4. Be willing to learn, engage with new tools and techniques, and admit you are not an expert, but rather a life-long learner just like everyone else. Not everything has an immediate answer, but may require investigation and/or advice from others. 
5. Learn HTML (and other markup languages) and have a good understanding of the online environment, including theories and practice around information architecture and website design, and how people interact with the web. 
6. Know yourself, and work to enhance your strengths and overcome your weaknesses.
7. Feel comfortable outside your comfort zone:
• Expect the unexpected.
• Don’t be afraid to fail every so often.
• Don’t say “maybe tomorrow”.
• Aim high and push boundaries.
8. Just do it, because “over thinking” is really just another term for procrastination.

Unfortunately, librarians seem quite under-valued. In my opinion, this is because we are primarily seen as service providers rather than as professional partners and collaborators. With the above set of skills and attributes, as a profession we can turn old perceptions around. Anyway, that's certainly one of my professional goals.

Abram, S. (2006). Web 2.0, Library 2.0, and Librarian 2.0: Preparing for the
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Cohen, L. (2006, November 09). A Librarian's 2.0 Manifesto [Video]. Retrieved
      from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZblrRs3fkSU

Harvey, M. (2009). What does it mean to be a Science Librarian 2.0? Issues
      in Science and Technology Librarianship. doi: 10.5062/F4M906KW