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Libraries and Information Management

This area encompasses a diverse range of roles that involve managing, organising, protecting and disseminating information. These are core functions that support research, innovation, and education across a wide range of sectors. Roles span libraries, archives, records management, and intellectual property (IP), and are found in universities, schools, local government, healthcare, legal firms, industry, and cultural institutions. 

Many jobs involve working with data, digital systems, or specialised collections, while others focus on protecting intellectual property arising from innovation and creativity. Key areas of work include: 

Libraries and archives 

Professionals in this area ensure that books, records, and digital resources are organised, preserved, and accessible. These roles are based in schools, universities, public libraries, heritage organisations, and industry. While libraries often provide access to published materials for study or leisure, archives typically house rare or original records requiring more specialised handling. 

  • Librarians support users in accessing a wide range of information and often play a teaching or advisory role in research and learning environments. Look at the following profiles on Prospects Academic Librarian, Public Librarian.
  • Archivists focus on preserving unique or historical documents, sometimes developing specialist conservation skills.
  • Library assistants and Records managers provide essential support in cataloguing, maintaining systems, and helping users navigate resources. 

See the Museums, Galleries and Archives work area page under the Heritage and Culture Sector for further details on roles in archiving and heritage management. 
 
Information and knowledge management 

These roles are centred on managing how information is stored, organised, and accessed across organisations. They increasingly play a key role in supporting compliance with data protection regulations, open access mandates, and research integrity policies—particularly within education, healthcare, and research environments. This area is evolving rapidly due to the growing scale of digital data and the impact of artificial intelligence on how information is managed and retrieved. 

  • Information managers and Information Officer develop systems to ensure key data is accessible, accurate, and secure. S
  • Metadata specialists and digital curators manage organisation and labelling, helping users find and reuse content efficiently. See a role profile here on Prospects: Records Manager.  

Intellectual property (IP) 

IP roles focus on protecting original ideas and innovations—ranging from books and software to pharmaceuticals and AI tools. These roles are usually found in specialist law firms, industry, or public bodies like the Intellectual Property Office. Information professionals often work closely with IP teams—ensuring research is properly recorded and time-stamped, which is crucial for establishing legal ownership and copyright compliance.  

  • Patent Attorneys and Trademark attorneys are legal specialists who help secure rights over inventions and brands.
  • IP analysts work more commercially, identifying trends and opportunities for protecting or licensing new technologies.
  • Patent Examiners assess whether inventions meet legal and technical requirements for protection. 

See the Law and Legal Services sector pages if you are interested in a legal career.  

The nature of roles in Libraries and Information Management is evolving as automation and artificial intelligence (AI) take on more routine tasks such as indexing, classification, and basic enquiry handling (CILIP, 2021). Tools like AI chatbots and robotic retrieval systems are already changing how some library services operate. 

This shift is creating new opportunities in areas that require human judgement, creativity, and strategic thinking, such as data stewardship, complex information management, and designing inclusive digital services. The volume of global data is growing rapidly, and professionals who can curate, interpret, and ensure ethical access to information will be in demand. 

In specialist information fields, including legal and intellectual property services, automation is transforming some processes, but consultative and analytical work remains resilient. Demand is particularly strong for expertise in emerging technologies, such as biotechnology, bioinformatics, and artificial intelligence, where nuanced understanding and tailored information solutions are essential.

Skills employers look for

Every employer is different so there are no definitive lists here.  These are meant as a guide and should be considered in addition to fully exploring role requirements outlined in person specification, job description and advert for each role you consider applying for. 

  • Adaptability and problem-solving – responding to user needs, troubleshooting technical or organisational challenges, and embracing new technologies.
  • Attention to detail – ensuring accuracy in cataloguing, metadata creation, and records management.
  • Collaboration and teamwork – working with colleagues across departments, institutions, or partner organisations.
  • Customer service and communication – supporting and training users, explaining processes clearly, and tailoring information to different audiences.
  • Digital skills – proficiency with library management systems, databases, metadata standards, and digital curation tools.
  • Ethical awareness – ensuring responsible and inclusive information management, especially in the use of AI and big data.
  • Information literacy – ability to locate, evaluate, organise, and present information effectively.
  • Knowledge of legislation and standards – awareness of copyright, intellectual property law, data protection (e.g. GDPR), and accessibility requirements.
  • Preservation and conservation skills – particularly for archive and heritage roles, including handling rare or fragile materials.
  • Project management – planning and delivering digitisation, data migration, or information system projects.
  • Research and analytical skills – gathering, interpreting, and synthesising complex information or data.
  • Strategic thinking – designing systems, services, or policies that improve information access and support organisational goals. 

In order to develop these skills, remember Career Zone also offers a range of Personal and Professional Development sessions which are available to book on Handshake and run at least once per term.  Please also read through the sections about Gaining Experience and Further Study and Professional Development to discover how you can develop your skills through experience and by gaining further knowledge or qualifications.    

Gaining Experience

You can develop the skills required to work in these roles and sectors, in and alongside your degree. As with all sectors, getting a graduate role is competitive. Gaining relevant experience in the workplace will not only make your applications stand out but will also allow you to develop new skills and gain valuable insight into the sector. 

Societies 

Getting involved in societies can help you develop leadership, event organisation, and interpersonal skills, as well as experience in sharing knowledge, managing resources, and engaging different audiences, all of which are relevant to libraries and information management. Examples might include societies related to literature, creative writing, history, heritage, archives, technology, data science, research, or cultural engagement. You might also consider groups focused on digital media, publishing, or academic subject areas connected to specialist information roles. Relevant societies can be found on the Exeter campuses: Exeter Students’ Guild pages and the Cornwall campuses: Falmouth & Exeter Students’ Union pages. 

University of Exeter Employability Schemes 

Participating in University of Exeter employability programmes can help you develop skills valued in the sector: 

  • Career Zone Internship schemes: Internships can be extremely useful, so try and get relevant vacation work or placements.
  • Professional Pathways: a suite of sector specific training courses and paid week-long internships. See ‘Pathways to Arts, Culture and Heritage’.
  • Exeter Award :The Exeter Award will help you stand out from the crowd and give you the confidence to shout about the experiences you've had at university.
  • The Global Leaders Experience is a unique opportunity to develop your intercultural skills as part of a short, outbound mobility experience. 

Speculative applications and where to find opportunities 
As jobs are not always advertised, developing your networking skills and applying speculatively can be useful.  This means approaching organisations directly for an opportunity.  Before doing so, you may find it helpful to read our Researching Employers page.  

  • Research and make a shortlist of organisations you would like to gain experience with.
  • Identify what roles people hold in the organisation.  Are there any exciting campaigns or projects running or coming up that you’d like to be involved in or support?
  • Create your tailored CV and cover letter, clearly outlining what you are asking of the organisation and highlighting what you can bring.  What’s your unique offer? 

The websites below hold directories which can be a helpful place to start, when researching potential organisations of interest and congruent values.   

Finding part-time work 

Many students work part-time during their studies. Part-time student jobs are often found in the hospitality or retail sectors, where you can gain transferrable interpersonal, customer-service communication and teamwork skills. Public libraries and academic libraries also may seek to recruit part-time staff.  

Search for part-time work here:  

  • Handshake (filter ‘part time’ and by your location). You may want to search for SCP (Student Campus Partnership) or SBP (Student Business Partnership) roles – to find out more, please click on the links. 
  • General job sites such as LinkedIn jobs, Find a Job or  Indeed (filter on “part-time” and “Exeter”).
  • Identify and call local businesses in your local area with your CV to ask about part-time jobs.
  • Attend the part-time/casual jobs fair at Streatham Campus and/or Penryn Campus. 

Volunteering  

Voluntary work experience can help you develop communication, organisation, and information-handling skills while gaining practical insight into library, archive, and information services. Opportunities may involve supporting users, cataloguing resources, assisting with events, or contributing to community engagement projects. Places to look for opportunities include: 

Finding advertised graduate roles, placements and internships

For general information about finding graduate opportunities, please visit our Graduate Jobs page. 

Graduate roles and internships: 

The following links can be useful resources for finding advertised graduate roles and internships. You can also browse our Handshake internship collection for current internships opportunities. 

  • Archives and Records Association – the professional body for archivists, records managers, and conservators, with a jobs board covering roles in archives, heritage collections, and information management.
  • Careers in Trade Marks and IP – CITMA – guidance on qualifying as a trade mark attorney, with job listings from the Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys.
  • Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) – the UK’s leading professional body for the information profession, with resources on careers, training, and sector news. Has a dedicated jobs board, and an area for Graduate Trainees.
  • CIPA Jobs Board – the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys’ job board, advertising trainee and qualified patent attorney roles.
  • Guardian listings of librarian jobs – advertised roles in public, academic, and specialist libraries.
  • IP Careers – information, advice, and job listings for graduate and trainee roles in patent and trade mark law, IP analysis, and related fields.
  • jobs.ac.uk – academic and research sector job board with vacancies for academic librarians, archivists, records managers, and information officers in higher education.
  • Law Gazette IP Jobs Board – vacancies in intellectual property law, including solicitor, attorney, and specialist advisory roles.
  • LG Jobs – vacancies in local government, including public library, archive, and records management roles.
  • NHS Knowledge and Library Services  - careers information and job listings for librarians and information specialists in the health sector.
  • The Information and Records Management Society – professional membership body for records and information managers, with a jobs board for roles in information governance and compliance.
  • The National Archives – careers and opportunities in archives, digital preservation, and cataloguing. 

Placements  

If you are interested in finding out more about work placements, you can also access the Work Placements SharePoint via Single Sign-On. This resource covers all aspects of credit-bearing work experiences as part of your degree, including what a placement is, how to apply for them, and bespoke information for international students or those interested in working abroad. 

  • Milkround offers a range of temporary placement opportunities
  • Target Jobs advertises numerous placements
  • The Bright Network has a range of industrial placement opportunities advertised. 

Speculative applications and where to find opportunities 
As jobs are not always advertised, developing your networking skills and applying speculatively can be useful.  This means approaching organisations directly for an opportunity.  For more help visit our Speculative Applications page and you may find it useful to read our Researching employers page. 

You may find it helpful to  

  • Research and make a shortlist of organisations you would like to gain experience with.
  • Identify what roles people hold in the organisation.  Are there any exciting campaigns or projects running or coming up that you’d like to be involved in or support?
  • Create your tailored CV and cover letter, clearly outlining what you are asking of the organisation and highlighting what you can bring.  What’s your unique offer? 

The websites below hold directories which can be a helpful place to start, when researching potential organisations of interest and congruent values.   

Further sources of support 

If you are an international student, visit our international webpages for help finding opportunities both in the UK and globally. 

To find opportunities outside the UK use GoinGlobal.

Further study and professional development

Some individuals decide to undertake further study to build their skills and knowledge of the sector and related occupations. Not all roles or employers will require this, so it is important to research entry requirements and employer preferences before committing to additional training or qualifications. Use the sites below to research your further study options. You can also research accredited postgraduate courses on professional bodies’ websites in the section below. 

  • FindAMasters – A comprehensive directory of taught and research-based master’s degrees in the UK and abroad. You can filter by subject area, university, and funding opportunities.
  • Prospects – Postgraduate Study – Offers guidance on whether further study is right for you, how to choose a course, and what qualifications are needed for specific careers. Includes a searchable database of UK postgraduate courses.
  • TARGETJobs – Postgraduate Study – Covers how to choose the right course, application timelines, and how further study fits into career planning—especially relevant to competitive industries like finance.
  • UCAS Postgraduate – The official postgraduate route via UCAS, offering application advice, timelines, and course information for UK-based master’s and PGCert/PGDip courses. 

Advice 

If you are considering postgraduate or doctoral level study before entering your chosen sector, please visit our Postgraduate Study page for more information about choosing further study.   

Information and links from professional bodies 

If you have studied a related degree, check if your course is accredited by one of the professional bodies. Being a member of a professional body is voluntary; however, it can be valuable for developing networks, continuing your professional development, and generally keeping up to date with what's happening in the sector.