Special Librarians and Executive Search

Many people ask me "What is a Special Librarian?" Even people in library school have a hard time understanding the responsibilities that differentiate a Special Librarian from an Academic, Public, or School Librarian. Here is a quick definition of special librarianship:

"Special librarians are information resource experts dedicated to putting knowledge to work to attain the goals of their organizations. They are employed most frequently by corporations, private businesses, government agencies, museums, colleges, hospitals, associations and information management consulting firms."

Even more confusing is why a Special Librarian or a Librarian in general would be working at an executive search firm, or even what executive search is. To clarify a bit:

Retained executive search consultants work with clients - the hiring organization / company / firm / - to fill senior level management or specialized professional positions. An executive search is not economically feasible for filling lower level positions.

A retained firm differs from a contingency firm by the way they deal with clients. Retained firms collect a fee (usually 1/3 of the placement's compensation) regardless of whether or not a person is placed. Contingency firms only collect a fee if and when a candidate is placed. The other big differentiating factor is the level of placement (CFO vs. VP of Accounting).

There is so much more to the Executive Search industry that I hope to touch on in this blog. It's an exciting, fast paced, challenging industry and I love my role as a librarian within the organization!

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