by Jennifer Crutchfield, Head Editor, INALJ Connecticut

2 Differences between Corporate and Academic Libraries

I have been working as a corporate librarian for several months and wanted to share a couple points of comparison that I have found to be the biggest differences between a small academic library and a corporate library. These only my opinions and I’m sure many people would beg to differ, but I’m sharing my thoughts anyway!

The biggest difference I have noticed is accessibility to funds. Though the corporate library is always finding ways to save money and stay within budget there is a little more “wiggle room” if the expense can be justified. Projects and new ideas are always welcome, encouraged, and given serious thought.

Another big difference I have found is copyright. Working for a corporate library, copyright is incredibly important. In the corporate world, making a copyright mistake can cost the company a lot of money. Much of a corporate librarian’s time is spent educating employees about the importance of copyright. In my experience as an academic librarian, I hardly ever had to think about copyright in my everyday duties. This is a huge difference that I am still getting used to.

These are simply characteristics that come with working in different environments. Ultimately, all libraries have sharing information as the common goal. Comments and thoughts are welcome on this topic. I would enjoy reading what others have to say about this.