Beamter/Beamtin im höheren Dienst an wissenschaftlichen Bibliotheken

Learning locations are: Library schools (seminar rooms, lecture halls, exercise and group rooms) and scientific libraries (office spaces).

This is a civil servant training; different career titles may exist in individual Bundesländer (federal states). The training type is a preparatory service, regulated by federal and state ordinances. The preparatory service lasts 2 years. Minimum prerequisites for admission to the preparatory service vary depending on the Bundesland or federal authority (e.g., a completed Masterstudium (master's degree)). Learning locations are library schools and scientific libraries. Civil servants in higher service at scientific libraries assume specialized scientific expertise as well as leadership and management tasks in library administration. Their duties include the establishment and continuous maintenance of the collection (e.g., books, journals, sound carriers, films, electronic and online media) and ensuring efficient and modern information services for target groups. As library managers, they optimize internal processes and take on organizational tasks.

2 years.

The structure of a preparatory service in higher service at scientific libraries is as follows: Theoretical introductory course at a library school or Hochschule (university of applied sciences) (2 weeks), practical training at a scientific library and in other libraries or library-relevant institutions in Germany and abroad (12 months), theoretical training at a library school or university (11.5 months). The total duration of the preparatory service is 2 years.

No course fees are charged. Travel costs or costs for learning materials may arise. Costs for accommodation at the training location may also be incurred.

Theoretical training, for example, in the following areas: Library structure, setup, and technology; library history, German and foreign librarianship of the present day; book and media studies; fundamentals of information science; information and documentation, general and specialized bibliographies, information dissemination; organization of science and education, cultural policy; organization and operation of libraries (administration, management and personnel leadership, collection development and cataloging, user and consulting services, public relations); law and administration. Practical training serves to enable civil servants in higher service at scientific libraries to independently carry out their tasks and, above all, to make professional and personnel decisions expertly.

During this vocational training (Ausbildung), it is important to adapt to certain conditions and requirements. In the theoretical training phases, you should attend lectures, engage in independent work (e.g., preparing and reviewing lectures, researching in libraries, preparing performance proofs), and adhere to organizational requirements (e.g., meeting submission deadlines). In the practical training phases, you should actively participate in planning and structural tasks, and develop key competencies such as problem-solving, organization, and leadership skills.

The monthly gross basic salary for civil service candidates in federal agencies is 2,624 Euros. In state (Bundesland) agencies, the exemplary monthly gross basic salary for civil service candidates is 1,726 Euros. This information is derived from the Federal Salary Act (Bundesbesoldungsgesetz) and State Salary Acts. In addition to the basic salary, the civil service candidate's remuneration includes capital-forming benefits, and potentially family allowances and other additional payments, remunerations, and surcharges.

In-depth knowledge in the following areas is a good prerequisite for a successful preparatory service: Management/Organization (e.g., to achieve good results in lessons on the organization and operation of libraries and to efficiently organize scientific libraries in professional life) and Employee Leadership and Guidance (as management and personnel leadership are subject areas of the preparatory service, and knowledge of leadership tools such as target agreements and feedback is indispensable for successful departmental or office management).

The following vocational training (Ausbildung) alternatives are available for the profession of civil servant in the higher service at scientific libraries (Beamter/Beamtin im höheren Dienst): Civil servant in archive service (höherer Dienst) or civil servant in general internal administration (höherer nichttechnischer Dienst) in the field of Law and Administration. The commonality of these professions is planning and organizing administrative processes.

The vocational training (Ausbildung) in the higher service at scientific libraries takes place as a preparatory service (Vorbereitungsdienst) and lasts 2 years. It is regulated by federal or state (Bundesland) ordinances and concludes with a career examination (Laufbahnprüfung). Usually, at least a master's degree (Masterstudium) is required.

This vocational training (Ausbildung) is regulated by federal law and by state law in the mentioned federal states (Bundesland), leading to the following qualification/professional titles: In the Federation, Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Schleswig-Holstein: 'Bibliotheksassessor/Bibliotheksassessorin'; in Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saxony-Anhalt: 'Assessor des Bibliotheksdienstes/Assessorin des Bibliotheksdienstes'; in Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony: 'Assessor des Wissenschaftlichen Dienstes/Assessorin des Wissenschaftlichen Dienstes - Bibliotheksdienst'. The theoretical part of the training can be completed as a distance learning course in the Federation and the mentioned federal states, which additionally leads to the qualification: 'Master of Arts - Library and Information Science (M.A. - Library and Information Science)'. The career titles are 'Beamter/Beamtin - Bibliotheksdienst (Laufbahngruppe 2, zweites Einstiegsamt)' and 'Beamter/Beamtin - Bibliotheksdienst an wissenschaft'.

After their Ausbildung (vocational training), civil servants in higher service at scientific libraries can find suitable areas of deployment, for example, in university and state libraries, central specialized libraries, or regional libraries. They can keep their professional knowledge up-to-date or bring it to the latest standard through adaptive further training, covering topics from librarianship to Public Relations (PR). With appropriate qualifications, civil servants in higher service at scientific libraries have the opportunity to participate in internal administrative training courses for further qualification.

The preparatory service for civil servant careers is regulated by separate ordinances at the federal and state (Bundesland) levels. The respective provisions may differ. At the federal level, there is the Ordinance on the Career, Training, and Examination for the Higher Service at Federal Scientific Libraries (LAP-hDBiblV) from 25.10.2001, last amended by Article 2 Section 10 of the Ordinance from 11.03.2026. At the state level, there are regulations such as the Ordinance of the Ministry of Science on the Establishment of Careers and Further Career Regulations for the Science and Arts Sector (LVO-MWK) from 21.11.2014, amended by Article 3 of the Ordinance from 30.03.2021, and the Ordinance of the Ministry of Science on Training and Examination for the Higher Scientific Library Service in Baden-Württemberg.

The prerequisite is usually a completed Master Studium (master's degree) suitable for the career path or a university degree recognized as equivalent. Furthermore, access to the Ausbildung (vocational training) may require, for example, very good IT and foreign language skills, possibly experience in librarianship, and sometimes a doctorate.