Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (BIBB)

Designation of occupation

Specialist in media and information services (m/f)

Recognized by ordinance of 3 June 1998 (BGBl. I p. 1257) and by
amending ordinance on the vocational training to specialist for media and information services of 15 March 2000 (BGBl. I p. 222)

Duration of traineeship

Three years

One third of the the training takes place in one of the following four subject areas:

· archiving

· librarianship

· information and documentation

· visual resources

· medical documentation.

The venues for training are the training company and part-time vocational school (Berufsschule).

Field of activity

Specialists in media and information services work in the public sector and in private-sector enterprises, e.g. in

- media and press archives

- radio and television

- municipal and state archives

- public and scientific libraries

- company libraries

- information brokers

- information and documentation centres

- specizialied information centres and other database service providers

- visual resource agencies

- image archives

- museums

- hospitals and other health care institutions

- pharmaceutical companies

- colleges, universities and research institutions.

Their main activities include procuring, preparing, sourcing and making available media, information and data and advising and attending to the needs of customers and users.

Occupational skills

I. Common occupational skills

Specialists in media and information services

- procure and acquire media, information and data;

- document and prepare media, information and data;

- protect media stocks and other information carriers;

- make use of information and communications systems;

- search for information in databases and networks;

- inform, advise and attend to the needs of customers and users;

- help with public relations work and marketing activities.

II. Occupational skills and special fields

4.1 Specialists in media and information services specializing in archiving

- screen, evaluate and take delivery of written materials and other information media;

- carry out cancellations;

- order and index written materials and other information media;

- design location aids;

- apply the principles of document-keeping;

- carry out the technical processing and storage of archive materials;

- carry out and monitor lending operations;

- assist with exhibitions and other events.

 

4.2 Specialists in media and information services specializing in librarianship

- use bibliographical information tools for the acquisition of media;

- monitor and process deliveries and invoices;

- handle media in compliance with formal stock management rules;

- assist in screening content;

- technically equip media for library applications;

- order and manage stocks;

- process lending operations, returns, reminders and orders;

- procure information and media for customers, using electronic and conventional delivery
  systems;

- assist with exhibitions and other events.

 

4.3 Specialists in media and information services specializing in information and
documentation

- make use of information sources to procure media, data and facts;

- handle media in compliance with formal stock management rules;

- structure and document data and facts;

- assist in screening content;

- manage and update files and databases;

- process customer enquiries and undertake searches in databases and data networks;

- procure information and media for customers, using electronic and conventional delivery
  systems;

- prepare information and set up information services;

- assist with training and events;

- assist with customer acquisition.

 

4.4 Specialists in media and information services specializing in visual resources

- procure, prepare, archive and refer images;

- identify and catalogue image content;

- carry out the technical processing and storage of images;

- use, update and manage video data;

- use image archiving methods;

- set up image storage units and make use of electronic and conventional delivery systems;

- take and process orders;

- compile offers of images;

- negotiate rights of use and apply schemes for calculating fees;

- monitor lending deadlines;

- process invoices and reminders;

- assist with the production of image catalogues and advertising materials;

- assist with customer acquisition.

 

4.5 Specialists in media and information services specializing in medical documentation

- record and acquire results, medical files and medical information;

- classify results, diagnoses, therapies, medications, operations, complications and  
   symptoms;

- document data of clinical trials on drug testing, drug monitoring and therapy testing;

- check, complete, update, maintain and secure medical data stocks;

- select and prepare data, for example for treatment, invoicing and research as well as for
  medical quality management;

- carry out statistical evaluations and present results;

- monitor access to personal medical data;

- design and test registration plans, questionnaires and database structures;

- run patient admissions and medical records archives;

- carry out patient-oriented administrative tasks;

- cooperate in training courses.

 

Last modified on: December 12, 2006