Public and employer perceptions of staff abilities and qualifications deployed in local studies collections may affect their status and influence and not least the funding the local studies facility may receive. The need to promote the service is also prompted by the growing use of local studies collections and the increasing importance of such holdings to the preservation of national heritage. No reflection on the acknowledged abilities and capabilities of library technicians is implied, but the placement of library technicians in local studies roles may have implications for the image and position of this sector, which in terms of educational curricula, clientele and the staff-customer interface, is professional rather than para-professional.