Librarian Career

librarian-500Librarians are responsible for organizing the library materials and helping people find the information they need. Therefore, they need to have excellent organization and research skills. They also need to work well with people.

There are many different types of libraries and centers that hire librarians. These include schools, public libraries, universities, or special libraries. Special libraries are often run by government agencies, corporations, law firms, museums, or research agencies.

In addition to the traditional career working in a library, many librarians use their research skills in database development or even as freelance information brokers.

Librarian Career Snapshot

Librarians spend most of their day at a desk or in front of a computer. They do walk a fair amount, shelving books and helping library patrons find information. Approximately 20% of all librarians work part-time.

Further details on a career as a librarian are listed below (statistics from the May 2015 Bureau of Labor Statistics and Onet Online):

$56,880

is the average pay for librarians per year.

2%

increase in employment between 2014 and 2024.

82%

have a Master’s degree while 13% have a Bachelor’s.

Librarian Education

Librarians in both public and academic libraries usually have a master’s degree in library science. Some school libraries require librarians to hold a teaching certification. Some states require librarians to become licensed.

Librarian Job Duties

Librarians help people find the information they need. They also show them how to use library materials like books, publications, reference manuals for their personal and professional needs. Librarians also manage staff and often run various public programs including learning activities for both children and adults.

Librarian Salaries

Librarians earn between $33,810 and $88,530 as shown by the BLS.gov statistics compiled in May 2015. The librarians with mostly administrative duties tend to earn more. On average, the yearly salary for librarians is $56,880.

Librarian Job Outlook

The job outlook for librarians is lower than the average growth across all occupations at an expected growth of only 2% through 2024. Budget limitations are partly to blame for the slow growth of this field, however, there will continue to be a need for librarians.

Librarian Career

Librarian Skill Set:Required Abilities:Tools Used by Librarians:Typical Work Activities:
• Reading Comprehension
• Active Listening
• Writing
• Speaking
• Monitoring
• Oral Comprehension
• Written Comprehension
• Oral Expression
• Information Ordering
• Barcode scanners
• Film projectors
• Microfiche readers
• Photocopiers
• Getting Information
• Interacting With Computers
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Processing Information

Library Technicians & Assistants

Postsecondary Certificate

What Do Related Careers Pay?