Librarians make information available to people. They manage staff, oversee the collection and cataloging of library materials, and develop and direct information programs for the public. They help users find information from printed and other materials.
Library work is divided into three basic functions: User services, technical services, and administrative services. Librarians in user services for example, reference and children's librarians work directly with users to help them find the information they need. This may involve analyzing users' needs to determine what information is appropriate, and searching for, acquiring, and providing the information to users. Librarians in technical services, such as acquisitions librarians and catalogers, acquire and prepare materials for use and may not deal directly with the public. Librarians in administrative services oversee the management of the library, supervising library employees, preparing budgets, and directing activities to see that all parts of the library function properly. Depending on the employer, librarians may perform a combination of user, technical, and administrative services.
In small libraries or information centers, librarians generally handle all aspects of the work. They read book reviews, publishers' announcements, and catalogs to keep up with current literature and other available resources, and select and purchase materials from publishers, wholesalers, and distributors. Librarians prepare new materials for use by classifying them by subject matter, and describe books and other library materials in a way that users can easily find them. They supervise assistants who prepare cards, computer records, or other access tools that indicate the title, author, subject, publisher, date of publication, and location in the library. In large libraries, librarians often specialize in a single area, such as acquisitions, cataloging, bibliography, reference, special collections, circulation, or administration.
Librarians also compile lists of books, periodicals, articles, and audiovisual materials on particular subjects, and recommend materials to be acquired. They may collect and organize books, pamphlets, manuscripts, and other materials in a specific field, such as rare books, genealogy, or music. In addition, they coordinate programs such as storytelling for children and book talks for adults; publicize services; provide reference help; supervise staff; prepare the budget; and oversee other administrative matters.
Librarians may be classified according to the type of library in which they work: Public libraries, school library/media centers, academic libraries, and special libraries. They may work with specific groups, such as children, young adults, adults, or disadvantaged individuals. In school library/media centers, librarians help teachers develop curricula, acquire materials for classroom instruction, and sometimes team teach.
Librarians may also work in information centers or libraries maintained by government agencies, corporations, law firms, advertising agencies, museums, professional associations, medical centers, religious organizations, and research laboratories. They build and arrange the organization's information resources, usually limited to subjects of special interest to the organization. These special librarians can provide vital information services by preparing abstracts and indexes of current periodicals, organizing bibliographies, or analyzing background information on areas of particular interest. For instance, a special librarian working for a corporation may provide the sales department with information on competitors or new developments affecting their field.
Many libraries are tied into remote data bases through their computer terminals, and many also maintain their own computerized data bases. The widespread use of automation in libraries makes data base searching skills important to librarians. Librarians develop and index data bases and help users develop searching skills to obtain the information they need. Libraries may employ automated systems librarians who plan and operate computer systems, and information scientists who design information storage and retrieval systems and develop procedures for collecting, organizing, interpreting, and classifying information. (See statement on computer scientists and systems analysts elsewhere in the Handbook.) The increasing use of automated information systems enables some librarians to spend more time analyzing future information needs as well as on administrative and budgeting responsibilities, and to delegate more technical and user services to technicians. (See statement on library technicians elsewhere in the Handbook.)
Librarians are using automated information systems to collect, organize, and classify information.
Working conditions in user services are different from those in technical services. Assisting users in obtaining the information for their jobs or for recreational and other needs can be challenging and satisfying. When working with users under deadlines, the work may be busy, demanding, and stressful. In technical services, selecting and ordering new materials can be stimulating and rewarding. However, librarians may sit at desks or at computer terminals all day. Extended work at video display terminals may cause eyestrain and headaches. They may also have their performance monitored for errors or for quantity of tasks completed each hour or day.
Nearly 1 out of 4 librarians works part time. Public and college librarians often work weekends and evenings. School librarians generally have the same workday schedule as classroom teachers and similar vacation schedules. Special librarians usually work normal business hours. Librarians in fast-paced industries, such as advertising or legal services, may work over 40 hours a week under stressful conditions.
Librarians held about 141,000 jobs in 1992. Most were in school and academic libraries; others were in public libraries and special libraries. A small number of librarians worked for hospitals and religious organizations. Others worked for governments at all levels.
A master's degree in library science (M.L.S.) is necessary for librarian positions in most public, academic, and special libraries, and in some school libraries. In the Federal Government, an M.L.S. or the equivalent in education and experience is needed. Many colleges and universities offer M.L.S. programs, but many employers prefer graduates of the approximately 60 schools accredited by the American Library Association. Most M.L.S. programs require a bachelor's degree; any liberal arts major is appropriate.
Some programs take 1 year to complete; others take 2. A typical graduate program includes courses in the foundations of library and information science, including the history of books and printing, intellectual freedom and censorship, and the role of libraries and information in society. Other basic courses cover material selection and processing; the organization of information; reference tools and strategies; and user services. Course options include resources for children or young adults; classification, cataloging, indexing, and abstracting; library administration; and library automation.
The M.L.S. provides general, all-round preparation for library work, but some people specialize in a particular area such as archives, media, or library automation. A Ph.D. degree in library and information science is advantageous for a college teaching or top administrative position, particularly in a college or university library or in a large library system.
In special libraries, a knowledge of the subject specialization, or a master's, doctoral, or professional degree in the subject is highly desirable. Subject specializations include medicine, law, business, engineering, and the natural and social sciences. For example, a librarian working for a law firm may also be a licensed attorney, holding both library science and law degrees. In some jobs, knowledge of a foreign language is needed.
State certification requirements for public school librarians vary widely. Most States require that school librarians often called library media specialists be certified as teachers and have courses in library science. In some cases, an M.L.S., perhaps with a library media specialization, or a master's in education with a specialty in school library media or educational media is needed. Some States require certification of public librarians employed in municipal, county, or regional library systems.
Experienced librarians may advance to administrative positions, such as department head, library director, or chief information officer.
Employment of librarians is expected to grow more slowly than the average for all occupations through the year 2005. The limited growth in employment of librarians during the 1980's is expected to continue. However, the number of job openings resulting from the need to replace librarians who leave the occupation is expected to increase by 2005, as many workers reach retirement age. Willingness to relocate will greatly enhance job prospects.
Budgetary constraints will likely contribute to the slow growth in employment of librarians in school, public, and college and university libraries. The increasing use of computerized information storage and retrieval systems may also dampen the demand for librarians. For example, computerized systems make cataloging easier, and this task can now be handled by other library staff. In addition, many libraries are equipped for users to access library computers directly from their homes or offices. These systems allow users to bypass librarians and conduct research on their own. However, librarians will be needed to help users develop data base searching techniques and to define users' needs. Childrens' librarians will be the least affected by information technology since children need special assistance.
Opportunities will be best for librarians outside traditional settings. Nontraditional library settings include information brokers, private corporations, and consulting firms. Many companies are turning to librarians because of their excellent research and organizational skills, and knowledge of library automation systems. Librarians can review the vast amount of information that is available and analyze, evaluate, and organize it according to a company's specific needs. Librarians working in these settings are often classified as systems analysts, data base specialists, managers, and researchers.
Salaries of librarians vary by the individual's qualifications and the type, size, and location of the library.
Based on a survey published in the Library Journal, starting salaries of graduates of library school master's degree programs accredited by the American Library Association averaged $25,900 in 1992, and ranged from $23,800 in public libraries to $27,400 in school libraries. In college and university libraries, they averaged $25,400, and in special libraries, they averaged $27,700.
According to the Educational Research Service, experienced school librarians averaged about $37,900 during the 1992-93 school year.
According to the Special Libraries Association, 1992 salaries for special librarians with 1 to 2 years of library experience averaged $29,200, and those with 3 to 5 years of experience average $31,800. Salaries for special library managers averaged $45,200.
The average annual salary for all librarians in the Federal Government in nonsupervisory, supervisory, and managerial positions was $44,500 in 1993.
Librarians play an important role in the transfer of knowledge and ideas by providing people with access to the information they need and want. Jobs requiring similar analytical, organizational, and communicative skills include archivists, information scientists, museum curators, publishers' representatives, research analysts, information brokers, and records managers. The management aspect of a librarian's work is similar to the work of managers in a variety of business and government settings. School librarians have many duties similar to those of school teachers.
Return to Beginning of Page 
Return to Education Page
Reprinted with Permission of U. S. Department of Labor