When you think of a librarian, do you think about an matronly woman with her hair in a tight gray bun whose every other utterance is aimed at quieting other people? Back in the days of card catalogues and complete reliance on the Dewey decimal system, that caricature may have been accurate more often than not. However, the field of library science is changing fast, and the profile of your average librarian has changed with the field.
Advances in technology have revolutionized the way that libraries acquire resources. Libraries used to subscribe to individual periodicals that were delivered by mail to be placed on bookshelves. Now, libraries subscribe to online services that allow patrons to access one or many periodicals the instant they are made available to the public.
Municipal governments, public schools and universities operate lending libraries where almost anyone can access their resources. University libraries may impose fees on people not affiliated with the university, but they often allow local citizens to borrow for a reasonable fee or for free upon presenting a library card from a nearby city.
Corporations and nonprofits may also have libraries large enough to need professional staffing, but these positions are rare.
The Selection Process:
The selection process for librarians in not significantly different than that of other jobs. For positions at municipal libraries, applications are submitted through the city’s human resources office. For positions in school libraries, applications are submitted to the district’s human resources office.
The Education You'll Need:
Most librarian positions require a master’s degree in library science. Librarians in public schools also need a license to teach in their state.
The Experience You Need:
Provided that a job candidate has a master’s degree in library science, experience is not needed for most non-supervisory librarian jobs. Experience will make one candidate more attractive to an employer than another, but librarians can get hired without it. Students should gain plenty of practical experience through a master’s program. Students should strongly consider working at the university library to supplement their education with paid work in the field.
What You'll Do:
Librarians acquire resources, organize them and assist library patrons in their use. The library science field has changed dramatically over the past few decades. The Internet has expanded the use of electronic resources in academic, professional and casual research.
Prior to online periodicals and electronic books, researchers had to comb through a library’s shelves and hope they could find adequate resources. If they could not find satisfactory materials at their local library, researchers had to go to other libraries or work with a librarian to acquire the resources through an inter-library loan or other means.
Now that so many publications are available electronically, librarians must be experts at using electronic search tools and databases. The massive card catalogues that were prominent library fixtures as recent as a few decades ago have gone the way of the dinosaur and have been replaced with computer kiosks.
Librarians often teach library patrons electronic searching techniques. Young children and the elderly are most often librarians’ pupils when it comes to technology skills. Both audiences have limited experience with technology. As time goes on, more and more elderly people will have significant exposure to technology.
Librarians in large school districts may report to a director overseeing all the district’s libraries. In smaller districts, the librarians report to school principals. Throughout the week, elementary school teachers bring their classes to the library at assigned times. Middle school and high school students visit the library before school, after school, during lunch or between classes.
Library staff in universities report to a dean who may oversee only libraries or may oversee libraries and other student services.
Municipal librarians report to an assistant city manager or a community services director. In very small cities, the head librarian may be supervised by the city manager.
What You'll Earn:
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, librarians average between $47,000 and $55,000 depending on whether they work in local government, public schools or universities. Librarians in universities average more than those in universities and local government.
