How To Become A Librarian

6 Steps to Becoming a Librarian

FAQ on Earning Your Librarian Degree

Librarian Salary & Job Growth

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the expected employment growth rate for the next few years (2016-2026) for librarian positions is at nine percent, which is close to the average growth rate for all occupations. The following section provides information on the average salaries for librarians by state, what the growth outlook is for the industry and what the job growth outlook looks like for librarians.

Salaries differ for librarians based on variables such as geographical location, years of experience, the type of librarian position and employer. For example, a reference librarian in a public library will most likely have a different salary than one working for a corporation. Salary.com has the median annual salary listed for librarians currently at 62,000, with a range of about 53,000-73,000. Librarian salary increases can be based on experience, automatic annual merit increases, job performance and promotions.

对于有抱负的图书馆员来说，工作前景是好的，因为前沿技术在这个领域普遍被接受，而且总是需要那些能够使用这种技术进行研究、组织、维护和传递信息的人。虽然现在很多信息都是通过网络获取的，但在当地图书馆的社区活动和项目中，仍然需要面对面的互动和实体参与。许多图书馆员受雇于公共机构，如县、学区、大学和政府，这些类型的工作可能会受到预算削减或随着时间的推移而增加的影响。然而，这些工作对技能要求很高，而且往往很稳定，有很多发展机会。

Finding a Librarian Program

Finding the right librarian program can be overwhelming, as there are so many choices, both on-campus and online. It's important to take into consideration basic factors such as location, cost of tuition and length of program along with the type of librarian training the program offers. The section below offers helpful information to take the stress out of finding the right library program at all degree levels.

对于许多学生来说，成本是一个因素，研究学费差异、奖学金机会、项目长度、学分转换政策、兼职入学选择以及需要哪些专业测试和证书(如果有的话)是值得的。一些学生可能在寻找图书馆学和信息专业的副学士学位和学士学位水平，这可以在MLIS学位之前获得，但不是必需的。其他拥有任何类型学士学位的学生都可能计划成为一名图书管理员，他们可以通过获得MLIS学位来实现这一目标，无论是在校还是在线。另一件要考虑的事情是当你找到一个合适的课程时，这个课程能提供哪些集中的领域。对于一些人来说，一个一般的MLIS学位就可以了，而另一些人可能打算专攻法律、青年服务、档案或学术等领域。

Professional Librarian Associations & Groups

Networking is welcome and quite common in world of librarians. Professional education and development, exchange of information, bouncing ideas off one another, sharing successes and failures, learning new ways to do things -- these are all good reasons to network. It is also an excellent way to find out about new employment and career advancement opportunities in the librarian field. With modern technology, there are plenty of opportunities for online networking, plus there are several workshops and annual conferences librarians can attend at both the local and national level.

(ALA): As the oldest and largest library association in the world, this organization is a wealth of information for all things library. Along with education and promotion of the field of library science and information, the ALA houses 11 membership divisions, for those interested in membership specific to their interests or areas of expertise, such as the Public Library Association and the Young Adult Library Association.

This is a journal published by the American Association of School Librarians, which is a division of the ALA, with informational blog posts, articles, education opportunities and conference information.

While this website was a blog-based project, it does have some great information on how to get hired as a librarian, with advice from those who actually do the hiring. If anything, it may help student librarians to read the bios section to get an idea of what kinds of management jobs are out there for librarians.

(OCLC): OCLC is a global library cooperative that offers membership, services to libraries, resource sharing and relevant articles and support for librarians and the library community across the globe.

(ASIS&T): This is a professional organization that offers membership benefits such as discounts on events, webinars and other resources, membership to regional chapters and access to special interest groups.

(SLA): is a non-profit organization designed to connect information professionals and provides education, networking and community building opportunities.

Resources for Librarians

The following list provides additional resources for aspiring librarians and those already in the field.

ONET OnLine

This is a career exploration site that provides an overview plus details about various jobs, including librarian.

College Scholarships.org

这是一个很好的奖学金搜索引擎，并显示了一些针对图书馆和信息科学学生的奖学金。

Sldirectory.com

There's a lot of great info here in a directory format regarding resources for librarians, compiled and maintained by a retired school librarian.

LibraryScienceList.com

This website is an online social community for librarians that also has job search info and helpful lists such as top apps for librarians, best groups to join on LinkedIn and free online courses.

Related Careers at a Glance

What Does a Tutor do?

How to Become a Teacher: Teaching Degrees and Careers

Become Team

Contributing Writer

Latest Posts

See all Posts

EMT and Paramedic Salary In the U.S

Learn how much money you can make as a paramedic or EMT, how average salaries vary across states, and how much training costs.

Become Team/ July 28, 2022 / 4 min read

How to Become a Medical Transcriptionist

Although the adoption of electronic health records is changing the medical transcription industry, there’s still demand for transcription and editing services. Learn how to become a medical transcriptionist, important industry...

Become Team

July 28, 2022/ 4 min read

Pharmacy Technician Salary in the U.S

If you want a job in medicine with very minimal education requirements and a decent starting pay, becoming a pharmacy tech might be right for you.

Become Team

July 28, 2022/ 4 min read