Q: Hello. I am currently a junior in high school but am looking forward to starting a career as a librarian as soon as I get into college. I had some questions and I was wondering if someone could answer them or if there was a resource that would answer them.

1. Is there a high demand for librarians in the nation? (I live in Arizona, if that matters.)
2. What does the librarian of a library do, exactly?
3. What is the average degree of most United States librarians and is it a competitive job?

TA: Well, it is always refreshing to see such a thoughtful, focused and ambitious individual in high school. It certainly sounds like you are intelligent (indicated, of course, by your interest in becoming a librarian) and that you have a strong interest in pursuing this course of study. Let me answer your questions, and give you some free advice along the way.

What do librarians do, exactly? Librarians can do a lot of things. The beauty of librarianship is that you can specialize in a hundred different ways. We work in academic institutions, large and small. We work in corporate libraries, public libraries, school libraries, “cybraries,” and sometimes not even in a library at all. In addition to working in a variety of settings, librarians work with a wide variety of materials.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2004-05 Edition, by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor is an excellent resource on the nature of work, working conditions, employment, education, and training for the field of librarianship. Perhaps the most significant statement from the Handbook regarding the work of librarians is the following: “Librarians assist people in finding information and using it effectively for personal and professional purposes.” Regardless of where or how, this sums up what all librarians have in common – they help people access information.

Below, find some summarized facts regarding librarianship from the Occupational Outlook Handbook. For complete information, please refer to the original source.

• Librarianship centers around three primary components: user services, technical services, and administrative services. Librarians are involved in providing information, including determining user needs, searching for, and acquiring information. In small libraries, librarians may handle all aspects of the work. Those in larger libraries generally specialize in one aspect of librarianship, such as acquisitions, cataloguing, or reference. The Internet and the rise of electronic resources make technological skills very important.
• Work schedules vary based on environment. For example, school librarians usually have the same workday and vacation schedules as classroom teachers, while academic and public librarians have varying schedules to staff desks and provide coverage for extended hours, including weekends and evenings, as well as some holidays. Special librarians usually work normal business hours, but may need to work extended hours depending on the nature of the business environment in which they work.
• An ALA-accredited master’s degree in library science (MLS) is usually required for librarian positions in most public, academic, and special libraries, and in some school libraries. For a list of ALA-accredited programs, visit http://www.ala.org/ala/education/accredprograms/accreditedprograms.htm. In addition to the MLS, computer knowledge and training and knowledge of one or more foreign languages are increasingly important. Most special librarians have additional training or education in their subject area, and most states require school librarians to be certified as teachers as well as earning the MLS.
• Employment of librarians is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations over the 2002-12 period. Job opportunities in librarianship are expected to be very good, because a large number of librarians are expected to retire in the coming decade. This will be tempered, though, by government budget cuts and the increasing use of computerized information storage and retrieval systems, resulting in the hiring of fewer librarians and the replacement of librarians with less costly library technicians. However, there will still be a need for librarians to manage staff and perform the more complex work of libraries. According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, jobs for librarians outside traditional settings will grow the fastest over the decade.
• “Many companies are turning to librarians because of their research and organizational skills and their knowledge of computer databases and library automation systems. Librarians can review vast amounts of information and analyze, evaluate, and organize it according to a company’s specific needs.” (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2004-05)
• Librarian salaries vary according to the type, size and location of the library, as well as the education, skills and abilities the librarian brings to the position. In 2002, librarians’ median annual earnings were $43,090.

I encourage you to explore librarianship while you are in high school and throughout your college tenure. You may want to volunteer in your high school library or public library, and then work as a part-time student assistant in your university library. These work experiences will help you get an idea of the different types of clientele, work assignments and environments that you may encounter in the field. Prepare yourself during college with literature courses, foreign language classes and entry-level computer classes, all of which will be especially relevant to the profession in the coming years.

You’re very wise to be thinking this far ahead, and I hope I have given you some information to help chart your course toward your desired goals. For further reading, I would strongly recommend reviewing the full entry for librarians in the Occupational Outlook Handbook, as well as the web sites for the American Library Association and the Special Libraries Association. Also, check out http://www.lisjobs.com/states/arizona.htm for job opportunities in Arizona, which will help you get an idea of the salaries and types of jobs in your geographical area.

Q: Hello! I’m in my first semester of LIS school. I like almost all of my classes so far, and, of course, want to enjoy the job I get after graduation, but I also need to make enough money to pay off loans. How do I choose the right specialty for me?

SM: This is a question that many soon-to-be librarians struggle with during school. Not only do you want to be happy and fulfilled in your future profession, you want to make a decent living once you get a job. So, how does a student choose a specialty? Since you are in your first semester, you have time to learn about different types of jobs and explore the various paths of librarianship. My advice to you is to get experience, talk to people in the profession, do some reading, look at job ads, and ask yourself some personal, but important questions.

It is difficult to know if you will really enjoy working in a specific area (e.g., cataloging, reference, instruction) or environment (e.g., public, academic, special) without actually spending some time in that area or environment. If feasible, get a job or volunteer in order to gain some hands-on experience in an area (or areas) that interest you. If working or volunteering is not possible, the next-best thing is to talk with librarians working in different types of libraries and in different roles, and find out what they do. Also, utilize your library school’s career services center; talk to a career advisor and see what kinds of resources and tools she recommends to assist you in choosing a specialty. Some schools have mentoring programs. These match students with a librarian who is working in their area of interest and encourage them to learn about library operations, discuss professional issues and topics, and collaborate with on-the-job librarians.

If you haven’t yet, search out library-related journals, web sites, and blogs that cover different areas of the profession. This is a great way to learn about new research, tools, resources, and technology. Also, keep an eye on the job ads. Read the job descriptions closely to find out what types of jobs are available, what skills and qualifications the positions require, and the pay different institutions offer for various positions.

Finally, ask yourself, what environment do you see yourself in: academic, public, school, special, or other (non-library)? How much does environment matter to you? Within these environments, the specialties are too numerous to name. Also note that a systems librarian at an academic library may be very similar to a systems librarian at a special library, or at a public library. Do you like working with children, with a diverse population, with graduate students? Are you analytical or extroverted, do you have a passion for music, or a second masters in Italian or mathematics? There are so many different factors you need to consider when trying to figure out what type of librarian you would like to be. Not to sound too obvious, but chances are you already have many assets and strengths that favor a specific area of librarianship – you just need to figure out what they might be.

Librarianship is a very diverse profession, and today’s constantly- changing library landscape compels librarians to take on many roles and wear many hats. This is the main reason why I love this profession. I must admit that I have myself changed my mind several times, while in school and after, and I’ve held a variety of roles and titles in all different kinds of libraries. Remember that, no matter what specialty you ultimately choose, you can always change your outlook and try something else. With that in mind, don’t feel too much pressure to decide on a specific specialty just yet. For now, have fun exploring your options!

Check out these sites for more information on specialties and salaries:

The ABC’s of library specialties
ALA’s Careers in Libraries
ARL Salary Survey
LIScareer.com Career Planning Section (includes articles, links, and a listing of print resources)
Lisjobs.com Advice Section – Specialties Within the Profession

Placements and Salaries 2003: Jobs! (Eventually)
(Be sure to look at the tables accompanying the article, especially “Salaries of Reporting Professionals by Area of Job Assignment.”)