Industry Outlook for Librarian Jobs

Employment opportunities for librarian jobs are expected to continue growing at an average pace, with the greatest number of positions coming from the large number of positions expected to open up in the next several years due to anticipated retirements.

Librarian positions are typically indoor related, although work on weekends and in evening may be required depending on the employer. This is usually common in university related library positions.

Individuals who are employed in public school related library positions may be able to take advantage of lengthy summer vacations and other school related holidays.

In addition, the hours for a public school library are typically somewhat shorter than other positions in different industries.

Salary expectations for librarians greatly depend on the employer and industry in which the person is employed. About 30% of all librarians are covered by, or have the option of being covered by a union.

Persons employed by the Federal Government can generally expect to receive a better than average compensation in addition to numerous benefits.

Employment Prospects for Librarian Jobs

Although the position of library is normally thought of only in the context of school environments and municipal libraries there are actually a wide variety of employment prospects for individuals interested in becoming librarians.

These prospects include:

• Corporations
• Law firms
• Government agencies
• Universities
• City and municipal libraries
• Public school libraries
• Museums
• Medical centers
• Hospitals
• Research laboratories
• Religious organizations

Of all librarian related positions, most are found in some type of educational environment; with public and city libraries following a close second. The Federal Government also employs a number of librarians for various functions within different agencies.

Job Search for Librarian Jobs

Librarian positions can be found through a variety of sources including networking, working with the job placement service of the university the candidate attended as well as advertisements in classified newspaper listings.

Resumes for Librarian Jobs

Due to the high degree of education and experience that is required to enter the librarian field, a chronological resume is generally recommended to be used by job seekers. The resume should focus on education, experience and achievements as well as special skills such as:

• Fluency in foreign languages
• Knowledge and ability to utilize computer technology

Cover Letters for Librarian Jobs

The cover letter utilized by a person applying for a position in library science should focus on customer service and the applicant’s strong qualifications in terms of education, experience and special skills.

Training & Qualifications for Librarian Jobs

Although the amount of education, training and qualification may vary from one employer to another; generally most professional positions will require a master’s degree in Library Science.

More advanced positions may even require further education. Librarians also usually are required to have education and training in computer science and other forms of technology.

Individuals who plan to specialize within a particular field or industry, such as medicine or law, may need even further education.

As technology advances, evolves and changes persons involved in the field of library science will need to stay on top of changes and may need to attend conferences, training courses and take special classes to keep up with changes within the field.

Librarians typically need to be:

• Detail oriented
• Organized
• Flexible
• Good communicators
• Have good people skills

They also need to be able to be on their feet for long periods of time, lift and carry heavy stacks of books and climb ladders in some situations. In smaller libraries, a head librarian may also need to be skilled at public relations work.

Good luck in your search for librarian jobs!