What education/training is required to be a librarian?
In most cases, an ALA accredited Masters Degree in Library Science is required to get a job as a librarian. The degree may be called a Master of Library Studies, Master of Library Science, Master of Library and Information Studies (or Science), and is often known as the MLS or MLIS.
In some cases, experience may substitute for the degree. For instance, a long-time Library Assistant or someone with library experience plus a degree in Computer Science, may also sometimes get employment as a librarian. It all depends on the needs of the employer. In general though, an MLS or MLIS is required.
What do librarians do everyday?
Contrary to the belief held by some, we don't get to 'read books all day'! Far from it.
This question is not easy to answer, as there are many different types of librarians. To get an idea of how many different types of librarians there are, have a look at Tim Wojcik's Glossary of Librarian Job Titles.
A librarian may be expected to do any or all of the following, on a daily or weekly basis:
· reference service
· cataloguing
· indexing
· collection development/maintenance
· database design/maintenance
· online/Internet searching
· public programs (eg. information literacy classes)
· managerial tasks (eg. writing RFP's, preparing budgets, etc.)
My article A Day in the Life provides an idea of what it's like to be a public librarian.
How much does a librarian make?
Just as the duties of the librarian will vary depending on the type of librarian job one has, so too does the salary. While it is difficult to specify a 'typical' librarian's salary, there are surveys out there that give us a ballpark.
According to a recent Library Journal article Better Pay, More Jobs, by Vicki L. Gregory & Sonia Ramirez Wohlmuth: "the average beginning salary for 1999 library and information science graduates is $33,976, a 6.5% increase over the 1998 average ($31,915), which itself was a solid 5.4% increase. In both years, the demand for librarians led to salaries that easily outpaced inflation".
More experienced librarians with business, law, and corporate skills and/or education can earn considerably more. In a recent CareerJournal.com article by Kelly Gates titled Librarians Are Finding
Go To Page: 1 2
