CAREER ADVICE

Librarians Manage Knowledge
A Career With Many Options

Never before have students had so much access to information.  Television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and now the Internet, all bombard students with information.  As the influx of information continues, the role of the librarian is even more valuable when it comes to sorting out all the information.  Students should also view librarians as an excellent resource in determining the validity of information that abounds on the Internet. 

According to a recent issue of the “Occupational Outlook Quarterly,” The U.S. Government expects the number of librarian jobs to grow about 5 percent by 2008.  While this is a slightly slower rate than for some occupations, by 2008 librarians are expected to hold more than 159,000 jobs nationwide, which is 7,000 more than in 1998.  The projected fastest growth area for librarians is in the business setting.  Rockwell Collins and the Cedar Rapids Gazette are just two examples of local businesses that employ librarians. 

When high school students are thinking about choosing the care of “Librarian,” he or she must have a degree of computer savviness because card catalogs have mainly gone the way of the dinosaur and dodo bird.  Now librarians use databases and digital metadata tags, and they organize websites and CDs in addition to books and magazines.  Many even host book chats.  Some librarians specialize in reader services, some in technical services, and others specialize in library management.  More than likely, the librarian in your school has expertise in all three areas. 

According to the Winter 2000-01 issue of “Occupational Outlook Quarterly” there are four main library settings where librarians are needed:

• Public libraries, where librarians work with a diverse population.  Some public librarians specialize in one age group, such as young adults.

• School libraries, where librarians work with elementary or high school students and teachers.  These librarians specialize in teaching literacy and research skills.

• Academic libraries, where librarians work with students and professors at universities and colleges.   These librarians often concentrate on one subject area, such as art, biology, or world history.

• Special libraries, where librarians work for other organizations.  For example, hospital librarians help doctors in the research of treatments, and corporate librarians gather and present information to help businesses make decisions.

Average starting salaries in 1998 ranged from $28,724 for public librarians to $33,061 for school librarians to $39,060 for information consultants or specialists. 

High school students who are considering a career as a librarian must plan to go to college because they will need specialized education.  Most librarians earn a Master of Library Science degree or a Master of Library and Information Science degree.  Graduates with these skills will also find they have mastered skills that are transferable to careers outside libraries such as database administrators, researchers and webmasters. 

If you want more information about a career in library sciences, get some first-hand information.  You can schedule an interview with a librarian to learn from their experiences.  You could also volunteer to work in a library or get a part-time job in a library.  This experience would be invaluable in learning about the basics—the nuts and bolts of library work. 

Much of the information in this article was excerpted from the Winter 2000-01 issue of the “Occupational Outlook Quarterly” which is a publication of the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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