How To Become A Librarian: Your Next Career And Salary

You may have memories of your school or local librarian as the person who helped you find the book you were looking for. While this is one of a librarian’s tasks, the job is made up of so much more. 

In fact, there’s a lot of training and specialized education involved before someone can qualify as a librarian, so the job itself isn’t as simple as only finding books in a library.

If you love books, are a people-person, and have great organizational skills, then you might be curious about this career path. So, if you’re hoping to learn more about how to become a librarian, keep reading to find out more about what it takes to get this job.

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What is a Librarian?

Yes, librarians do help people find the books they’re looking for, but the role goes a lot deeper than that. 

Librarians are information specialists, which means they have a wealth of knowledge about a library’s database. This database includes catalogs of physical books as well as digital materials. They are also trained to be excellent researchers, and they help patrons conduct research by pointing them to the right resources. 

Some librarians may have a specialization, where they are experts of a specific collection or at a specialized library. For example, librarians can be specialists in law, fine arts, research, and serials, among others.

What Do Librarians Do?

Not only are librarians responsible for helping patrons with research, but they also oversee all library activity. This can mean planning events like children’s storytime or organizing a reading or lecture from a visiting author.

In addition to this, they also take care of the overall operations and management of a library. This includes things like creating budgets, securing new equipment, and deciding which new materials like books and videos will be added to the collection. 

Librarians can work in a variety of locations, such as a school, university, public library, museum, and even in hospitals and businesses. Therefore, a librarian can have different duties based on where they work. 

Do You Need a Degree to Become a Librarian?

Yes. Actually, you need two degrees: a bachelor’s and a master’s. To be more specific, you need a Master’s in Library Science or a Master’s in Information Science. You’ll need to get your degree from a program that’s accredited by the ALA, or the American Library Association, so it’s ideal to consult a list of eligible programs before you begin applying.

It’s important to note that when compared to the cost of earning a degree, librarians don’t tend to take home a large salary. That means you need to take the cost of your education into consideration and consider if you have enough savings to pay for it or if you’ll decide to take out a student loan. 

Librarian Salary and Job Outlook

So, how much can you expect to earn after completing your bachelor’s and master’s degrees? 

Well, according to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, librarians in 2019 took home a median salary of $59,500. The salary itself isn’t necessarily low, but it’s important to take into account any student loan debt you might have, as your master’s degree itself can cost upwards of $50,000.

That being said, there’s a pretty good outlook for this career with 5% projected job growth until 2029. It may seem low, but it’s actually quite good compared to other industries, so it’s reassuring to know that even if you graduate with significant debt, you’re quite likely to find a job.

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How Long Does it Take to Become a Librarian?

Considering you need both an undergrad and graduate degree, this isn’t a quick path, but it’s worth it if you’re passionate about becoming a librarian. 

Your bachelor’s degree will likely take around four years, and then you can factor in an additional two years for your master’s degree. So you can expect to be in school for a total of six years before you’re qualified to become a librarian. 

How to Become a Librarian: A Step-by-Step Guide

There’s a little bit more to it than completing a bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Here, we’ll go over the four main steps you’ll need to complete in order to become a librarian. 

Step 1: Get a Bachelor’s Degree

Unless you already have a bachelor’s degree, then this is a crucial first step. There are a few bachelor’s degrees you can complete in information science or library science, but you’ll still need to complete a master’s to become a librarian, so it’s not necessary to study in one of these programs.

Typically, librarians can get a bachelor’s degree in nearly any subject that they want. Of course, the more relevant it is to your ultimate goal as a librarian, the better. Some common undergraduate degrees future librarians choose are English, history, social sciences, education, or anthropology. You can even opt to do your bachelor’s degree online if you want to study at your own pace.

Step 2: Complete a Master’s Degree

This is the most important step on your journey towards becoming a librarian. You need to have a master’s degree from an ALA-accredited program in library or information sciences. In this degree, you’ll cover topics like information studies, how to manage collections, library operations, and more. 

There are some master’s degrees that offer specializations where you can focus in specific fields. This is ideal if you know you want a role as a public librarian, school librarian, or even a law librarian. 

Step 3: Get Some Work Experience

While not necessarily a required step, it’s definitely a good idea and can be very helpful when it’s time to apply for jobs. Try and find a part-time job or volunteer position in a library to get some work experience. You can do this after your bachelor’s degree, or if you have enough time, even while you’re studying for your master’s. 

This is also a good idea since you’ll get a better idea of areas you might like to specialize in by experiencing working in a library and working closely with other librarians. 

Step 4: Get a Specialization or Additional Licenses

This isn’t always a required step, but might be necessary depending on where you want to work. 

For example, working in a school library requires additional certification depending on which state you work in. Even working in public libraries can require additional certification if you’ll be working with children or accessing public funds. 

To Wrap Up

Now that you have a better idea of how to become a librarian, you can begin working towards your goal. If you don’t want to dedicate six years to getting the education required of a librarian, you might then be wondering how to become a librarian assistant. This career requires less training and often just a diploma.

University of the People (UoPeople) offers online tuition-free courses, so you can complete a bachelor’s degree online from anywhere in the world before doing a specialized library science master’s degree.