Librarians
Manage resources in libraries and perform services to help patrons.
Quick Facts
Wages: |
Data not available
Read more about wages
|
Outlook: |
Data not available
|
Education: |
Bachelor's degree
is typically required.
|
On the Job: |
Typical Work Tasks
- Search information sources to find specific data.
- Confer with others to conduct or arrange operational activities.
- Attend training sessions or professional meetings to develop or maintain professional knowledge.
- Develop library or archival databases.
Read more about the job
|
Job Title Examples: |
Reference Librarian
Library Media Specialist
Public Services Librarian
See more job title examples
|
View All Career Information
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Wages & Outlook
Typical Wages
Data not available
Employment
Where do Librarians most often work?
Current Demand
No data available.
Future Demand
No data available.
On the Job
Librarians manage libraries and handle tasks related to that function. They may select, acquire, or catalogue materials. They may work in public libraries, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and other settings.
Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:
- Search information sources to find specific data.
- Confer with others to conduct or arrange operational activities.
- Attend training sessions or professional meetings to develop or maintain professional knowledge.
- Develop library or archival databases.
- Teach others to use technology or equipment.
- Train staff members.
- Plan community programs or activities for the general public.
- Select educational materials or equipment.
- Compile specialized bibliographies or lists of materials.
- Develop instructional materials.
Typical Working Conditions
- Using e-mail.
- The freedom to determine tasks, priorities, and goals.
- Freedom to make decisions without supervision.
- Working with a group or team.
- Working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions.
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Education & Credentials
Educational Requirements
Bachelor's degree
Education level attained (national data)
Education Level Attained (national data)Education Level Attained | Percentage of workers in this occupation |
Less than high school diploma | 0.1 |
High school diploma or equivalent | 1.3 |
Some college, no degree | 8 |
Associate degree | 4.6 |
Bachelors degree | 24 |
Masters degree | 57.2 |
Doctoral (Ph.D) or professional degree | 4.9 |
Work Experience and Training Requirements
Nationally, this career typically requires:
- No related work experience for entry.
- Little or no on-the-job training to become competent.
Current Training Opportunities
Related Programs
Majors
Click on any of the Majors listed below to find out more about preparing for this
career.
Transfer Options
Enrolling in a community college can be a great place to start your four-year degree. While all 31 Minnesota State community colleges,
technical colleges and universities offer all or part of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum
(a 40-credit package of general education courses accepted for transfer to other state colleges and universities, the University of Minnesota,
and some private colleges and universities), not all two-year colleges offer degrees intended to transfer to a four-year bachelor's degree.
If you plan to transfer to obtain a four-year bachelor's degree, it is important to know which degree path is right for you:
- Associate of Arts (AA) degrees offered at community colleges are designed to transfer into liberal arts four-year majors.
- Associate of Science (AS) and Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) degrees offered at community and technical colleges transfer into specific four-year majors and will likely require completing additional general education courses at a university.
- Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees offered at technical and community colleges are not designed to transfer. They lead to immediate entry into the workplace.
- Diplomas and certificates offered at technical colleges are not designed to transfer. They lead to immediate entry into the workplace.
Talk to a transfer specialist as early as possible to determine the best associate degree for your goals. Be sure to review your Degree Audit Report (DARS) each semester to best prepare for transfer. Get more help understanding transfer using the tools below.
Helpful High School Courses
Examples of helpful classes that help you prepare for this career:
- Child Development
- Computer Applications
- Cultural/Ethnic Studies
- English Composition
- Geography
- Health Education
- History
- Political Science
- Public Speaking
- Safety and First Aid
- Sociology
- World Languages
In Minnesota, your school may have developed a Program of Study in this career area.
A Program of Study is an academic and career plan developed by your high school to help move you towards a career
and college path. A Program of Study can help you:
- Select high school classes that prepare you for college and getting a job
- Understand how the classes you're taking in high school lead to a career
- Identify extra-curricular activities that are related to your career interest
- See what classes at your school offer early college credit that will save you time and money towards your college expenses
- Graduate from high school prepared for your next step toward the career you choose
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Skills & Knowledge
Most Important Skills for Librarians
- Listening—Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Reading—Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Speaking—Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Writing—Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Thinking Critically—Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Helping Others—Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Monitoring Performance—Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Teaching—Teaching others how to do something.
- Being Aware of Others—Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Understanding How People Learn—Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Most Important Knowledge Areas for Librarians
- Customer and Personal Service—Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Clerical—Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
- English Language—Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Computers and Electronics—Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Education and Training—Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- Geography—Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
- Administration and Management—Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Communications and Media—Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
- Mathematics—Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Sociology and Anthropology—Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
Interests
Different careers may be a good fit for your personality or interests. This career is:
- Conventional—Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
- Social—Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Learn more about your interests. Take the MnCareers Interest Assessment.
Describe Your Skills
People who have worked in this career typically perform the following tasks.
These statements can help a prospective employer understand what you can do, on a resume or during an interview.
- Using computers.
- Creating and maintaining interpersonal relationships.
- Collecting information from different sources.
- Communicating with supervisors, co-workers, or people that work under you.
- Keeping up-to-date with new knowledge.
- Interpreting information for others.
- Working directly with the public.
- Thinking creatively.
Careers that Use Similar Skills
The following careers use skills, knowledge, and abilities that are similar to those used for Librarians.
View more careers in the Education and Training cluster
View more careers in the Professional Support Services pathway
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Please visit CareerOneStop to search Tools & Technology.
Jobs
Real-time job data provided by Gartner TalentNeuron
Job Title Examples
Reference Librarian,
Library Media Specialist,
Public Services Librarian,
Catalog Librarian,
Children's Librarian,
Instruction Librarian,
Medical Librarian,
Serials Librarian,
Technical Services Librarian
Where Do Librarians Work?
Librarians often work in the following industries.
Similar Careers
Below are careers that use skill sets that are similar to Librarians.
Source: You can learn about our data sources in the About Us section.