Library Careers

A professional master's degree in library and information science is your ticket to a hot new career in so many different types of organizations. The distinctions in each environment- school, public library, corporate, academic or online - may help define why career seekers look for a certain type of work.

If you've been to your public library lately, you've seen what an array of information services and programming is offered to your community. In many public libraries, new programs for teens are being offered. It is not atypical for homework help or GED preparation to be part of the programming libraries provide to students.

In the K-12 school environment, many librarians are concentrating on how to prepare students to use information, where to find it, and how to evaluate the credibility of online resources. Challenging students to combine traditional library resources with the convenience of online resources for more thorough research is part of the school librarians role.

Academic librarians often have a graduate degree in a field of study to accompany a graduate degree in a library specialty, such as a health science library or a law library.

Want to work in the business world? A medical center? A law firm? Government agencies, including the New York State Library? Or other special libraries? Many of them have libraries and information centers too.

A Library and Information Science degree can also prepare you for a career outside of libraries. How about working in an internet company like eBay? Or managing information services for a company or becoming the Chief Information Officer? Maybe you're a tech wizard and want to develop and manage database services. Feeling entrepreneurial? Start a freelance research business or provide training and consulting services to library systems, businesses and government agencies.

Opportunities abound! What are you waiting for?

General Information about Library Careers

• Librarian: Executive Summary - US News and World Report
• Librarians: Information Experts in the Information Age (PDF)
  Great overview of what librarians do, where they work and what they earn. Lots of "Why I Became a Librarian" stories
• How to Become a Librarian
  "This exciting and varied profession embraces public service, literature, the cutting edge of technology, and more." By Rachel Singer Gordon
• Career Strategies for Librarians
• You Don't Look Like a Librarian!
  A collection of talks and resources relating to the image and perception of librarians in the Internet age.
• Skills for a 21st Century Librarian
  Thoughts on what it will take to succeed in a library career.
• Get the Facts
  Just how many jobs are there? And how well do they pay? And more.
• Books on Library Career Topics
• The Lighter Side
  Breaking the librarian stereotypes.
• Library Career videos from YouTube and ....

Explore These Types of Library Careers

• College & University Libraries
• Public Libraries
• School Library Media Specialist
• New York State Library
• Special Libraries
  • Business Libraries
  • Law Libraries
  • Medical Libraries
  • Music Librarianship - Is It For You? PDF
• Digital Storyteller
• Careers Outside of Libraries
• So You Want To Be an Archivist
• Archivists, Curators, and Museum Technicians
• So You Want To Be an Indexer

Discussion Forum

• LISjobs Message Boards
  Discussion forums devoted to library careers, job hunting and professsional development. Make connections, share experiences and get advice from librarians, LIS students, library workers, and information professionals.

Blogs About Working in a Library

• School Library System Director: A Year in the Life
• Feel Good Librarian - Why we do this
  Reflections on working in a library.
• Library Angst
  New librarians who are not from a library background
• Library Garden
  A variety of views of the field.

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