Librarians and Media Collections Specialists

Career Overview

Administer and maintain libraries or collections of information, for public or private access through reference or borrowing. Work in a variety of settings, such as educational institutions, museums, and corporations, and with various types of informational materials, such as books, periodicals, recordings, films, and databases. Tasks may include acquiring, cataloging, and circulating library materials, and user services such as locating and organizing information, providing instruction on how to access information, and setting up and operating a library's media equipment.

Also Known As

• Librarian
• Library Media Specialist
• Media Specialist
• Reference Librarian

Alternate Job Titles

• Access Services Librarian
• Acquisitions Librarian
• Audio Visual Aids Technician (AV Aids Tech)
• Audio Visual Collections Coordinator (AV Collections Coordinator)
• Audio Visual Commissioning Specialist (AV Commissioning Specialist)
• Audio Visual Coordinator (AV Coordinator)
• Audio Visual Specialist (AV Specialist)
• Bibliographer
• Bookmobile Librarian
• Catalog Librarian
• Cataloger
• Catalogue Librarian
• Cataloguer
• Chemical Librarian
• Children's Librarian

What You'll Do

In this role, your typical responsibilities include:

• Check books in and out of the library.
• Teach library patrons basic computer skills, such as searching computerized databases.
• Review and evaluate materials, using book reviews, catalogs, faculty recommendations, and current holdings to select and order print, audio-visual, and electronic resources.
• Search standard reference materials, including online sources and the Internet, to answer patrons' reference questions.
• Keep up-to-date records of circulation and materials, maintain inventory, and correct cataloging errors.
• Analyze patrons' requests to determine needed information and assist in furnishing or locating that information.
• Supervise daily library operations, budgeting, planning, and personnel activities, such as hiring, training, scheduling, and performance evaluations.

Knowledge You'll Use

You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:

• Customer and Personal Service
• English Language
• Computers and Electronics
• Education and Training
• Administrative

Essential Skills

Success in this career requires strong skills in:

1. Reading Comprehension
2. Active Listening
3. Speaking
4. Writing
5. Critical Thinking

Key Abilities

This career requires key abilities in:

• Oral Expression
• Oral Comprehension
• Written Comprehension
• Written Expression
• Information Ordering
• Near Vision
• Speech Recognition
• Category Flexibility
• Speech Clarity
• Inductive Reasoning

Work Style

People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:

• Attention to Detail
• Cooperation
• Intellectual Curiosity
• Dependability
• Social Orientation

What Matters in This Career

This career tends to satisfy these work values:

• Relationships
• Working Conditions
• Independence
• Achievement
• Support

Education & Preparation

Typical Education: Master's Degree

Related Work Experience Needed: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years

On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month

Education Details: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Experience Required: Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

Technology You'll Use

Popular Technologies & Software

• Adobe Acrobat
• Adobe After Effects
• Adobe Creative Cloud software
• Adobe Illustrator
• Adobe InDesign
• Adobe Photoshop
• Autodesk AutoCAD
• Cascading style sheets CSS
• Extensible markup language XML
• Facebook

Tools & Equipment

• Audio or video editing systems
• Audio presentation systems
• Audio tape players
• Barcode scanners
• Bookmobiles
• Cash registers
• Claw hammers
• Compact disk CD players
• Desktop computers
• Digital camcorders
• Digital cameras
• Digital video disk DVD players
• Film projectors
• High speed video duplicators
• Laptop computers

Work Environment

• E-Mail
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
• Telephone Conversations
• Contact With Others
• Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals

Salary & Job Market

Salary Percentile	Annual Wage
Entry-Level (10th percentile)	$38,920
Median	$64,320
Top Earners (90th percentile)	$100,880

Workers Employed Nationally: 131,830

Related Careers

If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:

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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.