LIBRARIANS California Occupational Guide Number 154 Interest Area 11 1996
THE JOB
LIBRARIANS perform a variety of duties related to the operation of public, school, academic and special libraries. Public libraries are tax-supported institutions which provide services to all members of the community. School libraries serve the research needs of students and faculty members in elementary, middle and high schools. Academic libraries are located in community colleges, colleges and universities. Special libraries serve the demands of one specific organization such as a business or governmental agency or one field of study such as law or medicine.
Librarians are concerned with acquiring, preserving, organizing and distributing knowledge and information in a variety of formats. They demonstrate and explain library facilities and procedures, arrange displays, conduct research, answer information questions and advise readers on the selection of materials. The size and character of the library determine whether Librarians perform all phases of the work or engage in a specialization.
Acquisitions Librarians select and purchase books, periodicals, newspapers, films, recordings and other types of material which make up the library collection.
Catalogers examine, classify and organize materials based on subject matter or standardized library classification systems.
Reference Librarians direct patrons to reference sources, aid them in researching information, explain the use of equipment such as microfilm readers, computers and copiers, and obtain requested information from data retrieval systems.
Children's Librarians select books for children, show children how to use the library and organize and conduct story hours and film programs.
Other library specialization's include young adult, audio-visual, bookmobile, document, medical and legal.
Administrative Librarians supervise, direct and coordinate library activities, programs and services and may be known as Library Administrators, Library Directors or Head Librarians. Their duties include hiring and training library personnel, preparing budgets and planning public relations activities.
Modern technology is having an impact on the Librarian's job. Automated registration of borrowers, circulation of materials, ordering and cataloging are now common in all types of libraries. The increasing amount of information on the Internet has given research librarians a powerful new tool in their work.
WORKING CONDITIONS
Work schedules for Librarians directly serving the public may be busy, demanding and even stressful. Answering the information needs of people and teaching them to use library resources can be taxing.
The job may require much standing, stooping, bending and reaching. In technical services, Librarians often work all day at desks or computer terminals. Constant work at video display terminals can cause headaches and eyestrain.
Membership in several professional associations is available to the Librarian. The largest is the American Library Association; others include the California Library Association, the Special Libraries Association, and the American Society for Information Science.
EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK
The following information is from the California Projections of Employment published by the Labor Market Information Division
Estimated number of workers in 1993 9,940 Estimated number of workers in 2005 11,520 Projected Growth 1993-2005 16% Estimated openings due to separations by 2005 2,900
(These figures do not include self-employment or openings due to turnover.)
Many public libraries have had their operating hours reduced in response to reductions in government budgets. This has affected the job prospects for librarians.
Job opportunities will also arise as Librarians leave the workforce. Persons with experience and training in a library specialization will have the greatest chance of being hired. In some areas it has been difficult to fill the positions of Children's Librarian, Cataloger, Ethnic Librarian, and Documents Librarian.
The State of California sometimes finds it difficult to fill positions for Librarians in state prison and California Youth Authority libraries.
WAGES, HOURS, AND FRINGE BENEFITS
Librarian pay varies widely, depending upon the size of the library, whether the Librarian works for a private or public library, and the location of the library. Starting pay for an inexperienced Librarian can range from $1,650 to $2,025. Maximum pay can range from $2,300 to $3,900 per month or more.
Librarians typically work a five day, 35- to 40-hour work week, although many Librarians work part-time or on an on-call basis. Public and academic Librarians may work evenings and weekends. Special Librarians often work normal business hours. Public school Librarians usually work six hours a day, 41 weeks a year, while most other Librarians normally work 40 hours a week for the entire year. Fringe benefits include paid holidays, vacations and sick leave, partially or fully paid health and life insurance and retirement plans.
ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS AND TRAINING
California public library systems usually require a master's degree in library science from a school accredited by the American Library Association. Students in their final year may be hired as interns in some systems. Acceptance into a library science program usually requires graduation from a four-year college with a B average, a reading knowledge of a foreign language and an acceptable score on the Graduate Record Examination. Accredited schools in California are the University of California at Berkeley, San Jose State University, and the University of California at Los Angeles. Applicants for special library positions must have appropriate education. Public school Librarians need both a teaching credential and a school library media teaching credential, which entails the completion of a program of librarianship approved by the State Commission for Teacher Preparation and Licensing.
ADVANCEMENT
Librarians can advance to administrative positions or to more specialized work. Promotions usually come with the acquisition of experience and administrative skills, knowledge of automated systems and additional training. Advancement opportunities are greater in the larger library systems.
Eligibility for promotion in civil service is based on experience; qualified workers take written and oral tests for advanced positions.
FINDING THE JOB
Applicants for Librarian positions should contact local, State and federal civil service offices, college placement offices and the professional associations for job listings.
The California Library Association provides recorded job listings at (916) 443-1222 and (818) 797-4602. The Special Libraries Association also maintains a job line at (818) 795-2145. Openings are listed in American Libraries, Library Journal, other professional publications, and newspaper classified sections.
ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION
American Library Association 50 East Huron Street Chicago IL 60611 (312) 944-6780
California Library Association 717 K Street, Suite 300 Sacramento CA 95814 (916) 447-8541
Special Libraries Association 1700-18th Street NW Washington DC 20007 (202) 234-4700
RELATED OCCUPATIONAL GUIDES
Library Assistants No. 417
OCCUPATIONAL CODE REFERENCES
DOT (Dictionary of Occupational Titles, 4th ed., Rev. 1) Librarian 100.127-014
OES (Occupational Employment Statistics) System Librarians (professional) 315020
Source: State of California, Employment Development Department,
Labor Market Information Division, Information Services Group,
(916) 262-2162.
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