How To Become a Librarian

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How Long Does It Take, What Degree Do You Need, and More

Librarians

Librarians administer libraries and perform related library services. Work in a variety of settings, including public libraries, educational institutions, museums, corporations, government agencies, law firms, non-profit organizations, and healthcare providers. Tasks may include selecting, acquiring, cataloguing, classifying, circulating, and maintaining library materials; and furnishing reference, bibliographical, and readers' advisory services. May perform in-depth, strategic research, and synthesize, analyze, edit, and filter information. May set up or work with databases and information systems to catalogue and access information.

Salary
$63560
Becoming One
Very Hard
Education
Master's degree
Job Satisfaction
Job Growth

Personality
Interest Match



What degree do you need

Recommended degree level

Master’s Degree

We did a survey to ask other Librarians what degree they had when they became a Librarian. Here are the results.
Master’s Degree
70.25%


Bachelor’s Degree
7.59%


Post-Master’s Certificate
6.45%


One of the most common questions that we always get is what major or degree do I need to become Librarians or what courses do I need to take.

We also asked Librarians what did they major in college or university and here are the top 5 most popular majors that came up.

School Librarian
Library and Information Science
Children and Youth Library Services
Library Science and Administration

Most librarians need a master’s degree in library science. Some positions have additional requirements, such as a teaching certificate or a degree in another field. Students need a bachelor’s degree to enter MLS programs, but any undergraduate major is accepted.



How hard is it

Difficulty
Very Hard

You will need an extensive amount of skill, knowledge and experience to be a Librarian. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, a surgeon must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

Careers in this difficulty category may need some on-the-job-training, but most of these careers assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, and work-related experience and training. These careers usually involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Similar careers include pharmacists, lawyers, astronomers, biologists, neurologists, and veterinarians.


Related work experience required
2 to 4 years

2 to 4 years
23.2%


6 months to 1 year
22.46%


None
22.13%


Job training
Up to 1 month

Up to 1 month
46.36%


1 to 3 months
18.78%


6 months to 1 year
14.81%



License and certifications

Do you need any license or certification
Recommended

To work in public schools, school librarians often need to be certified. Certification typically requires librarians to hold a teacher’s certification. Some states require librarians to pass a standardized test, such as the PRAXIS II Library Media Specialist test. A list of requirements by state and contact information for state regulating boards is available from School Library Monthly. Some states also require certification for librarians in public libraries. Requirements vary by state.


Skills required

We asked other Librarians if they could only have 5 skills, what would they be. Here is what they said.

1. Reading Comprehension what does this mean
2. Active Listening what does this mean
3. Writing what does this mean
4. Speaking what does this mean
5. Monitoring what does this mean

= Hot in-demand that most employers are looking for


Knowledge required

Just like any other job, you will need certain know-hows to excel at your job. Librarians are generally very knowledgeable in these 5 key areas.

1. English Language what does this mean
2. Customer and Personal Service what does this mean
3. Computers and Electronics what does this mean
4. Education and Training what does this mean
5. Clerical what does this mean


Learn more about Librarians

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Job Description
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Quiz

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Librarians requirements, how to become Librarians, degree required to be a Librarian, Librarians license and certifications, majors to be a Librarian, is it hard to become a Librarian and how long does it take


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