Special librarians: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more
Special librarians work in settings other than school or public libraries. They are sometimes called information professionals. Law firms, hospitals, businesses, museums, government agencies, and many other groups have their own libraries that use special librarians. The main purpose of these libraries and information centers is to serve the information needs of the organization that houses the library. Therefore, special librarians collect and organize materials focused on those subjects. Special librarians may need an additional degree in the subject that they specialize in. The following are examples of special librarians:
- Corporate librarians assist employees in private businesses in conducting research and finding information. They work for a wide range of businesses, including insurance companies, consulting firms, and publishers.
- Government librarians provide research services and access to information for government staff and the public.
- Law librarians help lawyers, law students, judges, and law clerks locate and organize legal resources. They often work in law firms and law school libraries.
- Medical librarians, also called health science librarians, help health professionals, patients, and researchers find health and science information. They may provide information about new clinical trials and medical treatments and procedures, teach medical students how to locate medical information, or answer consumers health questions.
- Education Required
- Librarians typically need a masters degree in library science (MLS). Students need a bachelors degree in any major to enter MLS programs.
- Job Outlook
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The projected percent change in employment from 2016 to 2026: 9% (As fast as average)
(The average growth rate for all occupations is 7 percent.) - Licenses/Certifications
- Public school librarians typically need a teachers 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 Libraries Unlimited.
- Median pay: How much do Librarians make?
- $57,680 Annual Salary
- $27.73 per hour
Careers for Librarians
- Academic librarians
- Acquisitions librarians
- Administrative services librarians
- Catalog librarians
- Children's librarians
- Collection development librarians
- Electronic resources librarians
- Film librarians
- Government documents librarians
- High school librarians
- Information architect librarians
- Interlibrary loan services librarians
- Law librarians
- Medical librarians
- Music librarians
- Periodicals librarians
- Public librarians
- Record librarians
- Reference librarians
- Research librarians
- School librarians
- Serials librarians
- Technical services librarians
- University librarians
- User services librarians
- Youth services librarians