Have you ever considered a career in library sciences? If you treasure memories of rainy Saturday afternoons at your local library, a career in library sciences may be a good fit for you. An online degree in library science can help you reach this goal.
Librarian is the career title library science students strive for. A librarian’s duties involve a lot more than just shelving books. Librarians are expected to keep current on the latest technology. They should be comfortable with research as they will spend a lot of their day helping others find information.
While most libraries require a librarian to have a master’s degree in library science, students pursuing a bachelor’s degree will also have the opportunity to work in a library. Those with a bachelor’s degree in library science would most likely find work as a library technician.
Library technicians, like librarians, have a wide range of duties. Many library technicians start at the circulation desk checking materials in and out and move on from there as they learn new duties. Library technicians, also known as a media aide, assist the librarian in marketing library services, organizing and shelving materials and assist library patrons in research.
There are different types of libraries that librarians and library technicians can work at. An online degree in library science will prepare you to work in public libraries, college or university libraries and specialized libraries. School libraries also employ librarians and library technicians, but most schools require librarians to have been school teachers first and library technicians to have been a teacher’s aide previously. Examples of specialized libraries are medical libraries in hospitals and legal libraries for large law firms.
The career outlook for library technicians is average. As more technicians are promoted, more openings will pop up. The average salary range for a library technician is $23,000 to $40,000 for more experienced technicians in certain areas. Work schedules for library science careers include weekends, evenings and some holidays.
An online degree in library science will help start you on the right path to pursuing a career in library science. A bachelor’s degree will help get you started and help you gain experience while working as a library technician. To advance in the field of library science, it would be a good idea to pursue a master’s degree.
References
Librarians – Bureau of Labor Statistics
