We are grateful for the assistance of Sarah Barbrow, Wellesley’s Science Librarian, in creating this resource.

Wherever there’s a need for information, there’s a need for a librarian. Libraries have been empowering people by offering resources, services and training to expand their knowledge for thousands of years. According to the American Library Association career resource page there are approximately 400,000 librarians and library workers who bring opportunity every day to the communities they serve.They work with all age groups in a variety of settings:

• School libraries (K-12)
• Academic libraries (college & university)
• Public libraries (e.g. in your home city or town)
• Special libraries: libraries in special settings like corporations, non profits, hospitals, prisons, museums, government entities, etc.  

Librarians are natural collaborators, so you'll often work closely with other groups and organizations in your library's "community." Many librarians perform a number of functions in their library, including collection development, financial management, supervisory duties, technology troubleshooting, volunteer coordination, and information management.

Sample of Librarianship Duties

• Help library patrons conduct research and find the information they need
• Teach classes about information resources
• Help patrons evaluate search results and reference materials
• Organize library materials so they are easy to find, and maintain collections
• Plan programs for different audiences, such as storytelling for young children
• Develop and use databases of library materials
• Research new books and materials by reading book reviews, publishers’ announcements, and catalogs
• Choose new books, audio books, videos, and other materials for the library
• Research and buy new computers and other equipment as needed for the library
• Train and direct library technicians, assistants, other support staff, and volunteers
• Prepare library budgets

In small libraries, librarians are often responsible for many or all aspects of library operations. In larger libraries, they usually focus on one aspect of library work, including user services, technical services, or administrative services.

There are many different kinds of librarians doing many different roles — from events organizing, to project management, to research and instructional support, to collection development, to supporting the technological infrastructure of the library, to preservation & conservation of print and digital collections, etc.

As library services become more varied, so do the jobs in libraries. Librarians are no longer the only professionals working in libraries. Libraries employ web developers, knowledge managers, and IT professionals. Youth workers, security officers, archivists, book conservators, school liaisons, social workers, and Friends group nonprofit managers are a few of the unique positions employed in libraries.

Many careers in libraries (but not all) require a graduate degree (a Masters in Science of Information (MSI) or Masters in Library and Information Science (MLIS). US News and World Report offers a ranked list of graduate library programs and you can search by program specialty as well.

• Choosing a graduate program: the American Library Association offers some guidance on what to look for in graduate programs. Most masters programs have you specialize in some track (like a major) but many offer lots of customization of your coursework and experiences. Before making the commitment to a graduate program, investigate related professions such as Library Technician or Library Assistant. The Balance site offers further information about being a Library Technician.
• For a west coast perspective, San Jose State offers a similar guide, including California-specific as well as nationwide resources
• Simmons, a local top-tier library school program, has advice and resources for what to do with your library degree.
• If you are planning to pursue graduate study in library science, and desire the support of a scholarship the American Library Association accepts applications for all of its scholarships annually from September to March 1st for the following Fall.