Public Libraries Drive Job Growth

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Placements in public libraries hold steady, though salaries fluctuate

Stephanie Maatta -- Library Journal, 10/10/2008

Public libraries continue to be a popular choice for employment, averaging 28% of the overall reported placements. This figure has held steady over the last several years, consistently hovering around 27% to 29%. Increased hires were reported in the Midwest (up approximately 12%); in the Southwest, graduates reported 12.2% more public library hires. Unfortunately, public library salaries in the Midwest and Southwest did not follow suit, dipping an average of 3.0% below 2006 averages.

2007 Salary Survey

Article 3 of 12

Library Salaries and Jobs: Overview Where the Library Jobs Are Public Libraries Drive Job Growth School Library Snapshot A Changing Academic Environment Inside the Library Gender Gap The Minority Report: Library Roles Public vs. Private Sector Jobs Inside the Library Job Search Catalogers See Upward Trend Archivist Positions and Pay Rise How the Schools Measure Up

An area of concern is children's services. Placements decreased, and salaries were flat for 2007. One possible explanation may be a redefining of the title to encompass both children's and youth services (teen and/or YA librarians), as there was a 3.6% increase in the number of grads reporting their job as youth services rather than children's. However, average starting salaries for youth services librarians decreased 3.53%, to $35,929. The other possibility for decreased numbers is the overall economic impact on library funding and the number of public libraries, which employ the majority of children's and youth services librarians, suffering layoffs and reductions in services.

Next: School Library Snapshot