University of Wisconsin - Green Bay, "Connecting learning to life." Home Search Departments Students Faculty & Staff Library A to Z University of Wisconsin - Green Bay UW-Green Bay Phoenix
Career Services at UW-Green Bay
"Dedicated to the individual development of students and meeting the recruitment needs of employers."
Career Profile: Library and Information Sciences
Our Mission    Green Bullet     Office Hours    Green Bullet     Our Staff     Green Bullet     Site Index     Green Bullet     Contact Us     Green Bullet    UW-Green Bay Home

Back to Student Main Page

Back to Alumni Main Page

Back to Faculty & Staff Main Page

Career Information

Information about Librarians:

Librarians……….They're NOT what you think!
Today's librarians are a fascinating and diverse group of people working at a broad range of jobs in public, academic and institutional settings. Using cutting-edge technology and extensive data bases, many of today's librarians are the ultimate search engines for clients who range from research scientists to the general public. Others produce Web sites that bring around-the-clock library services to patrons with home or office computers.

LibraryCareers.org is a resource developed by members of the American Library Association (ALA) to help students explore the field of Library Science.  You will also find helpful information in the Occupational Outlook Handbook which outlines information about Librarians and related careers including the Nature of the Work, Training & Qualifications, and Salary Ranges.  Another informative site includes http://www.becomealibrarian.org/.

 

Scholarships:
The American Library Association (ALA) awards scholarships towards education in the field of Library Science. For more information and application instructions, view www.ala.org/scholarships.

The Wisconsin Library Association (WLA) also offers scholarship opportunities to students continuing their education as well as to librarians currently employed in the field. View the following site for more information: www.wla.lib.wi.us/scholarships/CEscholarships.htm

Graduate Study

Image of two Graduates Whether you need a graduate degree will depend upon factors such as the type of position to which you are applying, state library requirements, and the size of the library.  If your desire is to attend graduate school, be certain to choose a program that is accredited by the ALA.  Click here to search the ALA's database of ALA accredited graduate programs in library and information studies.

Salary, Benefits and the Job Market
Do you want your future career to have great pay and benefits as well as be

  • Dynamic
  • Rewarding
  • Cutting-edge
  • Challenging
  • Surprising
  • And most of all…FUN!
           Image of Dollar Bills

If so, consider becoming a leader in the information age!  The current job market is strong. Library school placement centers  report that 90 percent of their graduates have jobs within six months after graduation.  Technology skills are in high demand, as are candidates who bring diversity, energy, and other outside job skills to the workplace! 

In a 2008 survey by the ALA, the range of salaries reported was from $22,000 to $331,200 per year with a Mean Salary of $58,960. For current salary information, view the Librarian profile in the Occupational Outlook Handbook or view the ALA's Librarian Salary Survey.

Career Options and Industries
Here are some career possibilities:  

Other career possibilities include:

  • Information consultant
  • Art & Architecture Librarian
  • Science & Engineering Librarian
  • Patent Searcher
  • Serials Librarian
  • Rare Book Cataloger
  • Systems Manager
  • Archivist
  • Acquisitions Librarian
  • Head of Collections
And many MORE!
Remember-- This list is just a small sampling of the professions that are available.   

Industries in which people in this occupation are employed include:

  • General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
  • Elementary and Secondary Schools
  • Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
  • Junior Colleges and Technical Institutes
  • Libraries
  • Religious Organizations
  • Legislative Bodies
  • Legal Counsel and Prosecution
  • Administration of Public Health Programs
  • Land, Mineral, Wildlife, and Forest Conservation
  • Space Research and Technology

Log on to WISCareers today to find out more at http://www.uwgb.edu/careers/WISCareers_Info.htm

What else can you do with a library and information science degree? 

A Master of Library Science (MLS) degree prepares students for library work, but some graduates use their education in non-library settings.  MLS graduates working outside the library include: 

  • Book publishing workers who use their knowledge of books to choose and edit manuscripts
  • Chief information officers who decide which information technology a business needs and how employees will share information
  • Content managers who find and organize material for online communities
  • Database administrators who organize, update, and store data using extensive programming skills
  • Information brokers who conduct research for people who contract for it
  • Salesworkers who sell software and other products to libraries
  • Taxonomists who work for data processing and e-commerce companies by classifying information about putting it in appropriate categories
  • Webmasters who design, maintain, and program websites

(Taken from: Occupational Outlook Quarterly, Winter 2000-01)

The possibilities are endless!!!

Want MORE information?!

The best one-stop shopping place for information about library careers is the ALA website at www.ala.org. Don’t wait another day………..Check it out today!!

Our Mission    Green Bullet     Office Hours    Green Bullet     Our Staff     Green Bullet     Site Index     Green Bullet     Contact Us     Green Bullet    UW-Green Bay Home

UW-Green Bay Home

 

      Last revised: June 16, 2009

     ©2003 All rights reserved
     Career Services at the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
     2420 Nicolet Drive, Student Services 1600
     Green Bay, Wisconsin 54311-7001
     Phone: (920) 465-2163  Fax: (920) 465-2920
     Site design & maintenance: Career Services Web Developer