Librarians
Do you enjoy being a driving force for literacy? The future of our world depends on the education of our children. Educational excellence is accomplished one book at a time and allows children to fully develop their brain. Librarians administer libraries and library services to provide resources that expand the human mind. Librarians do more than scanning your books, they perform in-depth, strategic research, and synthesize, analyze, edit, and filter information. They are the channel and gatekeeper to the world of knowledge in which anyone can tap in with a library card. They are needed by many because their expertise ties in to what many employers look for. Librarians work in variety of settings, including public libraries, schools, colleges and universities, museums, corporations, government agencies, law firms, non-profit organizations and healthcare providers.
Thanks to the skills that makes Librarians versatile to fit in many industries, the demand for librarians has remained strong, projecting an increase 10% by 2028.
They maintain a steady and comfortable income making more than the average salary of all other occupations.
Is being a Librarian right for you?
Top Relevant Skill Areas These skills, interests, and knowledge areas are recommended for a career as an educator. The percentage indicate the level of important of each of the skills. |
Relevant Importance Levels |
Reading Comprehension Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents. |
80.00% |
Active Listening Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. |
77.60% |
Writing Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience. |
75.00% |
*Source: Texas Career Check.
What does it take to be a Librarian?
Librarian Educational Requirements
Undergraduate Degree
The path to becoming a librarian begins with an undergraduate degree from an accredited 4-year college or university, which is required for admission into graduate school. Undergraduate students are not required to study any specific major; however, graduate schools typically only admit students with a B average or minimum 3.0 grade point average. Admission into graduate school may also entail submitting recommendation letters, sitting for interviews and passing a standardized test.
Graduate Degree
Employers typically prefer to hire librarians who have completed a master's degree program accredited by the American Library Association (ALA). Such degree programs include the Master of Library and Information Science and Master of Library Science (MLS), which typically take 1-2 years to complete. Master's programs prepare students for careers in library and information science. Courses may include:
- Library management
- Cataloging
- Information science
- Research methods
- Reference resources
- Library collections
Specialization
While some librarians hold degrees in general library or information science, others pursue specialty degrees in concentrations of the field, such as school, archival or art librarianship. Specialization may be required for some positions. For example, school librarians in many states are required to earn a master's degree in education or library science with a specialty in library media.
Universities
- Houston Baptist University
- Prairie View A & M University
- Rice University
- Sam Houston State University
- Texas Southern University
- Texas Woman's University
- University of Houston
- University of St. Thomas
Major Employers in the Gulf Coast Region |
Major Charter Schools in the Gulf Coast Region |
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