LIBRARIAN CAREER

A school librarian career usually deals with organizing and overseeing reading material in schools. It also involves working closely with teachers to coordinate their lesson plans.

Librarians also help students and other library users to conduct research. Librarians can also be responsible for ensuring that the resources that are used in the school are at par with the district level requirements. You need to have a love for information, books and research.

How to become a Librarian

You need to find out your states requirements for school librarian career. Generally most schools require you to have a bachelor’s degree, preferably in a teaching specialization. You will then need to have a master’s degree in library science or media learning resources. Some training programs will require you to undergo a library practicum before you complete the course.
You need to get a school librarian certification in addition to getting teacher certification after taking a state exam.

Librarian Types Description, Information

You should decide whether you want to work for public schools or private schools. This will form the basis of the electives that you choose in college.

Qualifications: Courses, Training, Certification

Some of the classes that you will undergo in your training program include internet search methods, online reference systems, cataloguing and indexing and library administration. You can look into certification online courses or campus based schools to get a librarian course. There are also long distance study program that will fit into your schedule.

Getting a university education may be quite expensive, that is why there are a number of institutions that offer scholarships for students who are studying archive management. These include the Library and Information Technology Association that gives scholarships amounting to $2500-$3000. The Association of Moving Image Archivists gives scholarships of up to $4000.

Schools, Colleges, Universities offering Teaching Degrees

You will need to have high GPA scores as a prerequisite to gaining admission into many college programs. At least a GPA of 3.0. You will need to find out from the American Library Association its list of accredited colleges that provide qualifications for those who want to pursue a librarian career. Masters degrees usually take two years to complete for you to get your MLS.

Top 5 Colleges and Universities

Mountain State University
Syracuse University
Chadron State College
Marshall Community and Technical College
Southern Connecticut State University

Job Opportunities, Salaries and Recruitment

When conducting a job search for a librarian career; remember to include references from areas that you had your internship or practicum. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics state that the salary for beginners is $30,000 while elementary and high school librarians go for $50,000.

The advantage of school librarian jobs is that like teachers, you will enjoy summers off, while still earning a pay and benefits. There are job opportunities for those who want to be part time or full time librarians. The actual duties that you will be required to do varies with how big the school is. The level of pay also varies with the state that you are in.