Librarians help people find facts. They organize information and help people locate books and other items. Librarians choose and buy books and magazines. They arrange the books and magazines so that people can find them. Many librarians work in teams to get the job done.

Some work in one subject such as art. Others read stories to children. Librarians work in schools and public libraries. They also work in special libraries, such as libraries at companies.

Today, most libraries have computers as well as books and magazines. Librarians may develop data bases for use in these computers. They also help people use the computer to find what they need.

Librarians generally work in nice places. They spend much of their time at their desks or at the computer. They spend time helping people. Many librarians like this part of the job best. Librarians may work part time or full time. Sometimes they have to work weekends or evenings. School librarians work when schools are open; they are off during school vacations. Special librarians usually work 40 hours a week. They may work longer hours at busy times.

You need a master's degree in library science to be a librarian. Many schools offer library science programs. A college degree in any major can prepare you for the master's program. Most programs take 1 year to complete; some programs take 2 years. In most States, school librarians must have a teaching certificate.

Librarians should like to read and have good computer skills.

The middle half of all librarians earned between $33,560 and $54,250 a year in 2002. The lowest-paid 10 percent earned less than $24,510. The highest-paid 10 percent earned more than $66,950 a year.

Librarians held about 167,000 jobs in 2002. Most jobs were in schools. Other jobs were in public or special libraries. A few jobs were in hospitals or government agencies.

Jobs for librarians are expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations over the 2002-12 period. Job opportunities are expected to be very good because many librarians are expected to retire and fewer people are going into this profession.

There are libraries in nearly every community. It is easier to find a job in a rural area than in a large city, where most graduates want to work.

More people are going to library school so the graduates face competition. Applicants with good computer skills are more likely to find jobs. Many of them find jobs in places other than libraries. They may work as information professionals for private corporations, nonprofit organizations, and consulting firms.

• Archivists, curators, and museum technicians
• Computer scientists
• Database administrators
• Desktop publishers
• Editors (publication assistants)
• Information brokers
• Operations research analysts
• Records managers
• Systems analysts
• Teachers
• Writers

Source: Occupational Outlook Handbook -- U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics

For more comprehensive information on careers see the Careers Database.