Career Overview
Librarians select, develop, organize and maintain library collections and provide programs, instructions and advisory services for users.
People in this occupation:
- May work in public, academic, school or special libraries
- Often work in managerial positions
- Also work as research or information officers for organizations and businesses
- May be self-employed
- Need to have good instructional, communication, organizational and computer skills
- Must have the ability to understand research methods
- Must also be customer-service oriented, culturally sensitive and have the ability to work independently
Job Titles
Duties
Librarians perform some or all of the following duties:
- Recommend acquisition of books, periodicals and audio-visual, interactive media and other materials for inclusion in library collection
- Provide reference services
- Select, classify, catalogue and weed library materials
- Prepare bibliographies, indexes, reading lists, guides and other finding aids
- Develop systems to access library collections
- Perform manual, on-line and interactive media reference searches to assist users in accessing library materials and arrange for interlibrary loans
- Develop taxonomies using various information and data sources
- Provide specialized programs for children, seniors and other groups
- Conduct library information and orientation training programs and tours
- Perform related administrative duties and supervise library technicians, assistants and clerks
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
1,190% Employed Full Time
66%Librarians typically work in libraries. They may often work independently, however, they may also frequently interact with staff or community partners, working as part of a team to develop new services and programs.
Full-time librarians typically work a regular 35- to 40-hour workweek. However, because some libraries are open during evenings and weekends, librarians may also be required to work during these periods.
The working conditions for librarians can vary, depending on the type of job. Librarians in "user services" work at a desk or counter and interact directly with library patrons. These workers may also interact with people looking for information using an interactive online medium.
Librarians in "technical services" typically spend the majority of their time at a desk or using a computer.
As a result of sitting or using a computer for extended periods of time, these workers may have eyestrain, wrist strain or a sore back. On rare occasions, librarians may experience risk from verbally abusive or physically violent users.
Career Pathways
New graduates typically find part-time or casual employment as reference librarians.
Librarians with experience may progress to senior management positions, including branch manager, department head, senior administrator, chief librarian or director. Additional career paths for librarians include working in the for-profit sector, managing library associations or organizations, and senior management positions within the post-secondary sector and government.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
A Master's degree in library science is required in order to become a librarian. Other qualifications that are beneficial include:
- Training in computers and in instruction
- Fluency in other languages
Education programs in B.C.

Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
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.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Understanding how new information could be used to solve current and future problems in making decisions.
Teaching others how to do something.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
1,190Employment by Region
Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
---|---|---|
Cariboo | 30 | 2.5% |
Kootenay | 40 | 3.3% |
Mainland/Southwest | 785 | 65.7% |
North Coast and Nechako | 20 | 1.7% |
Northeast | 15 | 1.3% |
Thompson-Okanagan | 135 | 11.3% |
Vancouver Island/Coast | 175 | 14.6% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
360Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
---|---|---|
Cariboo | Not available | Not available |
Kootenay | 20 | 0.8% |
Mainland/Southwest | 240 | 1.2% |
North Coast and Nechako | Not available | Not available |
Northeast | Not available | Not available |
Thompson-Okanagan | 30 | 0.7% |
Vancouver Island/Coast | 50 | 3.5% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
---|---|
Information, Culture and Recreation | 360 |
Insights from Industry
Most of the job openings over the next few years will come from the need to replace those who retire.
Technological advances and increasing library computerization mean that librarians must have increasingly advanced computer skills. Familiarity with computerized cataloguing, electronic records management and multimedia services will be increasingly important. As well, familiarity with software that supports chats, wireless networks, blogs and podcasting is becoming a requirement. Other skills that may be increasingly needed include multicultural librarianship, marketing and electronic records management.
Technological advances may also have a negative impact on this occupation, as the trend toward online collections (downloadable music, spoken word, ebooks) may result in fewer library staff since these tend to be self-serve collections. The titles offered in online collections are usually selected by the company offering the service, with a possible further impact on staffing levels. In addition, work that used to require the specialized knowledge of librarians can increasingly be done by the average person. For example, only experts used to be familiar with search techniques and databases. However, now most library users can do adequate searches on their own.
Work for librarians has traditionally been concentrated in public and academic libraries. A new trend is emerging that offers private sector opportunities for those willing to work as information specialists. A growing number of jobs are opening as non-traditional employers such as corporations, consulting firms and information brokers seek skilled information managers. The fields of information brokering, consulting (information access and validation) and database marketing may provide growth in new job opportunities for librarians.
Industry sources report that librarians' duties are increasingly moving away from only providing user or technical services to doing a wide range of duties. Many of the technical services that librarians provided can now be automated and/or outsourced, so libraries have reduced the number of in-house technical services librarians.
Industry sources also report that there is currently a short supply of graduates in select areas, including management, specialized subject background knowledge, technological skills, children's librarians and multicultural librarians. Also, new graduates may consider looking for work in rural communities to gain experience since these areas typically have a more difficult time filling vacancies.
Resources
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Archives Association of British Columbiaaabc.ca
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British Columbia Library Associationwww.bcla.bc.ca
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British Columbia Teacher-Librarians' Associationbctf.ca/bctla
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Canadian Library Associationcla.ca
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Health Libraries Association of British Columbiachla-absc.ca/hlabc
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The Partnership Job Boardwww.libraryjobs.ca