PLACEMENT TIPS-EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK
"If the economy is rebounding, the library world has yet to feel it. The budget constraints of the last several years are now showing up in salary growth that lags behind inflation and in job searches that seem endless and are three times as long, on average, as last year." Stephanie Matta [Library Journal, "Placements and Salaries 2003" but still mostly true today].


Accurate predictions are always a bit fuzzy. Your best bet is to check the current Occupational Handbook, an annual publication prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It provides substantial useful information for librarians, but some data is not current. There are also outlooks for other information related professions. Here we focus on librarians. In 2008, the Handbook reported:

"Employment change. Employment of librarians is expected to grow by 4 percent between 2006 and 2016, slower than the average for all occupations. Growth in the number of librarians will be limited by government budget constraints and the increasing use of electronic resources. Both will result in the hiring of fewer librarians and the replacement of librarians with less costly library technicians and assistants. As electronic resources become more common and patrons and support staff become more familiar with their use, fewer librarians are needed to maintain and assist users with these resources. In addition, many libraries are equipped for users to access library resources directly from their homes or offices through library Web sites. Some users bypass librarians altogether and conduct research on their own. However, librarians will still be needed to manage staff, help users develop database-searching techniques, address complicated reference requests, choose materials, and help users to define their needs."