How To Become An Access Services Librarian: What It Is and Career Path

What is an access services librarian and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an access services librarian. For example, did you know that they make an average of $23.99 an hour? That's $49,899 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 8,500 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreAccess Services LibrarianUS Average

Salary

3.9

Avg. Salary $49,899

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.6

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.33%

Asian 4.81%

Black or African American 6.28%

Hispanic or Latino 7.66%

Unknown 3.58%

White 77.33%

Gender

female 65.59%

male 34.41%

Age - 48

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 48

Stress level

5.6

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

5.6

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

9.5

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an access services librarian

Explore access services librarian education requirements

Most common access services librarian degrees

Bachelor's

48.6 %

Master's

23.0 %

High School Diploma

13.5 %

Start to develop specific access services librarian skills

Skills	Percentages
Library Services	17.36%
Library Resources	12.42%
Library System	11.81%
Collection Development	10.77%
Library Materials	10.42%

Complete relevant access services librarian training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New access services librarians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an access services librarian based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real access services librarian resumes.

Research access services librarian duties and responsibilities

Manage integrated library system including OPAC, serials control, cataloging and acquisitions.
Identify and refer items that need attention of the cataloging or conservation department
Open new patron accounts, provide customer support regarding account status and work with Polaris systems.

Prepare your access services librarian resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your access services librarian resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an access services librarian resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable access services librarian resume templates

Build a professional access services librarian resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your access services librarian resume.

Apply for access services librarian jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an access services librarian job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do access services librarians rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Access services librarian reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020

Pros

I'm an academic librarian, so helping students learn about information and research, teaching classes about same, and the intellectual aspect of working with information access around colleagues who are smart and kind. I've also been a teacher and a sales and marketing executive, but librarianship is by far my most rewarding career.