How To Become An Adult Reference Librarian: What It Is and Career Path

What is an adult reference librarian and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Jenna Kammer Ph.D., MLS, MA

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an adult reference librarian. For example, did you know that they make an average of $24.76 an hour? That's $51,491 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 8,500 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to an adult reference librarian?

Dr. Jenna Kammer Ph.D., MLS, MA

Associate Professor of Library Science (LIS), University of Central Missouri

We recommend that our graduate students get a job in a library prior to graduating if possible, or get to know the librarians in the area in which you want to work by volunteering, doing service projects, or internships. That will help with the transition into a library career and build a local network. As graduates begin a career as a librarian, take some time to learn how things work in the library by getting to know your collection, your patrons and the needs of the community. You may have a lot of ideas as you get started, but not enough time to do them all. Write these ideas down, as well as some action steps and resources for accomplishing them. Revisit these ideas as you can.

ScoreAdult Reference LibrarianUS Average

Salary

4.0

Avg. Salary $51,491

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 4.85%

Black or African American 6.35%

Hispanic or Latino 7.72%

Unknown 3.58%

White 77.16%

Gender

female 76.79%

male 23.21%

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 adult reference librarian

Explore adult reference librarian education requirements

Most common adult reference librarian degrees

Bachelor's

50.0 %

Master's

46.6 %

Doctorate

1.7 %

Start to develop specific adult reference librarian skills

Skills	Percentages
Collection Development	32.43%
Adult Programs	15.47%
Interlibrary Loan	14.74%
Fiction	14.43%
Library System	12.59%

Complete relevant adult reference librarian training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New adult reference 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 adult reference librarian based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real adult reference librarian resumes.

Research adult reference librarian duties and responsibilities

Manage adult non-fiction materials and coordinate staff.
Establish and maintain and adult fiction collection.
Provide opportunities for students to use the library for class-relate research, individual investigation, independent reading, and personal inquiry.
Provide client services such as inter-library loans, ordering of new materials and instruction on use of library OPAC.

Prepare your adult reference librarian resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your adult reference 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 adult reference 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 adult reference librarian resume templates

Build a professional adult reference 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 adult reference librarian resume.

Apply for adult reference librarian jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an adult reference 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 adult reference librarians rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Adult reference 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.

Cons

The pay. The stereotypes. The people who ask, "do they even still have libraries"?