What are the pros and cons of being a librarian?

• Peaceful working environment. Libraries are sanctuaries for those that value peace. Most librarians' work days don't contain much stress and can be relaxing.

  Many libraries have strict noise policies to keep their environment quiet and calm for their readers and employees.

• You get to be surrounded by books. If you love books, being a librarian is an excellent career choice. Librarians get to be surrounded by books throughout their work days.

  Also, if you have varied tastes in what you like to read, working at a library enables you to find books on various subjects.

• Decent compensation. The average salary of a librarian in the United States is $60,820 per year. This is a solid pay rate relative to the field and also in terms of the difficulty of the job.

• Different working opportunities. There are many different types of libraries. Some of the most common are public libraries, like city libraries or county libraries.

  However, there are also librarian opportunities at colleges, universities, and even some private associations that maintain a collection of books. Being a librarian enables you to find the library environment that works best for you.

• Working hours. Librarians benefit widely from traditional working hours that hardly ever spill over. Most libraries are open in the range of somewhere between 8 AM and 7 PM.

  This means your work schedule is predictable. The only time librarians are asked to work after hours is if there is a special project or significant change in book inventory.

Cons:

• Decreasing job opportunities. One of the major cons of being a librarian is that it is not a growing field; librarian positions are decreasing.

  This is due to several factors, a prime one being that the general public doesn't go to the library as often as they once did because of the internet, online audiobooks, and ebooks.

• It can be a lonely profession. Librarian is probably the right career for you if you value peace and solitude. On the other hand, if you want to work in an environment with many interactions with the public and your coworkers, it could be a poor choice.

  In addition, since library budgets have been decreasing, some branches can only afford to employ one or two employees.

• Education requirements. Most librarians need a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in library sciences. This can be expensive and long, taking between five and six years to complete on average.

  While you can sometimes find employers accepting only a bachelor's degree, most require a master's degree to be considered for employment as a librarian.