Circulation director vs research librarian

The differences between circulation directors and research librarians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a circulation director and a research librarian. Additionally, a circulation director has an average salary of $59,920, which is higher than the $51,263 average annual salary of a research librarian.

The top three skills for a circulation director include audience development, newspapers and independent contractors. The most important skills for a research librarian are research support, library services, and collection development.

Circulation director vs research librarian overview

	Circulation Director	Research Librarian
Yearly salary	$59,920	$51,263
Hourly rate	$28.81	$24.65
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	5,074	45,828
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	2	2

Circulation director vs research librarian salary

Circulation directors and research librarians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Circulation Director	Research Librarian
Average salary	$59,920	$51,263
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $119,000	Between $35,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	-	Philadelphia, PA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Harvard University
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between circulation director and research librarian education

There are a few differences between a circulation director and a research librarian in terms of educational background:

	Circulation Director	Research Librarian
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Business	Library Science
Most common college	Stanford University	New York University

Circulation director vs research librarian demographics

Here are the differences between circulation directors' and research librarians' demographics:

	Circulation Director	Research Librarian
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 68.5% Female, 31.5%	Male, 35.7% Female, 64.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 5.0% White, 76.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 4.8% White, 77.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between circulation director and research librarian duties and responsibilities

Circulation director example responsibilities.

Manage vendor relationships for BPA audits, reader service, international mail, subscription telemarketing & corporate compliance for USPS standards.
Manage records of circulation and materials, maintain inventory, and correct cataloging errors.
Insure adherence to ABC rules and regulations.
Establish completely fund NIE program at both papers.
Analyze and compare marketing campaigns, marketing briefs, and BPA statements.
Possess ABC, postal audit, statement of ownership, etc., knowledge.

Research librarian example responsibilities.

Manage integrated library system including OPAC, serials control, cataloging and acquisitions.
Order materials and perform literature searches using OCLC.
Utilize Microsoft SharePoint to create and maintain the library intranet portal.
Advise clients using factual data in the Lexis Nexis computer system.
Train staff for ILS use.
Provide web content via LibGuides.

Circulation director vs research librarian skills

Common circulation director skills

Audience Development, 19%
Newspapers, 13%
Independent Contractors, 11%
Expense Budget, 10%
ABC, 4%
Strategic Plan, 4%

Common research librarian skills

Research Support, 13%
Library Services, 9%
Collection Development, 8%
Research Services, 6%
Library Resources, 6%
Research Projects, 6%

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Circulation Director vs Research Librarian

Updated January 8, 2025

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