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Circulation librarian vs cataloger

The differences between circulation librarians and catalogers 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 librarian and a cataloger. Additionally, a circulation librarian has an average salary of $50,163, which is higher than the $34,943 average annual salary of a cataloger.

The top three skills for a circulation librarian include circulation desk, customer service and library materials. The most important skills for a cataloger are library catalog, RDA, and cataloging.

Circulation librarian vs cataloger overview

Circulation LibrarianCataloger
Yearly salary$50,163$34,943
Hourly rate$24.12$16.80
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs1,04193
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 60%Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age4848
Years of experience22

Circulation librarian vs cataloger salary

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

Circulation LibrarianCataloger
Average salary$50,163$34,943
Salary rangeBetween $35,000 And $70,000Between $23,000 And $52,000
Highest paying City-New Haven, CT
Highest paying state-Alaska
Best paying company-Harvard University
Best paying industry-Education

Differences between circulation librarian and cataloger education

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

Circulation LibrarianCataloger
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 60%Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common majorLibrary ScienceHistory
Most common collegeUniversity of California - Los AngelesUniversity of Maryland - College Park

Circulation librarian vs cataloger demographics

Here are the differences between circulation librarians' and catalogers' demographics:

Circulation LibrarianCataloger
Average age4848
Gender ratioMale, 32.8% Female, 67.2%Male, 37.9% Female, 62.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 4.9% White, 76.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 4.9% White, 77.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage16%16%

Differences between circulation librarian and cataloger duties and responsibilities

Circulation librarian example responsibilities.

  • Achieve proficiency cataloging electronic materials (audio records, video recordings, and streaming video) and continuing resources/serials.
  • Provide opportunities for students to use the library for class-relate research, individual investigation, independent reading, and personal inquiry.
  • Database inventory of records and CDs.

Cataloger example responsibilities.

  • Manage category of materials: including books, CDs, films and other documents.
  • Assign subject headings using LCSH.
  • Cataloge books and serials for all the school district libraries.
  • Master the use of cataloguing resources such as WorldCat and HomeBase.
  • Assist librarians in other EPA libraries with the conversion of their serials list.
  • Assign LCSH and LCC, as well as a local classification system for legal treatises.
  • Show more

Circulation librarian vs cataloger skills

Common circulation librarian skills
  • Circulation Desk, 31%
  • Customer Service, 21%
  • Library Materials, 18%
  • Student Assistants, 4%
  • Reference Desk, 4%
  • Library System, 4%
Common cataloger skills
  • Library Catalog, 13%
  • RDA, 11%
  • Cataloging, 11%
  • OCLC, 8%
  • Online Database, 8%
  • Lcsh, 6%

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