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The differences between digital librarians 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 digital librarian and a research librarian. Additionally, a digital librarian has an average salary of $57,957, which is higher than the $51,263 average annual salary of a research librarian.
The top three skills for a digital librarian include metadata, digital collections and digital assets. The most important skills for a research librarian are research support, library services, and collection development.
| Digital Librarian | Research Librarian | |
| Yearly salary | $57,957 | $51,263 |
| Hourly rate | $27.86 | $24.65 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 17,016 | 45,828 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Digital Librarians are professionals who are responsible for organizing and preserving a digital library so that it is accessible by the public through the internet. These librarians must maintain records of their digital collections by cataloging them accurately. They collaborate with other IT professionals to ensure that all information shared over the web is properly licensed, especially those donated or loaned to the library. Digital Librarians must also monitor the collection budgets and expenditures while maintaining relationships with all vendors associated with the digital library.
The primary duty of a research librarian is to assist scholars, students, and other researchers in finding books and other study materials. Research librarians handle integrated library systems such as serials control, acquisitions, and cataloging. They create and maintain the library's intranet portal using Microsoft SharePoint. Part of their job is to instruct and assist staff on the proper usage of intranet catalogs and other research databases. They establish a partnership with the other librarians to design and provide information and library literacy instruction to the student body.
Digital librarians and research librarians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Digital Librarian | Research Librarian | |
| Average salary | $57,957 | $51,263 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $82,000 | Between $35,000 And $74,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Philadelphia, PA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Yale University | Harvard University |
| Best paying industry | Media | Professional |
There are a few differences between a digital librarian and a research librarian in terms of educational background:
| Digital Librarian | Research Librarian | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Library Science And Administration | Library Science |
| Most common college | New York University | New York University |
Here are the differences between digital librarians' and research librarians' demographics:
| Digital Librarian | Research Librarian | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.4% Female, 55.6% | Male, 35.7% Female, 64.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 5.0% White, 76.6% 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% |