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Government documents librarian vs law librarian

The differences between government documents librarians and law 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 government documents librarian and a law librarian. Additionally, a government documents librarian has an average salary of $52,928, which is higher than the $51,708 average annual salary of a law librarian.

The top three skills for a government documents librarian include collection development, depository and federal government. The most important skills for a law librarian are library services, collection development, and reference services.

Government documents librarian vs law librarian overview

Government Documents LibrarianLaw Librarian
Yearly salary$52,928$51,708
Hourly rate$25.45$24.86
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs1,4881,813
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 61%Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age4848
Years of experience22

Government documents librarian vs law librarian salary

Government documents librarians and law librarians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Government Documents LibrarianLaw Librarian
Average salary$52,928$51,708
Salary rangeBetween $35,000 And $78,000Between $35,000 And $76,000
Highest paying City-Philadelphia, PA
Highest paying state-Alaska
Best paying company-Northeastern University
Best paying industry-Professional

Differences between government documents librarian and law librarian education

There are a few differences between a government documents librarian and a law librarian in terms of educational background:

Government Documents LibrarianLaw Librarian
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 61%Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common majorLibrary ScienceHistory
Most common collegeNew York UniversityNew York University

Government documents librarian vs law librarian demographics

Here are the differences between government documents librarians' and law librarians' demographics:

Government Documents LibrarianLaw Librarian
Average age4848
Gender ratioMale, 44.1% Female, 55.9%Male, 32.4% Female, 67.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 5.0% White, 76.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 4.9% White, 77.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage16%16%

Differences between government documents librarian and law librarian duties and responsibilities

Government documents librarian example responsibilities.

  • Recruit, train, and manage volunteers, teen ambassadors, book buddies, elderly volunteers, and teen tech assistants.
  • Provide opportunities for students to use the library for class-relate research, individual investigation, independent reading, and personal inquiry.
  • Open new patron accounts, provide customer support regarding account status and work with Polaris systems.

Law librarian example responsibilities.

  • Manage integrated library system including OPAC, serials control, cataloging and acquisitions.
  • Supervise cataloging and processing of all materials.
  • Perform library technical services, including cataloging, processing, and acquisitions.
  • Review monthly Lexis and Westlaw usage to identify users needing additional training in cost-effective research techniques.
  • Open new patron accounts, provide customer support regarding account status and work with Polaris systems.

Government documents librarian vs law librarian skills

Common government documents librarian skills
  • Collection Development, 26%
  • Depository, 20%
  • Federal Government, 16%
  • Library Resources, 8%
  • Cataloging, 7%
  • Research Guides, 7%
Common law librarian skills
  • Library Services, 11%
  • Collection Development, 9%
  • Reference Services, 9%
  • Research Services, 8%
  • Legal Resources, 6%
  • Legal Reference, 6%

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