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Government documents librarian vs research librarian

The differences between government documents 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 government documents librarian and a research librarian. Additionally, a government documents librarian has an average salary of $52,928, which is higher than the $51,263 average annual salary of a research librarian.

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

Government documents librarian vs research librarian overview

Government Documents LibrarianResearch Librarian
Yearly salary$52,928$51,263
Hourly rate$25.45$24.65
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs1,48845,828
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 61%Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age4848
Years of experience22

Government documents librarian vs research librarian salary

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

Government Documents LibrarianResearch Librarian
Average salary$52,928$51,263
Salary rangeBetween $35,000 And $78,000Between $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 government documents librarian and research librarian education

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

Government Documents LibrarianResearch Librarian
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 61%Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common majorLibrary ScienceLibrary Science
Most common collegeNew York UniversityNew York University

Government documents librarian vs research librarian demographics

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

Government Documents LibrarianResearch Librarian
Average age4848
Gender ratioMale, 44.1% Female, 55.9%Male, 35.7% Female, 64.3%
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, 6.3% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 4.8% White, 77.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage16%16%

Differences between government documents librarian and research 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.

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.
  • Show more

Government documents librarian vs research librarian skills

Common government documents librarian skills
  • Collection Development, 26%
  • Depository, 20%
  • Federal Government, 16%
  • Library Resources, 8%
  • Cataloging, 7%
  • Research Guides, 7%
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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