How To Become An Instruction Librarian: What It Is and Career Path

What is an instruction librarian and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Kerol Harrod

Instruction Librarians are the people who make libraries come to life. They design learning modules and educational experiences for students using their library's resources. They develop programs that promote literacy and awareness on how to utilize their local library fully.

Most employers require their Instruction Librarians to have a college diploma. We found that employed American Instruction Librarians commonly hold degrees in Library Science and Administration, Information Sciences, and English. Because this is such a high-skill job, many candidates take more time to establish their expertise by pursuing a Master's degree in those fields.

On average, Instruction Librarians in the United States earn a yearly salary of roughly about $50,000. That's more or less $24 an hour. But suppose you want to cash in a bigger paycheck. In that case, you might want to look for employers that offer more competitive salaries like Yale University, The University of Alabama, and the University of Massachusetts Lowell, which pay $63,000 or more to their Instruction Librarians on average.

What general advice would you give to an instruction librarian?

Kerol Harrod

Lecturer, School of Library and Information Studies, Texas Woman’s University, Texas Woman's University

Much of what I would advise involves just sticking to the basics. Show up to work on time. Have a good attitude and a growth mindset. Don't complain about menial tasks, and always be looking to learn the skills of the next position above you. I started out as the transit driver in my library system, loading and unloading boxes of books that circulated among the different library branches. I worked my way up, and now I am teaching graduate students how to become librarians. Put in the time and do the work. Networking is a huge part of success, so it's important to maintain good connections with co-workers, former professors, and fellow librarians. Finally, consider establishing a mentorship with a successful, trusted colleague who has experience in the position you want to attain. Personal connections go a long way.

ScoreInstruction LibrarianUS Average

Salary

3.9

Avg. Salary $50,234

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.6

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.33%

Asian 4.84%

Black or African American 6.34%

Hispanic or Latino 7.71%

Unknown 3.58%

White 77.19%

Gender

female 65.13%

male 34.87%

Age - 48

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 48

Stress level

5.6

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

5.6

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

9.5

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an instruction librarian

Explore instruction librarian education requirements

Most common instruction librarian degrees

Bachelor's

55.3 %

Master's

37.9 %

Associate

3.8 %

Start to develop specific instruction librarian skills

Skills	Percentages
Collection Development	11.34%
Library Services	9.91%
Reference Services	8.19%
Research Assistance	7.66%
Professional Development	7.35%

Complete relevant instruction librarian training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New instruction librarians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an instruction librarian based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real instruction librarian resumes.

Research instruction librarian duties and responsibilities

Manage integrated library system including OPAC, serials control, cataloging and acquisitions.
Perform collection management for adult non-fiction.
Provide opportunities for students to use the library for class-relate research, individual investigation, independent reading, and personal inquiry.
Conduct copy/original cataloging of all resources.

Prepare your instruction librarian resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your instruction librarian resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an instruction librarian resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable instruction librarian resume templates

Build a professional instruction librarian resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your instruction librarian resume.

Apply for instruction librarian jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an instruction librarian job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do instruction librarians rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Instruction librarian reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020

Pros

I'm an academic librarian, so helping students learn about information and research, teaching classes about same, and the intellectual aspect of working with information access around colleagues who are smart and kind. I've also been a teacher and a sales and marketing executive, but librarianship is by far my most rewarding career.

Cons

The pay. The stereotypes. The people who ask, "do they even still have libraries"?