Library director vs law librarian

The differences between library directors 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 library director and a law librarian. Additionally, a law librarian has an average salary of $51,708, which is higher than the $44,750 average annual salary of a library director.

The top three skills for a library director include library services, collection development and professional development. The most important skills for a law librarian are library services, collection development, and reference services.

Library director vs law librarian overview

	Library Director	Law Librarian
Yearly salary	$44,750	$51,708
Hourly rate	$21.51	$24.86
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	5,428	1,813
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	2	2

Library director vs law librarian salary

Library directors and law librarians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Library Director	Law Librarian
Average salary	$44,750	$51,708
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $69,000	Between $35,000 And $76,000
Highest paying City	Hoboken, NJ	Philadelphia, PA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	Northeastern University
Best paying industry	Education	Professional

Differences between library director and law librarian education

There are a few differences between a library director and a law librarian in terms of educational background:

	Library Director	Law Librarian
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Library Science	History
Most common college	New York University	New York University

Library director vs law librarian demographics

Here are the differences between library directors' and law librarians' demographics:

	Library Director	Law Librarian
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 29.5% Female, 70.5%	Male, 32.4% Female, 67.6%
Race ratio	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%	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 Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between library director and law librarian duties and responsibilities

Library director example responsibilities.

Manage records of circulation and materials, maintain inventory, and correct cataloging errors.
Hire & supervise 26 staff , 16 FTE.
Supervise one FTE and six part time employees.
Investigate and troubleshoot protocols, procedures and reagents.
Work with vendors to develop licensing and to troubleshoot electronic access.
Provide oversight of the acquisitions process at all stages, including final approval.

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.

Library director vs law librarian skills

Common library director skills

Library Services, 16%
Collection Development, 7%
Professional Development, 6%
Library Operations, 6%
Academic Library, 6%
Library Resources, 5%

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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Library Director vs Law Librarian

Updated January 8, 2025

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