Library specialist vs cataloging technician

The differences between library specialists and cataloging technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a cataloging technician has an average salary of $39,447, which is higher than the $32,884 average annual salary of a library specialist.

The top three skills for a library specialist include library materials, library services and library resources. The most important skills for a cataloging technician are OCLC, cataloging, and library materials.

Library specialist vs cataloging technician overview

	Library Specialist	Cataloging Technician
Yearly salary	$32,884	$39,447
Hourly rate	$15.81	$18.96
Growth rate	-4%	-4%
Number of jobs	19,984	5,310
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	47	50
Years of experience	-	12

Library specialist vs cataloging technician salary

Library specialists and cataloging technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Library Specialist	Cataloging Technician
Average salary	$32,884	$39,447
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $43,000	Between $23,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City	Berkeley, CA	-
Highest paying state	Washington	-
Best paying company	Brown University	-
Best paying industry	Education	-

Differences between library specialist and cataloging technician education

There are a few differences between a library specialist and a cataloging technician in terms of educational background:

	Library Specialist	Cataloging Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	English	Business
Most common college	New York University	New York University

Library specialist vs cataloging technician demographics

Here are the differences between library specialists' and cataloging technicians' demographics:

	Library Specialist	Cataloging Technician
Average age	47	50
Gender ratio	Male, 31.6% Female, 68.4%	Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 5.8% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 4.7% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	11%	11%

Differences between library specialist and cataloging technician duties and responsibilities

Library specialist example responsibilities.

Search, edit, and incorporate new OCLC catalog records into OPAC.
Access and search OCLC for bibliographic records to copy catalog and process new materials.
Derive original cataloging and edit existing cataloging records following local and national standards.
Participate in group tasks as needed, including original and copy cataloging, inventory and staff development workshops
Convert documents to HTML for submission to the on line library.
Correct HTML, CSS, and Javascript relate programming errors on student websites.

Cataloging technician example responsibilities.

Establish on-line order records using OCLC and CATME, international library database.
Populate the ILS database using NGA modify MARC 21 and AARC 2 standards.
Perform original and copy cataloging of new and donate items.
Organize and inventory art books and reference resources by cataloging materials into an update computerized system.
Customize MARC records and prepare labels per individual public library's bibliographic specifications and tracking systems.
Participate in a number of special projects pertaining to the maintenance of digital records and URLs.

Library specialist vs cataloging technician skills

Common library specialist skills

Library Materials, 12%
Library Services, 9%
Library Resources, 5%
Library Policies, 5%
University Libraries, 5%
Electronic Resources, 4%

Common cataloging technician skills

OCLC, 25%
Cataloging, 22%
Library Materials, 18%
Library System, 13%
Collection Development, 9%
Marc, 7%

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Library Specialist vs Cataloging Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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