How to hire a medical librarian

How to hire a medical librarian, step by step

Here's a step-by-step medical librarian hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a medical librarian job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new medical librarian
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your medical librarian job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a medical librarian for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A medical librarian's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, medical librarians from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of medical librarians and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Medical Librarian	Description	Hourly rate
   Medical Librarian	Librarians help people find information and conduct research for personal and professional use. Their job duties may change based on the type of library they work in, such as public, school, and medical libraries.	$17-37
   Collection Management Librarian	As a collection management librarian, one must perform the tasks associated with library services, especially in collection management. Collection management librarians monitor, analyze, and report collection management data... Show more	$19-37
   Children's Librarian	A Children's Librarian involves reading stories to young library users/patrons and returning books to their respective shelves. These librarians coordinate library references and services for caregivers and children... Show more	$16-33

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patient Care
   • Health System
   • Library Resources
   • Collection Development
   • Electronic Resources
   • Medical Literature
   • Collection Management
   • Cataloging
   • Library Materials
   • Docline
   • Library Policies
   • Research Databases
   • Medical Research
   • Reference Assistance

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage document delivery via Docline and consortia memberships.
   • Evaluate and execute no-cost online library system for cataloging and circulating library materials.
   • Develop organization's first set of library policies and procedures for acquiring, cataloging and lending materials and program development.
   • Create and maintain the department SharePoint site.
   • Provide opportunities for students to use the library for class-relate research, individual investigation, independent reading, and personal inquiry.
   • Provide opportunities for students to use the library for class-relate research, individual investigation, independent reading, and personal inquiry.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your medical librarian job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A medical librarian can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, medical librarians' average salary in arkansas is 44% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level medical librarians 53% less than senior-level medical librarians.
   • Certifications. A medical librarian with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a medical librarian's salary.

   Average medical librarian salary

   $54,614yearly

   $26.26 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level medical librarian salary

   $37,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 24, 2025

4. Writing a medical librarian job description

   A medical librarian job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a medical librarian job description:

   Medical librarian job description example

   Job DescriptionHealthcare Staffing Professionals has an immediate opening for a Medical Librarian who possesses a Master’s Degree in Library Science to provide services for a County Run Program. The program is funded through February 28, 2022 and the position will start upon acceptance and completion of the employee application and onboarding process.
   Pay Rate- Salary
   $5643.00 per month ( Working a minimum of 40 hours a week)
   
   Benefits:
   Holiday days
   Sick days (accrued)
   Vacation days (accrued)
   
   Healthcare
   Medical (Covered by Employer ), Dental and Vision, Life Insurance
   
   Shifts: M-F
   Employee will be working a minimum of 8 hours a day between the hours of 7am-7pm
   
   Job Duties: Provide electronic copies and/or photocopies of public health journal articles , book chapters, books, reports, statistics, regulations, graphics, or standards to CDPH employees and affiliates upon request Provide reference service by using specialized subject knowledge to answer reference questions for quick facts, figures tables, charts or book information Assist in selecting, purchasing, and providing access to electronic public health journals with input from CDPH employees and Affiliates Conduct searches for public health journal articles, books, book chapters, reports, statistics, regulations, graphs, and standards. Create or provide bibliographies, charts/tables, spreadsheets, EndNote libraries, or overviews on topics requested by CDPH employee Assist in troubleshooting and resolving desktop and remote access issues with CDPH electronic subscription Other duties as assigned
   
   Minimum Qualifications: A Master’s degree in Library Science awarded by a school of librarianship accredited by the American Library Association
   Desirable Qualifications Experience working with social media and new technology in basic HTML suitable for a Library environment to maximize organizational and individual impact Excellent oral and written communication Driven to explore and develop evidence based best practices Ability to work as a member of a team or committee to accomplish stated goals and deliver effective results Ability to adapt to changes in work responsibilities, work environment, processes or cultures Strong analytical and problem-solving skills Planning and organization skills Decision-making skills

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right medical librarian for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your medical librarian job on Zippia to find and recruit medical librarian candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit medical librarians, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new medical librarian

   Once you have selected a candidate for the medical librarian position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new medical librarian. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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