School librarian vs research librarian

The differences between school 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 school librarian and a research librarian. Additionally, a research librarian has an average salary of $51,263, which is higher than the $51,202 average annual salary of a school librarian.

The top three skills for a school librarian include library services, library resources and library materials. The most important skills for a research librarian are research support, library services, and collection development.

School librarian vs research librarian overview

	School Librarian	Research Librarian
Yearly salary	$51,202	$51,263
Hourly rate	$24.62	$24.65
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	20,037	45,828
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	2	2

School librarian vs research librarian salary

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

	School Librarian	Research Librarian
Average salary	$51,202	$51,263
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $75,000	Between $35,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	Sacramento, CA	Philadelphia, PA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	Poly Prep Country Day School	Harvard University
Best paying industry	Education	Professional

Differences between school librarian and research librarian education

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

	School Librarian	Research Librarian
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Library Science	Library Science
Most common college	University of Maryland - College Park	New York University

School librarian vs research librarian demographics

Here are the differences between school librarians' and research librarians' demographics:

	School Librarian	Research Librarian
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 16.3% Female, 83.7%	Male, 35.7% Female, 64.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 4.8% White, 77.3% 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 Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between school librarian and research librarian duties and responsibilities

School librarian example responsibilities.

Manage and supervise a full-time media assistant, technology technicians and parent and student volunteers.
Volunteer to host events at annual school carnival and other PTA and school events.
Guide them in researching through a non fiction books, encyclopedia entry, and the elibrary BigChalk database.
Institute the use of computers in the library for cataloging, online searching, reference, bibliographies, and administrative functions.
Direct and train library staff in duties, such as receiving, shelving, researching, cataloging, and equipment use.
Manage and supervise a full-time media assistant, technology technicians and parent and student volunteers.

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.

School librarian vs research librarian skills

Common school librarian skills

Library Services, 11%
Library Resources, 9%
Library Materials, 9%
Library Programs, 7%
Collection Development, 6%
Library Collection, 5%

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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School Librarian
School Librarian vs Research Librarian

Updated January 8, 2025

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