Special collections librarian vs cataloger

The differences between special collections librarians and catalogers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a special collections librarian and a cataloger. Additionally, a special collections librarian has an average salary of $53,149, which is higher than the $34,943 average annual salary of a cataloger.

The top three skills for a special collections librarian include customer accounts, collection development and outbound calls. The most important skills for a cataloger are library catalog, RDA, and cataloging.

Special collections librarian vs cataloger overview

	Special Collections Librarian	Cataloger
Yearly salary	$53,149	$34,943
Hourly rate	$25.55	$16.80
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	14,416	93
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	2	2

Special collections librarian vs cataloger salary

Special collections librarians and catalogers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Special Collections Librarian	Cataloger
Average salary	$53,149	$34,943
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $77,000	Between $23,000 And $52,000
Highest paying City	-	New Haven, CT
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Harvard University
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between special collections librarian and cataloger education

There are a few differences between a special collections librarian and a cataloger in terms of educational background:

	Special Collections Librarian	Cataloger
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 46%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Business	History
Most common college	University of Southern California	University of Maryland - College Park

Special collections librarian vs cataloger demographics

Here are the differences between special collections librarians' and catalogers' demographics:

	Special Collections Librarian	Cataloger
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 42.0% Female, 58.0%	Male, 37.9% Female, 62.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 5.0% White, 76.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 4.9% White, 77.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between special collections librarian and cataloger duties and responsibilities

Special collections librarian example responsibilities.

Achieve proficiency cataloging electronic materials (audio records, video recordings, and streaming video) and continuing resources/serials.
Check in new journals in the database.
Provide reference and interlibrary loan services and instruct users on use of computers, database tools for research at the library.
Coordinate and prioritize cataloging and metadata for SC materials.
Achieve proficiency cataloging electronic materials (audio records, video recordings, and streaming video) and continuing resources/serials.
Collaborate with other IRC staff on special projects, publications and research for members, leaders or HQ staff.

Cataloger example responsibilities.

Manage category of materials: including books, CDs, films and other documents.
Assign subject headings using LCSH.
Cataloge books and serials for all the school district libraries.
Master the use of cataloguing resources such as WorldCat and HomeBase.
Assist librarians in other EPA libraries with the conversion of their serials list.
Assign LCSH and LCC, as well as a local classification system for legal treatises.

Special collections librarian vs cataloger skills

Common special collections librarian skills

Customer Accounts, 27%
Collection Development, 12%
Outbound Calls, 10%
Problem Accounts, 9%
Collection Efforts, 8%
Reference Assistance, 8%

Common cataloger skills

Library Catalog, 13%
RDA, 11%
Cataloging, 11%
OCLC, 8%
Online Database, 8%
Lcsh, 6%

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Special Collections Librarian
Special Collections Librarian vs Cataloger

Updated January 8, 2025

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