Where Are All the Library Jobs?

The graying of the library profession and the need for new blood has been trumpeted everywhere, from the pages of LJ to library conferences and up to the White House. As many working librarians approach and reach retirement, there would seem to be openings for recent graduates.

But that's not what's happening, as several newly graduated MLS-holders have loudly lamented on electronic mailing lists. Many unabashedly accuse LIS instructors of lying about job prospects.

Several newbie librarians on the new-lib electronic list have carped about their salaries, far lower than what they had hoped. "I'd heard about the $70K/year librarian when I enrolled in the MLS program," wrote one grad, adding that not only is that salary a myth, she can't find a job, period: "I am now holding three part-time jobs to pay for bills and my student loan."

One grad was told of lucrative salaries from large corporations. The irony, reported another, is that "I now work for a corporation, but I'm a file clerk and make $28K per year."

Others, however, dismiss the grousing as sour grapes, contending that librarianship is a vocation and low salaries are a well-known factor. Those saying they entered the field solely for money didn't properly perform a core function of librarianship—research. "I had heard that a librarian shortage was coming," said one grad, "but that didn't really influence me. The biggest decision was that my two-year stint working in [a library] during college was the most enjoyable job I've ever had."

Another agreed that it's not about the money. "I am a service-oriented person, and, more than anything, I want to be able to go home at night and say today I made a difference—whether that difference was helping a student or holding an after-hours literacy course."

Relief may be on the horizon. As Lorelle Swader, director of the American Library Association's (ALA) Human Resources and Recruitment Office, told LJ, at the recent annual conference there was a "sizable" increase in the number of jobs listed, compared with the number six months earlier at the Midwinter Meeting.

Some large library systems have stepped it up. For example, the three New York City systems were back recruiting at ALA annual.

Deborah Schwarz, president of the information professional placement service Library Associates (www.libraryassociates.com), concurs with Swader. She told LJ that, from a recruiter's standpoint, the library market currently is "active…the pace has picked up."

She claims that there is a great need for librarians, especially recent grads, unlike six months ago, when employers could take their time and conduct multiple interviews. "They're definitely looking to groom young or new grads in a lot of these positions."