How to Become a Librarian: Career Guide, Courses, Scope, Jobs, Salary 2023

All About Career as a Librarian 

What does a Librarian Do? 

The librarians' typical activities include aiding clients in learning how to utilise information retrieval systems, recommending books and information sources pertinent to patron questions, and preserving collections. The librarians are also in charge of overseeing junior librarians, clerks, and other members of the library staff. The librarians should be prepared to continue their education and development in the information sciences throughout their careers, as technology advances and information needs in the Internet era evolve.

Work of Librarian :

• Providing blended learning assistance and helping individuals in locating books, electronic resources, and other items.
• obtaining, arranging, and categorizing resources to make them conveniently available
• Managing and structuring information sources such as books, magazines, newspapers, e - resources, video, audio recordings, pictures, and manuscripts.
• Organizing information resources such that they are easily accessible.
• Answering questions and supporting library customers.
• Keeping up with the latest publications.
• Increasing the utilisation of the library.
• Organizing activities such as reading groups.

Step to Follow to Become a Librarian 

There are some simple yet important steps to become a librarian.

• Decision Making - Students can decide to become a librarian after completing the 12th standard exam. Students can not take the librarian course directly after 10th examinations as a bachelor's degree is compulsory for becoming a librarian.
• Subject Choices - B.L.I.Sc. and B.Lib. are popular library science degrees in India. It is advised that you do one of the above-mentioned courses if you want to have a strong career in this field. 
• Entrance examination: The candidates are required to start preparing for various entrance examinations  proctored by individual colleges such as the Aligarh Muslim University B.Lib entrance or the Calcutta University BLISc entrance Examination.   
• Selecting Correct Colleges - Degree in library courses can be achieved from any private or public college providing bachelors or masters in library science. The admission procedure at reputable institutes is merit-based. Seats are assigned to deserving individuals depending on their achievement in the admission exam or selection procedure. 
• After Qualifying exam - After completing the degree in library science, students can apply for jobs in schools or private institutions. Students may also pursue higher courses to get a good package in an institution. 

Types of a Librarians 

Below are some types based of the work of librarian:-

• Academic Librarians are often employed at educational institutions where they administer libraries and other instructional materials.
• A digital librarian is someone who maintains and organises digital libraries or resources by dealing with storage, access, and digital knowledge.
• Music librarians monitor, organise, maintain, and acquire music-related resources.
• Law Librarians are legal experts who are in charge of keeping and conserving legal books and information.
• Library administrators oversee the library's different tasks, such as book management, collecting, and preservation. They are in charge of the library's cataloguing and public relations.

How to Become a Librarian in India? 

The particular procedures you must take to become a librarian differ significantly depending on the type of librarian you wish to be. The career of librarian can be achieved with the sequence degree or courses as follows:

UG Preparation 

The courses offered at the UG level to pursue the career as a librarian have been mentioned below:

Bachelor's Degree 

Bachelor of Library Science (B.Lib.) & Bachelor of Library and Information Science (B.L.I.Sc.) are well-known and popular degrees. To become a librarian, you must first complete one of the courses listed above. The course lasts one year. 

If you do not already have a bachelor's degree, you must get one in order to pursue the master's degree required for librarian employment. You can even acquire a degree online. Although bachelor's degree programmes in the library and information sciences are available, they do not qualify you to work as a librarian. Bachelor's degrees in English, education, history, anthropology, and other social sciences are prevalent among librarians.

Diploma and certificate courses 

Diploma in Library Science, Diploma in Library and Information Science, Certificate in Library Science & Certificate in Library and Information Science are some other famous courses. Some programmes may allow you to pursue certain concentrations or endorsements. Whether you desire to be a school librarian, a public library, or an archivist, such recommendations will be useful.

PG Preparation 

The majority of prospective school librarians are expected to have a master's degree in library science. Most librarian professions need a bachelor's degree in any field and a master's degree in library science or information studies. 

Master of Library Science, Master of Library and Information Science, M.Phil. Library and Information Science & PhD in Library and Information Science are very famous masters degree courses. Some programmes may allow you to pursue certain concentrations or endorsements. Whether you desire to be a school librarian, a public library, or an archivist, such recommendations will be useful.

Courses to Become a Librarian

There are several undergraduate courses available to pursue the career as Librarian. The duration of the course can be 1-2 years. Some of them have been discussed below:

Bachelor in Library Science (B.Lib.) 

Bachelor of Library Science (B.Lib) is a one-year degree given to students who excel in the field of library science. The primary goal of B.Lib is to provide applicants with the necessary abilities for the particular sector. The need for professionals in this sector is increasing by the day.

Admission Process 

Bachelor of Library Science admission is a merit-based admission procedure in which institutes compile a merit list based on the qualifying test grades given by candidates. The institutes contact the applicants on the merit list and guide them through the rest of the admission procedure until seats are assigned.

Eligibility criteria 

Candidates must have completed their degree from any recognised university using the 10+2+3 education pattern in order to be eligible for the Bachelor of Library Science programme. To be considered eligible for B.Lib.Sc admission, students must have at least 50 percent aggregate marks in their qualifying degree exam.

Bachelor of Library and Information Science (BLIS) 

Bachelor of Library and Information Science (B.Lib.I.Sc.) is a one-year undergraduate programme that teaches applicants about library management and supervision. In general, the course is split into two semesters. The Bachelor of Library and Information Science (B.Lib.I.Sc.) degree is primarily concerned with the maintenance and care of libraries.

Admission Process 

Every college has its unique admissions process. However, in the majority of situations, the procedure is very similar. Students must complete the application form and wait for the college to announce the cut-off date. If they pass the cut-off, they will be able to enrol in a college of their choosing. In some circumstances, there may also be an admission exam.

Eligibility criteria 

Each institution or institution has its own set of eligibility requirements that prospective candidates must meet. The following are the main qualifying requirements for the Bachelor of Library and Information Science [B.Lib.I.Sc] programme:

• The candidate must have a bachelor's degree in any field.
• Candidates must have a graduating grade point average of 50-55 percent.
• Candidates must also meet the admission requirements for the specific college to which they wish to apply.
• Several colleges have their own admission exams that must be passed.

Master in Library Science and Information science

MLibSc, or Master of Library Science, is a postgraduate level library science degree study. The course is available at several universities and institutions in India as a full-time or part-time (distance learning) programme. The course provides a basis for individuals who want to pursue a career in research or education. However, for individuals who desire to seek careers, the course also provides attractive career prospects.

Admission Process 

Admissions to MLIS (Master of Library and Information Science) programmes are based on merit lists issued by universities and institutions. For admission to this programme, a few colleges have their own entrance examinations. You may simply apply for admissions once the institution has issued the applications for the entrance test or the merit list.

Entrance Exam

The majority of the time, admission to this degree is based on merit, although a few schools and universities have their own entrance examinations to provide this degree. Below are the details for Pondicherry University M. Lib.I.Sc Entrance exam-

Eligibility criteria 

To obtain a Master of Library And Information Science degree, you must satisfy the following qualifying requirements:

• A Bachelor's degree with a minimum of 50%-60% aggregate marks.
• You must be between the ages of 20 and 22 to apply for this programme.
• Candidates possessing a Bachelor of Library and Information Science or Bachelor of Library Science degree will be given preference.
• A minimum of 50 percent in high school is also regarded as a criterion for entrance to this programme.

How To Apply 

The admission to the Librarian courses at the various academic levels are done on the basis either merit list or  entrance  examination. The admission process remains more or less the same for all the courses. Let us go through the steps

• Registration: The candidates are required to visit the college website from where they want to study and see the admission criteria (Merit based or entrance based). In either case the candidates are required to fill up a registration form by filling up their email and mobile number. After that a Login Id would be generated for the candidates  
• Application fill up: After getting the login ID the candidates are required to fill up their form by providing the necessary details. The candidates are required to fill up the location for their entrance exam
• Upload Documents: The candidates after filling up the application form are required to upload various documents in the correct format and size on the website.
• Payment of the Application fees: The candidates are required to check the application form and make the payment in favour of the college or the entrance exam board. 
• After that the candidates are required to take out a receipt of the application form for future reference.
• If qualified in the entrance examination, then the candidates are required to appear for the counselling process. 

Note: 

• In the case of admission through merit list candidates are required to follow the above steps
• The college will declare a merit list of the qualified students after some time.
• The candidates who have made it to the list can confirm their admission by paying the admission fee.

How to Prepare for the entrance exam

The following are some of the simple steps that the candidates are required to follow to crack the entrance exam 

• The candidates should visit the college website and download the entrance exam syllabus.
• Candidates are required to find out about the weightage of the subjects and prepare a plan accordingly. 
• The candidates are required to prepare a time table of the various subjects and must keep one day a week for revision of all the subjects covered in a week.
• The candidates must appear for frequent mock tests so that they can practice time management 
• The candidates are required to complete the syllabus at least one month before the entrance examination. 
• During the entrance , the candidates must answer the easier questions and then proceed to the tougher questions. In this way they can save time for revision 

How to Become a Librarian Abroad

Apart from India one can choose to pursue librarian courses abroad as well. Some of the top countries like UK, USA etc offers several courses to become a Librarian. To study abroad one must meet certain criteria, listed below are few of them for your reference,

• Consistently good academic records throughout. Students with 70% and above are however preferred in some of the top colleges offering librarian courses abroad
• One must clear various language proficiency tests such as IELTS or TOEFL to be able to study abroad

 Some of the top countries to pursue a career as Librarian in Abroad has been mentioned below along with their fees structure and courses offered. 

UK

The following are the list of colleges offering Librarian Courses in UK

USA

The Following are the list of Colleges offering Librarian courses in the USA

Australia 

The following are the list of colleges offering Librarian Courses in Australia

Canada 

The following are the list of colleges in Canada offering Librarian courses in Canada

Benefits of Becoming a Librarian

Salary 

In India, a Librarian can get a salary between Rs. 2 to 4 lacs per annum. In the United States, a Librarian can expect an average salary of $48 k on an annual basis.

Salaries will vary upon the working area, education, experience and many other factors. With holding a masters degree and good experience as a Librarian you can earn a very good salary package.

Job Security 

In terms of librarian job security, observes that much of the empirical work done among librarians in developed countries has focused primarily on the antecedents of job satisfaction, such as differences in job satisfaction between male and female librarians and between librarians of different units and divisions in the library. Furthermore, most of the research has focused on the relationship between librarians' job satisfaction and their age, work experience, pay, and possibilities for advancement in the library.

Positive Impact of the career 

Librarians are in high demand right now. They can also work as research assistants for professors or in publishing companies, where they will produce bibliographies and catalogues. This industry offers a variety of job opportunities. You may be in charge of a unique service or collection. You can explore a range of career possibilities within library organisations.

Unique Experience 

There are several chances to work while pursuing your degrees that will not pay more, but will provide an excellent opportunity to learn about how to become a librarian while still in school.

Skills Required to Become a Librarian

Some of the top skills required to become an efficient librarian are tabulated below for your reference,

Average Salary of a Librarian 

Librarians can work as a university/college librarian and as the Head of the Department of Library. Marketing, online content management and design, knowledge management, database development, reference tool development, information systems, publishing, and Internet coordination are some of the business industries you might work in.

Job Roles of a Librarian 

Average Annual Salary

A Librarian's pay is decided by the organisation for which they serve. The wage scale can be determined by the merit of the candidates, their degree of comprehension, educational qualifications, and job experience. In India, the average salary for a Librarian is about 21,800 INR per month. Salaries vary from INR 11,300  to INR 33,300

Specialisation Wise 

A Librarian's annual pay is INR 194,000 when their education level is Certificate or Diploma. A person with a Bachelor's Degree earns INR  350,000 a year, which is 80% more than someone with a Certificate or Diploma degree.

Gender Wise Salary 

Though gender should not have an impact on wages, it does. So, who makes more money: men or women? On average, men librarians in India earn 10% less than their female counterparts.

Experience Wise 

A Librarian with less than two years of experience may expect to earn around INR 154,000 per year. While someone with 2 to 5 years of training is projected to earn 34% more than someone with less than 2 years of experience. Looking ahead, anyone with 5 to ten years of experience earns 30% more than others with 2 to 5 years of experience.

After becoming a Librarian 

Librarians are currently in high demand in both the public and private sectors. They can also work as research assistants for academics or in publishing businesses, where they will prepare bibliographies and catalogues. The degree will be sufficient to gain a position as a librarian at educational institutions, public libraries, and other related organisations.

There are several employment options available in this industry. If you desire to pursue higher education, courses such as M.Phil and PhD are accessible.

M.Phil in Library and Information Science

M.Phil in Library and Information Science encompasses two major fields: library and information science. Initially, library science is an interdisciplinary area where it applies the practices over the information technology, tools of management, education and other areas of library management such as collection, organization, preservations and gathering pieces of information from different resources.

This course aims to build in the management, organizational and preservation skills of the candidate. This course enables the students to organize information which involves classification, cataloguing, recording and maintenance of materials and books.

PhD Library & Information Science

PhD Library and Information Science mainly focuses on two major fields like library and information science. It is an interdisciplinary study that offers advanced knowledge on library management practices over information technology, management tools, education etc. 

•  This research program prepares the students for advanced research work, teaching and administration. 
• This course study helps the students to conduct independent research work and analysis to understand the intricacies of cataloguing information and make it accessible to people. 
• During this course study, the students will learn to interact with people by using information and get to know how it impacts fundamentally on society. 
• The course study is specially designed to develop the management, organizational and preservation skills among the students. 
• The course teaches the students to organize information that involves classification, cataloguing, recording and maintenance of books and other study materials.
• The course is perfect for those students who have excellent communication skills and knowledge on various scholarly and public information resources.