Library Professionals: Facts & Figures
2024 Fact Sheet
Highlights:
Between 2022 and 2023, employment among librarians, library technicians, and library assistants declined, with librarian employment decreasing at the greatest rate (10.8 percent) during this period.
In 2023, librarians who were union members earned 27 percent more per week than their non-union counterparts. Union library professionals are more likely than their non-union counterparts to be covered by a retirement plan, health insurance, and paid sick leave.
The librarian profession suffers from a persistent lack of racial and ethnic diversity that has not changed significantly over the past 15 years. Librarians and other library professionals also tend to be slightly older than the general workforce.
Librarians and other library professionals provide essential services for schools, universities, and communities. Americans go to libraries for free, reliable, and well-organized access to books, the Internet, and other sources of information and entertainment; assistance finding work; research and reference assistance; and programs for children, immigrants, seniors and other groups with specific needs, just to name a few.
This fact sheet explores the role of library staff in the workforce, the demographics, educational attainment and wages of librarians, as well as the benefits of union membership for librarians and other issues faced by library staff.
Library Occupations and Library Usage: By the Numbers
Library Employment
In 2023, there were approximately 146,500 librarians, 32,400 library technicians, and 73,400 library assistants employed in public libraries, primary and secondary schools, institutions of higher education, museums and archives, as well as in libraries operated by private corporations, government agencies, religious groups and other organizations.
Employment of professionals has been gradually declining after hitting a peak of 394,900 in 2006.[1]
Of the three occupation groups, librarian employment decreased at the greatest rate (10.8 percent) between 2022 and 2023.
Library Programs
In 2022, more than 17,500 U.S. public libraries circulated about 2.2 billion print and electronic materials and offered 3.3 million programs, attended by about 64 million members of the public. Children’s programs accounted for 49 percent of all programs offered, serving over 35 million children and parents.[2]
Electronic media, computer use and internet access are an increasing component of library materials and services, and e-books now comprise 57 percent of all collection materials. In addition, library patrons accessed over 273,000 public computers over 83 million times during 2022.[3]
Libraries provide important training and educational programs for the public. A 2020 survey by the Public Library Association revealed that more than 88 percent of public libraries offer at least basic digital literacy training, and in many cases more advanced technology training.[4] Additionally, a 2022 survey also by the Public Library Association revealed that 78 percent of public libraries provide job and career services; 24 percent have workforce development programs; and 51 percent offer assistance with health insurance enrollment.[5]
In a 2016 Pew Research survey, 77 percent of Americans aged 16 and older believed libraries provided necessary resources. Among young people (aged 16 to 29), 84 percent believed libraries provided them with necessary resources.[6]
In 2016, 46 percent of adults said they used a public library or bookmobile in the previous 12 months. Millennials (born 1981-1996) had the highest usage rate of any generation over the age of 18 at the time of the study, at 53 percent.[7]
Duties and Roles of Library Professionals
While specific roles and responsibilities may change depending on the size and setting of libraries, librarians and other library professionals’ main role is to help people find information and conduct research on a variety of personal, professional, and academic subjects. Library professionals also teach classes, organize library collections, and tailor programs to a variety of audiences, including young children, students, professionals, and the elderly.[8]
Librarians are also often responsible for multiple aspects of management, including ordering books and other materials; purchasing new technology; supervising library technicians, assistants, and volunteers; and managing library budgets.[9]
Library technicians assist librarians in the operation of libraries, and their tasks include assisting visitors, organizing library materials, and performing administrative and clerical functions. Library assistants have similar roles as library technicians, but may have fewer independent responsibilities. [10]
Where Library Professionals Work
Librarian employment in 2023 was split between public libraries (38 percent); elementary and secondary schools (27 percent); colleges, universities, and professional schools (24 percent); and other libraries and archives, including those at businesses, law firms, nonprofit organizations, and scientific organizations (11 percent).[11]
Employment of library technicians in 2023 was split between public libraries (46 percent); elementary and secondary schools (12 percent); colleges, universities, and professional schools (11 percent); and other libraries and archives, including those at businesses, nonprofit organizations, and scientific organizations (31 percent).
Employment of library assistants in 2023 was split between public libraries (39 percent); colleges, universities, and professional schools (20 percent); elementary and secondary schools (16 percent); and other libraries and archives, including those at businesses, nonprofit organizations, and public administration agencies (25 percent).[12]
In 2023, 25 percent of librarians, 53 percent of library technicians, and 56 percent of library assistants worked part-time.[13]
Diversity and Demographics of Library Professionals
The librarian profession suffers from a persistent lack of racial and ethnic diversity that has not changed significantly over the past 15 years.[14]
Just over 81 percent of librarians identified as white in 2023. Library technicians and assistants were slightly more diverse. Among library assistants, 73 percent identified as white in 2023.[15]
In 2023, seven percent of librarians identified as Black or African American and 11 percent identified as Hispanic or Latino of any race. Additionally, librarians identifying as Asian American or Pacific Islander made up 5.5 percent.[16]
Librarians are slightly less diverse than the workforce of professionals in all education, training, and library occupations, which is 80 percent white. Black and African American professionals make up 11 percent of the total education, training, and library workforce, while Hispanic and Asian professionals represented 12 percent and six percent, respectively.[17]
Librarians and other library professionals are only slightly older than the general workforce. While Americans over 55 accounted for 23 percent of the total workforce in 2023, 26 percent of librarians were over the age of 55.[18]
Educational Attainment
In many settings, librarians are required to hold at least a master’s degree in library science or meet state teaching license standards for being a school librarian.[19] Many other library workers, including lower-paid library technicians and library assistants have high educational attainment as well.
In 2023, 63.6 percent of librarians held a master’s degree or higher, 17.0 percent held a bachelor’s degree, and 4.5 percent held an associate’s degree.[20]
In comparison, in 2023, 6.9 percent of library technicians held a master’s degree or higher, 23.8 percent held a bachelor’s degree, 12.8 percent held an associate’s degree, and 47.6 percent had a high school diploma or equivalent as their highest degree attained.
In 2023, 9.8 percent of library assistants held a master’s degree or higher, 37.3 percent held a bachelor’s degree, 11.1 percent held an associate’s degree, and 9.6 percent had a high school diploma or equivalent as their highest degree attained.[21]
Women and Library Professions
In 2023, women accounted for 82.5 percent of all librarians, and 83.2 percent of library assistants, which was above the average of 72.8 percent for women employed in all education and library professions.[22] The library professions have predominantly employed women for years. In comparison, in 1995, women were 83.9 percent of librarians, and in 2003, women were 84.4 percent of librarians.[23]
Women represented 82.5 percent of graduates in Master of Library Science (MLS) programs in 2021-2022. However, Black women and Asian or Pacific Islander women only accounted for 4.6 percent and 2.7 percent of all MLS graduates, respectively. Hispanic women made up 8.4 percent of the 2022 class.[24]
Library Worker Earnings and the Wage Gap
In 2023, the mean hourly wage for librarians working full-time was $32.97 and the mean annual salary was $68,570. The mean hourly wage was $20.46 for library technicians and $17.29 for library assistants.[25]
Regional Variance in Salaries
Librarian earnings vary significantly from region to region. The District of Columbia had the highest mean annual earnings for full-time librarians at $93,640 in 2023, followed by Washington, California, Maryland, and New York. These salaries were not adjusted for differences in cost of living across states.
Institutional Variance in Compensation
Library staff compensation also varied based on the type of library employer. On average, librarians working full-time at colleges, universities, and professional schools earned $73,890 in 2023, elementary and secondary school librarians earned $71,800 and librarians employed by local governments (excluding education) made $62,360.[26]
Gender Inequality
Pay inequity remains a persistent and pervasive problem in society. In 2023, median weekly earnings for women in all occupations were 83.6 percent of men’s earnings.[27] For most women of color, the earnings gap is even larger: Black or African American women earned just 74 cents for every dollar earned by men of all races in 2023 and Hispanic and Latina women earned just 66.6 cents on the dollar.[28] Asian women were the only racial group to earn more than men of all races, but they still earned only 79.4 cents to the dollar reported by Asian men.[29]
Though library occupations are predominantly held by women, a wage gap still exists in the profession. In 2022, women working as full-time library assistants (35 hours or more per week) reported median annual earnings that were only 82.3 percent of the median annual earnings reported by men.[30] Between 2021 and 2022, the wage gap for librarians has narrowed considerably, from 88 percent of the median annual earnings reported by men in 2021 to 97.7 percent in 2022.[31]
The American Library Association-Allied Professional Association published the 6th edition of their Advocating for Better Salaries Toolkit in April 2017. The toolkit includes sections on how to determine fair compensation for librarians, advocating for raises, identifying pay inequities and salary negotiation tips. Importantly, the toolkit identifies union organizing and collective bargaining as an effective means to increase librarian pay and increase equity in the workplace.[32]
Health Benefits
In 2022, 72.2 percent of librarians had health insurance through a current or former employer or union, and librarians working 35 hours per week or more had a much higher coverage rate of 91.3 percent. In 2022, 3.2 percent of librarians were uninsured.[33]
Among library technicians in 2022, just 68 percent received health insurance through a current or former employer or union. Though 85 percent of library technicians working full-time received health insurance through their employer or union, a total of 3.6 percent of library technicians were uninsured in 2022.[34]
Among library assistants in 2022, 63.3 percent had employer-provided health insurance, though the rate was higher for full-time library assistants at 82.7 percent, leaving 4.5 percent of library assistants uninsured in 2022.[35]
The Union Difference
Unions are an important way for library professionals to negotiate collectively for better pay, benefits, and working conditions. Unions work to elevate library professions and secure working conditions that make it possible to provide professional service.
In 2023, professionals working in education, training, and library occupations had the highest unionization rate for any professional occupation group, 36.5 percent.[36]
In 2023, 27 percent of librarians were union members.[37]
Wages and Benefits
Union librarians and library workers have leveraged their collective voices to earn fair wages and stronger benefits. Wages and benefits earned by union librarians and library workers are more commensurate with the skilled and professional nature of library work.
In 2023, librarians who were union members earned 27 percent more per week than their non-union counterparts and union library assistants earned 42 percent more per week than their non-union counterparts.[38] While these statistics are subject to volatility due to small sample sizes, trends in the data show that it pays to be a union library professional.
Union members are more likely than their non-union counterparts to be covered by a retirement plan, health insurance, and paid sick leave. In 2023, 95 percent of union members in the civilian workforce had access to a retirement plan, compared with only 70 percent of non-union workers. Similarly, 95 percent of union members had access to employer provided health insurance, compared to 71 percent of non-union workers. Additionally, 92 percent of union members in the civilian workforce had access to paid sick leave compared to 78 percent of non-union workers.[39]
Union Library Professionals Success Stories
In many states, collective bargaining rights of public sector employees, including professionals at public libraries, are established by state and municipal laws rather than at the federal level. This creates additional barriers for public sector workers to join together in union. While some states have anti-union laws in place that restrict the extent to which public sector employees can collectively bargain, that trend has been changing over the last few years, as some states have passed pro-worker legislation. Featured below are some legislative and organizing highlights from union library professionals over the past few years.
In late April 2024, library professionals in the state of Maryland won collective bargaining rights when the state’s Library Workers Empowerment Act was signed into law. Before this law existed, the right of library professionals to collectively bargain in this state was determined on a county-by-county basis. Library professionals across Maryland will now be able to collectively negotiate with their employers for better pay and benefits and improved working conditions through union representation. Additionally, in 2022, after fighting for years for their right to collectively bargain in Baltimore County, Maryland, public library employees voted to unionize and join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW).[40] IAMAW worked with Maryland public library employees to help advocate for the collective bargaining rights of library workers and the passage of the 2024 Library Workers Empowerment Act.
Advocacy for public sector collective bargaining has also been gaining momentum in the state of Virginia over the past few years, as a growing number of counties and municipalities have been passing laws granting collective bargaining rights to more public sector employees, including public library workers.[41] This activity is due to a state law that went into effect in May 2021 allowing counties, municipalities, and towns to recognize labor unions as bargaining representatives for public employees. A major victory for Virginia’s public sector professionals in education and library services took place in June 2024, when over 27,000 public sector school employees, including school librarians, in Virginia’s Fairfax County voted overwhelmingly to join in union and be represented jointly by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association.[42]
Additionally, in March 2023, the state of Michigan repealed its anti-union right-to-work law, which allowed employees in unionized workplaces to opt out of paying dues while still reaping the benefits of union representation. When the law went into effect in February 2024, Michigan’s union library professionals – and unionized employees more broadly – became part of stronger unions that are now better able to support the needs of their members.
Gains made by union library professionals in their first contracts
Library professionals have seen organizing victories and contract gains across the U.S. Unions including AFT, IAMAW, Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU), and the United Steelworkers (USW) represent a growing number of library professionals in both public and private sector libraries. Many union library professionals who have recently ratified their first contracts have seen significant gains, including increases in pay and starting salaries, guaranteed annual wage increases, and job protections.
In January 2024, library professionals and library workers represented by the Ohio Federation of Teachers (part of AFT) at the Grandview Heights Public Library in Grandview Heights, Ohio ratified their first contract. They won new benefits of paid parental leave and partial tuition reimbursement, as well as 12 percent raises over the course of the contract.[43]
In June 2023, college staff, including library professionals, represented by OPEIU at the Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, Washington ratified their first contract, which included a retroactive base wage increase of four percent to the previous year and an additional three percent wage increase in the first year of the contract. They also secured protective measures against layoffs in the event of the introduction of new technology that could impact staffing, and the agreement established a Labor Management Committee to promote improved working conditions.[44]
In July 2022, librarians, archivists, and curators across all three University of Michigan campuses ratified their first contract after voting the previous year to join in union with AFT Local 6244, the Lecturers’ Employee Organization. Among other substantial gains, the librarians, archivists, and curators on the lowest end of the pay scale received raises between nine and 30 percent. Additionally, collective bargaining granted academic freedom to these library professionals, a right previously afforded only to university faculty.[45]
In January 2022, library professionals represented by USW at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh ratified their first contract, which included “standardizing positions into ‘Job Grades’ and increasing starting wages, most significantly among the lowest-paid positions; wage increases for current workers guaranteed by four raises over the life of the four-year agreement; limitations to health insurance rate hikes, and the addition of Christmas Eve and Juneteenth as paid holidays.”[46]
[1] U.S. Census Bureau. Current Population Survey Microdata. 2023. Available at https://data.census.gov/mdat
[2] The Institute of Museum and Library Services. (2024). Public Libraries in the United States: Fiscal year 2022. Available at https://www.imls.gov/research-evaluation/data-collection/public-libraries-survey/explore-pls-data/pls-data
[3] Ibid.
[4] Public Library Association. (2021). 2020 Public Library Technology Survey Summary Report. Available at https://alair.ala.org/items/011dcef4-7a0f-4570-b351-a50372496217
[5] Public Library Association. (2023). Public Library Services for Strong Communities Report: Results from the
2022 PLA Annual Survey. Available at https://www.ala.org/sites/default/files/pla/content/data/PLA_Services_Survey_Report_2023.pdf
[6] Horrigan, John B. “Libraries 2016.” Pew Research Center. September 9, 2016. Available at https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2016/09/PI_2016.09.09_Libraries-2016_FINAL.pdf
[7] Geiger, Abigail. “Millennials are the most likely generation of Americans to use public libraries.” FactTank. Pew Research Center. June 21, 2017. Available at https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/06/21/millennials-are-the-most-likely-generation-of-americans-to-use-public-libraries/. Note that members of Gen Z (born 1997-2012) were not part of this study.
[8] U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, “Librarians.” 2023. Available at: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/librarians.htm
[9] Ibid.
[10] U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Occupational Outlook Handbook, Library Technicians and Assistants.” 2023. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/library-technicians-and-assistants.htm
[11] U.S. Census Bureau. Current Population Survey Microdata. 2023. Available at https://data.census.gov/mdat
For the purposes of this factsheet, all private sector libraries and archives are included in the “other private and nonprofit libraries” classification, though some private, not-for-profit libraries (such as the Carnegie system of libraries in Pittsburgh) play the role of public libraries in their communities.
[12] Ibid.
[13] Ibid.
[14] In comparison, librarians were 85.3 percent white in 2015, 84 percent white in 2010 and 88.3 percent white in 2005. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey Microdata. 2005-2015. Available at https://data.census.gov/mdat
[15] U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Table 11: Employed persons by detailed occupation, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, Annual Averages, 2023. Available at https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11.pdf
[16] Ibid.
[17] Ibid.
[18] U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Table 11b: Employed persons by detailed occupation and age, 2023. Available at https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11b.htm
[19] U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, “Librarians.” 2023.
[20] U.S. Census Bureau. Current Population Survey Microdata. 2023. Available at https://data.census.gov/mdat
[21] Ibid.
[22] U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Table 11: Employed persons by detailed occupation, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, Annual Averages, 2023. Available at https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11.pdf
[23] U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, Annual Averages, 1995, and 2003, Table 11, op. cit.
[24] U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics. Tables 323.30 and 323.50. 2021-2022. Available at https://https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/2023menu_tables.asp
[25] Occupational Employment Statistics. Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2023. Available at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_stru.htm
[26] Ibid.
[27] U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, Table 37, “Median weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers by selected characteristics.” 2023. Available at http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat37.pdf
[28] Ibid.
[29] Ibid.
[30] U.S. Census Bureau. Full-Time, Year-Round Workers & Median Earnings by Sex & Occupation. American Community Survey. 2022. Available at https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/industry-occupation/median-earnings.html
[31] Ibid.
[32] Bartholomew, Amy, Jennifer Dorning, Julia Eisenstein, & Shannon Farrell. “Advocating for Better Salaries Toolkit.” ALA Allied Professional Association. April 2017. Available at https://alair.ala.org/items/4c36b254-8692-41e7-bcb2-d570b4cc4498
[33] U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, Public Use Microdata, 2022. Available at https://data.census.gov/mdat/
[34] Ibid.
[35] Ibid.
[36] U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Table 42. Union affiliation of employed wage and salary workers by occupation and industry.” 2023. Available at https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat42.htm
[37] Hirsch, Barry and Macpherson, David. Union Membership, Coverage, Density, and Employment by Occupation, 2023. Union Membership and Coverage Database from the CPS. Available at http://unionstats.com/
[38] U.S. Census Bureau. Current Population Survey Microdata. 2023. Available at https://data.census.gov/mdat.
[39] U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. National Compensation Survey: Employee Benefits in the United States, March 2023. Available at https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ebs2.pdf
[40] DeVille, Taylor. “Baltimore County Library Staff Votes to Form Union.” Baltimore Sun. January 7, 2022. Available at https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/baltimore-county/bs-md-co-county-library-staff-unionize-20220107-unnyd7xavvbsrcj3amgwda7fry-story.html
[41] Overman, Stephenie. “In Virginia, ‘Patchwork’ of Ordinances Makes Public-Sector Organizing a Maze.” Virginia Mercury. January 16, 2023. Available at https://virginiamercury.com/2023/01/16/in-virginia-patchwork-of-ordinances-makes-public-sector-organizing-a-maze/
[42] “More than 27,500 Fairfax County (Va.) Education Workers Overwhelmingly Win Historic Union Elections.” American Federation of Teachers. June 10, 2024. Available at https://www.aft.org/press-release/more-27500-fairfax-county-va-education-workers-overwhelmingly-win-historic-union
[43] “First Union Contract Goes Into Effect for Grandview Heights Public Library Workers.” Ohio Federation of Teachers, AFT. January 2, 2024. Available at https://www.oft-aft.org/press/first-union-contract-goes-effect-grandview-heights-public-library-workers
[44] Collective Bargaining Agreement Between the Cornish College of the Arts and Office and Professional Employees International Union Local no. 8, AFL-CIO, For the period of July 25, 2023 through August 31, 2025. Available at https://www.cornish.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Cornish-CBA-OPEIU8-_2023-2025.pdf
[45] Dodge, Samuel. “17% Salary Increase Part of First-ever Librarian Union Deal with University of Michigan.” Michigan Live. July 29, 2022. Available at https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2022/07/17-salary-increase-part-of-first-ever-librarian-union-deal-with-university-of-michigan.html
[46] “Carnegie Library Workers Ratify First Labor Agreement.” United Steelworkers. January 7, 2022. Available at https://m.usw.org/news/media-center/releases/2022/carnegie-library-workers-ratify-first-labor-agreement