Librarian retirements are at what some believe to be an all-time high. Many in the field are also concerned about the apparent extent to which library jobs are being restructured and, sometimes, eliminated. In this seemingly unstable climate, several questions come to mind:
- How many jobs are there for library workers generally—and librarians in particular?
- How many of those jobs will be vacated in the foreseeable future?
- How many library jobs will be created or lost?
- Are there enough people to fill the library positions that will be available?
- How well (or poorly) are these jobs compensated?
Data that can help decision-makers begin to address these questions are available in Occupational Employment, Training, and Earnings Data accessible via the Bureau of Labor Statistics website. (See http://data.bls.gov/oep/noeted/empoptd.jsp.)
BLS defines 3 library occupations—librarian, library technician, and library assistant (clerical). For definitions of these occupations, see the full report.
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