[What Does A School Librarian Make
Hanne Rylaarsdam
Most school librarians will see a gradual increase in their salary as their years in employment increase. Depending on the size of the school library there may also be some opportunities available for more specialized positions but in general, the school library system does not provide many opportunities for the growth of librarians employed there.
Lobbying for better school librarian pay is something any librarian can do with the correct resources. In the state of Texas, there is the Texas Education Agency that may be able to assist you in your lobbying efforts. There is also the Texas Association of School Librarians that is an essential resource for school librarians who want to help their community and advocate for better salaries in the state. Finally, there is also the Texas Library Association which can provide you with great advocacy tools for lobbying for better school librarian pay.
To increase your salary as a public librarian one of the first things that you can do is consider getting a position in an area where library funding is higher. You could also choose a larger library where you would have opportunities for employment in more specialized positions. In most cases, archivists, Special Subject Librarians, librarians dealing with research or special collections tend to receive higher pay for their services. So, depending on the library you are employed in you may wish to consider the possibility of specializing further.
As an academic librarian, you can always apply for higher-paid positions. These positions may be either higher in rank or more specialized. In many academic libraries, you are also able to get a raise as you are promoted up in the ranks. This means that every few years, as determined by your institution, you will be able to get a better position that provides higher compensation.
While tenure will not increase the salary that an academic librarian earns it can provide job stability even when the market is unstable. Therefore, it is much easier to plan for the future as you will be able to predict your earnings as a tenured librarian. Tenured librarians are highly unlikely to get fired, and even in the extreme cases that they are let go, they are usually compensated handsomely upon their exit.
Advocating for better pay for academic librarians is something that most librarians do within their institution. However, there are resources that you can access both from the Texas Council of Academic Libraries as well as from the Texas Library Association.
School librarian salaries in the state of South Carolina follow the same principles that other states follow. Essentially, the salary is determined by the school library fund, which is, in turn, is determined by the size of the school, the area the school is in, and the number of students that it is servicing. Based on those determinants as well as the years that a librarian has worked within the school their salary is determined.
The South Carolina Association of School Librarians is the main association available to school librarians who are wishing to lobby for better pay for school librarians. The South Carolina Association of School Librarians also advocates for better resources in school libraries. You can also advocate and lobby for better pay through the South Carolina Library Association. On their website you will find dedicated resources for advocacy that you can use, if you sign up you can also be a part of their meetings and interest groups.
The best way to increase your salary in a public library is by applying for higher-paid positions within the library that you are employed in. Special Collection librarians, archivists, and librarians in executive positions can all receive higher wages than front desk librarians would.
The South Carolina Library Association is the main resource available for those who wish to advocate and lobby for better public library pay. By contrast to other states, the state department of education website does not have any resources available regarding the public libraries in the area and their funding opportunities, but you can make a call to them and directly ask if there are any resources available on these topics.
Academic libraries tend to offer a lot of opportunity for growth, especially because they tend to be larger than school and even public libraries. This means that for their running they need more specialized personnel that is often paid higher amounts. Most institutions also offer Promotion through Rank, which means that the longer you spent working for the institution the more opportunities for promotions you will get. These promotions often also come with a higher salary.
In most universities to get tenured, you will need to be in the highest promotional rank and fulfill a set of guidelines that are provided by the university. Within these, you will also find the request that another member of faculty recommends you for tenure. Getting tenure means greater stability in your income, as tenured librarians are usually not able to be fired unless an extreme circumstance has occurred. Even in the case that they lose their job they still get higher compensation than non-tenured librarians would. This means that tenure can guarantee your salary and income and thus it can make it easier for you to wage your lifetime earnings.
The main organization that you can lobby for better pay through as an academic librarian is the South Carolina Library Association, this association is dedicated to advocating for better conditions for library staff. You can also lobby within your university for better pay since in private institutions salaries are not imposed by the state but rather by the institution. This is why it might be best to lobby internally for better pay, as that strategy may prove to be more effective.
The TL role is a dual one - teacher and information manager (aka librarian). It is evolving as technology evolves, includes a curriculum design and teaching role as well as the ability to manage a virtual and physical library. It is complex and time consuming and definitely not for the faint hearted. It is the best job in the school, but you will teach and interact with all students and all staff, not just a class or three. Be prepared to be challenged and become a practising lifelong learner. :) BC
Thanks for the article. I'm just starting on my journey to become a school librarian. (First MLIS course beginning in 3 weeks.) After working 7 years in an international school as the assistant to the elementary school principal I've longed to teach and am looking forward to learning the skills I will need to join the fascinating, challenging, ever changing field of teacher librarian:)
I think the role of the librarian is evolving as it should. If a school already has credentialed teachers teaching Computer science and English the librarians job isn't to teach the classes instead of teachers. I have seen elective teachers ...art and music or drama get cut so the librarian schedule can increase time with core academic classes. As much as I feel librarians are essential ...their survival does not mean replacing electives teachers in a schedule. Art , photography and drama taught by experts help students get a holistic education.
Hi!
I would love to hear more. I am a first year teacher, but I have always wanted to be a librarian. I have a family member in education who suggested I get my M.Ed + teaching cert before adding a library media endorsement to ensure job security.
Although I enjoy teaching, every time I walk past the library I dream of being in there. I have so many ideas and thoughts on how I can make our librarian more engaging and full at our school. Our librarian is great, don't get me wrong. But she is getting close to retirement and I'd like to take over when she does.
Because it's my first year, I am not sure how to approach this topic with my admin. I'd love to hear what you think!
Thanks!
Shortly thereafter, I moved to Florida and found work at a university as an academic librarian providing research assistance online to soldiers stationed around the world. Later, I transitioned to an on-campus position as a reference librarian and got to help students face-to-face. I then decided to support two student organizations on campus: Latinos Unidos and the Caribbean Student Association. I was also asked to represent the university at selected trade shows. I mention these experiences because I know that the relationships I built with these students and the conversations I had with prospective students gave me reason to believe that I could do more to impact students. I connected with them culturally and was awed by their academic drive. So, I returned to public education. This time as a school librarian.
The school library was immediately to the right of the main office. It felt like a welcome center. I assumed that a library space in a school setting would be a lot like a revolving classroom. This particular library had desktop computers, a small collection of books, and two areas with tables. One area was used for active instruction, and a smaller area was used for leisure reading or classroom work. I was initially assigned to students from sixth to eighth grades. At the time, the school ran a double-block schedule, and the library had a flexible schedule. This meant that teachers could visit and/or ask to use the library whenever and for whatever academic purpose they wanted, including collaborative work or projects with me. What I can say for sure is that it was rarely used for testing.
Inspired, I decided to dedicate more time to diversifying my library collection and sought out others, like the Florida Association in Media Education, for resources that reinforce the same. This practice has become the cornerstone of my library programming, and I continue to implore all stakeholders to join me in this endeavor.
Two years later, I selected another Ortiz book, When Julia Danced Bomba, which features Afro-Latinos, for a schoolwide event in celebration of Black History Month. The book introduces island beats, African rhythms, and the traditional Puerto Rican dance called the bomba. I shared lessons on the intersections of Black and Latin histories and cultures, and afterward I read the book aloud, followed by some bomba music and some dancing.
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