Health Sciences Librarian

                               Health Sciences Librarian

Duties and Responsibilities: Health Sciences Librarians and Library Technicians collect and organize medical information and help practitioners find the information they need for patient care, education, research, and administration.

Librarians select and acquire books, journals, and other library material.  They also establish electronic and digital database information systems.  They organize this information into collections and develop catalogs for access and provide reference assistance to patrons.  They coordinate and control budgets and supervise library technicians. 

Library technicians assist librarians in organizing collections, shelve books, manage circulation desks, answer patrons' questions, and perform administrative duties.

Average Salary: $20,000 - $30,000 (Library Technicians)  $35,000 - $55,000 (Librarians)

Educational Requirements: Students should take challenging high school courses in information management, science, math, and English.

Health sciences library technician training varies by employer.  Some provide on the job training, but all prefer that students complete library technician programs at a community college or technical school.  Associate's degrees can be earned in many of these programs.

Health Science Librarians should earn an undergraduate degree in one of the life sciences and must earn a master's degree in library science from a program that is accredited by the American Library Association.  Some library science graduate programs offer specialized courses in health science librarianship.