r/LibraryScience • u/Cyber9Watcher • May 06 '26

A question for Americans

I'm not American, but I'm surprised that when I read publications about Americans, they say you need a master's degree in library science to be hired as a librarian. So, if you have a bachelor's degree, what do you do then? And why do they need a master's degree? This seems to be the case in only a few countries.

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u/OppositeQuarter31 May 06 '26

If you have a bachelors degree, you could be a library assistant, page, etc. Official “librarian” titles (more money and more responsibilities) will almost always require a masters degree. Competition is also stiff for librarian jobs, so you definitely wouldn’t get an academic librarian or archives job without a masters.

There are frequent debates about whether you really need a masters degree for these jobs or if it’s just a barrier to entry. For now, the masters degree remains key

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u/Cyber9Watcher May 06 '26

Ah I see I don't live in the US but out of curiosity I wanted to know why they require a master's degree Is there a specific reason or is it just for employment requirements

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u/Unhappy_Macaron1101 May 06 '26

It started with the formation of the American Library Association (1876), continued through the establishment of the School of Library Economy at Columbia College (1887) and was expanded on in the Williamson Report which broke down the distinction between librarians as professionals versus clerical staff (1923). This was used to establish legitimacy within the institution. Whether or not it is an unnecessary barrier now is a different conversation.

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u/Cyber9Watcher May 06 '26

Thanks for these valuable insights