Overview
[Jump to Survey Data]
This is the second salary survey conducted by the BCLA Library Technicians and Assistants Interest Group (LTAIG). The first LTAIG survey in 1996 served as a model to provide a basis to compare responses.
The 2003 Salary Survey was distributed through the LTAIG website, electronic discussion list and at various events from April through June 2003. It included questions on educational background, employment status and related issues, and job functions and tasks. 89 completed forms were returned, which compares well with the 85 surveys returned in 1996.
Formal library training of survey respondents
|
Survey
|
MLS/BLS
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LT Diploma
|
Community Library Certificate
|
Other - some courses, no formal training, etc.
|
|
2003
|
1%
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81%
|
2%
|
16%
|
|
1996
|
7%
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31%
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15%
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47%
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There were some interesting differences in results between the surveys. For example, the vast majority of respondents (81%) in 2003 had a Library Technician Diploma, compared to 31% in 1996. And everyone who completed the 2003 survey had some formal library education compared with 84% in the 1996 survey. In 2003, 24% of respondents had been employed in the library field for 11-15 years; and 5% for 26 years or more, a record to be proud of! By contrast, in the 1996 survey, 18%had been employed 11-15 years in the library field. Obviously many library workers are satisfied with working in libraries.
Years of experience in library work
|
Survey
|
1 year or less
|
2-10 years
|
11-20 years
|
21 years or more
|
|
2003
|
14%
|
40%
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33%
|
13%
|
|
1996
|
5%
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46%
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33%
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16%
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In 2003, 91% of respondents currently work in a library setting, with 40% in academic libraries, 21% in public libraries, and 18% in school libraries. By comparison, in 1996 48% of respondents worked in public libraries.
Does this reflect the changing job market for library support staff or a shift in staffing levels? We suspect it was simply due to the ways each survey was distributed and by whom: for example, there may have been more distribution of the survey in public libraries in 1996, and there were likely more library technician students polled in 2003, which may explain the 14% with 1 year or less library experience.
Salaries
Salaries took a definite jump, as we would hope after 7 years. 54% of respondents in 2003 earned between $18 and $22 per hour. The average hourly wage was approximately $19.50. In the 1996 survey, the average wage ranged from about $15.50 to $16.75, depending on library training.
43 % of 2003 respondents have the job title of "Library Technician," versus 18% in 1996. 33% were "Library Assistants," similar to the 30% with that job title in 1996.
Data
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
1. Highest level of formal library education completed
Number of people who responded: 82
|
|
#
|
%
|
Master of
Library Science
|
0
|
0
|
Bachelor of
Library Science
|
1
|
1
|
|
Library Technician Diploma
|
66
|
81
|
|
Community Library Training Certificate
|
2
|
2
|
|
Other*
|
13
|
16
|
*Other formal library education: cataloguing courses online, in-house training, university classes in school librarianship, on the job training.
2. Taking library tech courses
Number of people who responded: 87
3. Other education completed
Number of people who responded: 86
|
|
#
|
%
|
|
Graduate/Post-Graduate Degree
|
5
|
6
|
|
Undergraduate Degree
|
22
|
26
|
|
Associates Degree / Diploma
|
6
|
7
|
|
Technical / Vocational Training
|
13
|
15
|
|
One or more years of university
|
21
|
24
|
|
One or more years of college
|
32
|
37
|
|
High School Diploma
|
84
|
--
|
|
Other**
|
8
|
9
|
|
Total choices selected*
|
191 |
* Includes multiple answers
Out of the 86 respondents, there were 9 who only had high school diplomas
**Other non library education: marketing diploma, publishing courses, university courses, Certified General Accountant courses, continuing education
[ Top ]
EMPLOYMENT STATUS
4. Number of years of library experience
Number of people who responded: 87
|
|
#
|
%
|
|
None
|
1
|
1
|
|
1 year or less
|
12
|
14
|
|
2 to 5 years
|
17
|
20
|
|
6 to 10 years
|
17
|
20
|
|
11 to 15 years
|
22
|
25
|
|
16 to 20 years
|
7
|
8
|
|
21 to 25 years
|
7
|
8
|
|
26 years or more
|
4
|
5
|
5. Currently employed in a library setting?
Number of people who responded: 88
6. Library type currently employed
Number of people who responded: 80
|
|
#
|
%
|
|
Public
|
17
|
21
|
|
Academic
|
32
|
40
|
|
School
|
14
|
18
|
|
Government
|
6
|
8
|
|
Corporate |
7
|
9
|
|
Non-profit
|
5
|
6
|
|
Law
|
4
|
5
|
|
Self-employment
|
0
|
0
|
|
Other
|
0
|
0
|
|
Total choices selected*
|
85 |
* Includes multiple answers
7. Current hourly wage Number of people who responded: 79 | #* | % | | Under $7.00 | 0 | 0 | | $7.00-7.99 | 0 | 0 | | $8.00-8.99 | 0 | 0 | | $9.00-9.99 | 0 | 0 | | $10.00 - 10.99 | 0 | 0 | | $11.00 - 11.99 | 1 | 1 | | $12.00 - 12.99 | 0 | 0 | | $13.00 - 13.99 | 2 | 3 | | $14.00-14.99 | 2 | 3 | | $15.00-15.99 | 3 | 4 | | $16.00-16.99 | 6 | 8 | | $17.00-17.99 | 7 | 9 | | $18.00-18.99 | 10 | 13 | | $19.00-19.99 | 11 | 14 | | $20.00-20.99 | 11 | 14 | | $21.00-21.99 | 10 | 13 | | $22.00-22.99 | 7 | 9 | | $23.00-23.99 | 5 | 6 | | $24 and over | 5 | 6 | | Total choices selected* | 80 |
* Includes multiple answers Wage range: $11.00 to $24.00 +
Mean or average hourly wage: $19.63 (1,570 divided by 80)
[Took average of wage ranges (i.e. 13+13.99=13.495) and multiplied by frequency (i.e. 2) to get total amount of midpoint. Then totalled the midpoints of each wage range and divided it by the total frequency.]
Mode or frequency: $19.00 to $20.99 8. Do you work... Number of people who responded: 80 | # | % | | Full-time | 79 | 90 | | Part-time | 17 | 21 | | On-call | 2 | 3 | | Total Responses* | 81 |
* Includes multiple answers
9. Is your position... Number of people who responded: 78 | # | % | | Permanent | 66 | 85 | | Temporary | 13 | 17 | | Total Responses* | 79 |
* Includes multiple answers 10. Hours worked per week Number of people who responded: 78 | # | % | | 35 hours or more | 63 | 81 | | Under 35 hours | 15 | 19 |
Note: Survey #81 had an hour per week range of 28-35. Took an average of the two: 31.5 11. If self-employed, what is your hourly billing rate? Only one responded out of the 88, with a billing rate of $17.00 [ Top ] JOB FUNCTION AND TASKS12. Job title Number of people who responded: 79 | # | % | | Library clerk | 3 | 4 | | Library assistant | 26 | 33 | | Library technician | 34 | 43 | | Librarian | 1 | 1 | | Other** | 16 | 20 | | Total choices selected* | 80 |
*Includes multiple answers **Other job titles: Research and Reference Technician, Resource Centre Clerk, Library & Information Technologist, Library / Records Technician, Supervisor, Library Senior, Cataloguer, Library Assistant in charge, Library Resource Technician, Branch Assistant, Information Assistant, Reference Assistant, Library Technical Assistant, Program Assistant, Library Services Supervisor
13. Technical / Administrative duties Number of people who responded: 75 | # | % | | Collection development / management | 24 | 32 | | Acquisitions | 31 | 41 | | Invoicing | 25 | 33 | | Cataloguing / classification | 42 | 56 | | Serials processing / management | 35 | 47 | | Records management | 22 | 29 | | Archives / conservation / preservation | 15 | 20 | | Hire / train / supervise | 32 | 43 | | Database design / management | 41 | 35 | | Website design / management | 21 | 28 | | Computer systems / support | 30 | 40 | Filing / shelving /
shelf-reading | 48 | 64 | | Other** | 27 | 36 | | Total choices selected* | 393 |
* Includes multiple answers **Other technical / administrative duties performed: assisting staff and student research, course reserves, budgeting, HTML coding, monitoring resource budget codes, tracking budget expenditures, interlibrary loans, problem solving with students and facilities, project work relating to retrospective conversion, managing e-mail requests, maintaining reserve collection, periodical binds, donations processing, systems manager, selection, processing and receiving, authority control, current awareness, word processing and spreadsheets, system administrator backup duties, designing cheatsheets and brochures, maintaining equipment, previewing videos, displays, supervising others’ tasks. 14. Public service duties Number of people who responded: 74 | # | % | | Reference | 50 | 68 | | Circulation | 54 | 73 | Inter-Library Loan /
document delivery | 36 | 49 | | Children’s services | 11 | 15 | | Adult / readers advisory | 16 | 22 | | Orientation / tours | 27 | 36 | | Retrieval services | 31 | 42 | | Displays | 25 | 34 | | User / support services | 45 | 61 | | Other** | 8 | 11 | | Total choices selected* | 303 |
* Includes multiple answers ** Other public service duties performed: audio visual bookings and training on av equipment, producing lists of new titles, Young Adult services, Information Desk, training public / teaching classes on computers, teach specific databases, conference displays 15. In-house training provided? Number of people who responded: 80 16. Continuing education opportunities Number of people who responded: 77 17. Organization unionized? Number of people who responded: 79 [ Top ]
Data compiled on December 29, 2003 This work is the property of LTAIG, c2003. Other groups may use this survey with the prior permission of LTAIG. [ Top ]
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Copyright © 2003 Library Technicians' and Assistants' Interest Group
Last updated April, 2004.
Revised January 2005.
Credits Survey Development:
Kristine Shum, Julia Popo, Brenda Wong
with assistance from
Alan Bayhon, Kyenta Goodger-Hill, Janie Jackson,
Sylvia Skene, Christina Tribe, Diane Walker Initial Compiling of Results:
Allan Bayhon, Kyenta Goodger-Hill,
Ursula Scheid, Kristine Shum Final Compiling of Results:
Kristine Shum Statistical Analysis:
Sylvia Skene, Kaliya Muntean Troubleshooting and Editing:
Kyenta Goodger-Hill, Allan Bayhon Web Format:
Kyenta Goodger-Hill
(Re-formatted for new website in 2007 by Rob Golbeck) Copyright © 2003 Library Technicians' and Assistants' Interest Group
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