What is a library director and how to become one

Key steps to become a library director

1. Explore library director education requirements

   Most common library director degrees

   Bachelor's

   55.0 %

   Master's

   28.0 %

   Associate

   9.1 %

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2. Start to develop specific library director skills

   Skills	Percentages
   Library Services	16.29%
   Collection Development	6.76%
   Professional Development	6.33%
   Library Operations	5.79%
   Academic Library	5.51%

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3. Complete relevant library director training and internships

   Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New library directors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a library director based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real library director resumes.

4. Research library director duties and responsibilities

   • Manage records of circulation and materials, maintain inventory, and correct cataloging errors.
   • Hire & supervise 26 staff , 16 FTE.
   • Supervise one FTE and six part time employees.
   • Investigate and troubleshoot protocols, procedures and reagents.

5. Get library director experience

   Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become a library director. The most common roles before becoming a library director include librarian, reference librarian team lead and library assistant.

6. Apply for library director jobs

   Now it's time to start searching for a library director job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

   1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
   2. Consult your professional network
   3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
   4. Watch out for job scams