How many libraries are there in the United States? The following data are taken from ALA Fact Sheet 1: Number of Libraries in the United States, which should be checked for sources, qualifications, etc.:
| Academic libraries | 3,617 | |
| Public libraries (not counting branches) | 9,208 | |
| School library media centers | 99,783 | |
| Public schools 82,569 | ||
| Private schools 17,054 | ||
| Special libraries* | 9,066 | |
| Armed Forces & government libraries | 1,455 | |
| Total libraries | 123,129 | |
* Includes corporate, medical, law, religious, etc.
In addition, The Whole Library Handbook points out that there are an estimated number of 760 network and cooperative organizations.
How many people work in libraries? See ALA Fact Sheet 2: Number Employed in Libraries for sources of the data:
| Librarians | Other staff | Total | |
| Academic libraries | 26,469 | 67,121 | 93,590 |
| Public libraries | 46,185 | 94,257 | 140,442 |
| School libraries | 61,701 | 34,208 | 95,909 |
| Special libraries | est. 15,307 | Not avail. | Not avail. |
To get a New Jersey slant on these and other numbers, see NJLA's library trivia.
What salaries are earned by librarians? Every year, usually in the October 15th issue, Library Journal publishes a compendium of salary and placement data for graduates of ALA-accredited library schools in the preceding year. The 2008 issue reports an average beginning 2007 salary of $42,361 with average full-time salaries of 2007 graduates/respondents highest in the West and Northeast. The average for men was $45,192 for women $41,731.
In July 2009, the American Library Association released results of their annual salary survey http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2009/july2009/salsurvey_apa.cfm, showing a mean salary of $58,860 and a median salary of $54,500 based on full-time positions in public and academic libraries. Additional breakdowns by region and type of position are available.
The New Jersey Library Association's 2009 recommended minimum salary is $49,286 for full time positions (for details, see http://www.njla.org/resources/salaries.html). Their Job Hotline categorizes positions based on whether or not they meet the NJLA minimum.
The Special Libraries Association's latest SLA Annual Salary Survey (Ref Z682.3S5 and online) reports a mean salary of $69,426. Note that this figure is obtained through a membership survey, and includes people with many years of experience.
The Association of Research Libraries 2008-2009 report on salaries is found at http://www.arl.org/stats/annualsurveys/salary/sal0809.shtml (see also Ref Z682.3.A79a). Tables are available that give detailed breakdowns by type of position and years of experience.
SalaryExpert.com offers a limited amount of free information - job descriptions and salary reports - based on a keyword search and geographic location. (Note: you are subjected to several advertisements and must answer 12 employment-related questions before you can see the free report!)