Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary

Salary Overview

Job Outlook (2024–2034)

Key Skills

Knowledge Areas

What They Do

• Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and present findings in professional journals, books, electronic media, or at professional conferences.
• Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
• Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, giving presentations at conferences, and serving on committees in professional associations.
• Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
• Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
• Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
• Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
• Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.

Tools & Technology

★ = Hot Technology (in-demand)

Education Requirements

Typical entry-level education: Related Work Experience

Related Careers

Featured In

Careers with the highest skill compatibility from Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary.

A Day in the Life

A typical day for a library science professor balances teaching, research, and service responsibilities common to academic positions. Morning hours might be spent preparing lectures, updating course materials, or grading student assignments and research papers. Classroom time involves teaching courses on topics like cataloging, information retrieval, digital libraries, or library management, often using case studies and hands-on exercises. Office hours provide opportunities for student mentorship, thesis advising, and career guidance. Research activities consume significant time, including conducting studies, writing articles for peer-reviewed journals, and presenting at academic conferences. Committee work and departmental meetings address curriculum development, accreditation requirements, and program assessment. Many professors maintain connections with practicing librarians through consulting, professional organization involvement, or collaborative research projects. Some supervise student practicum experiences, coordinating with partner libraries to ensure quality fieldwork opportunities.

Work Environment

Library science professors work primarily in university settings, dividing time between classrooms, offices, and research spaces. The academic environment offers significant intellectual freedom and flexibility in scheduling, with professors typically structuring their own time outside of scheduled classes and meetings. Many programs offer online and hybrid courses, allowing professors to teach remotely for portions of their workload. The campus setting provides access to research libraries, digital resources, and collaborative opportunities with faculty from other disciplines. Conference travel is a regular part of academic life, with professors attending national and international meetings several times per year. The work culture emphasizes collegiality, though the tenure process can be stressful and competitive. Sabbatical leave provides periodic opportunities for focused research and professional renewal. Class sizes in library science programs tend to be small, fostering close student-faculty relationships.

Career Path & Advancement

Becoming a library science professor typically requires a doctoral degree, usually a PhD in Library and Information Science or a closely related field. Many begin their careers as practicing librarians, earning an MLS or MLIS degree and gaining professional experience before pursuing doctoral studies. The doctoral journey involves coursework, comprehensive examinations, and original dissertation research, typically spanning four to seven years. Entry-level faculty positions are usually at the assistant professor rank, beginning the tenure track with expectations for teaching, research, and service. Promotion to associate professor typically accompanies the granting of tenure after six to seven years of demonstrated scholarly productivity and teaching excellence. Full professor rank represents senior faculty status achieved through sustained contributions to the field. Some professors move into administrative roles such as department chair, associate dean, or dean of a library school. Adjunct and lecturer positions offer alternative paths for those with master's degrees and professional experience who want to teach without pursuing tenure.

Specializations

Library science faculty specialize in diverse areas reflecting the breadth of the information profession. Information organization and knowledge management specialists teach cataloging, metadata, and taxonomies. Digital libraries and digital preservation faculty focus on managing and preserving born-digital and digitized collections. Information behavior researchers study how people seek, use, and share information. Youth services and school library media specialists prepare students for work with children and teens. Health informatics and medical librarianship faculty train students for healthcare information roles. Archives and records management professors cover preservation, arrangement, description, and access to unique collections. Data science and data curation specialists address the growing need for research data management skills. Information policy faculty examine issues of intellectual freedom, privacy, copyright, and equitable access to information.

Pros & Cons

Industry Insight

Library and information science education is at a pivotal moment as the profession evolves rapidly. Programs are expanding curricula to address data science, user experience design, and digital humanities, reflecting changing employer demands. Accreditation by the American Library Association remains the gold standard for MLS programs, ensuring consistent educational quality. Online education has become a major delivery mode, with many programs offering fully online master's degrees that attract geographically diverse students. Faculty diversity and inclusive pedagogy are growing priorities as programs seek to prepare students for serving diverse communities. The integration of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and automation into library services creates demand for faculty expertise in these emerging areas. Some programs are repositioning themselves as information schools or iSchools, broadening their scope beyond traditional librarianship. Tenure-track positions remain competitive, with many programs relying increasingly on adjunct and clinical faculty.