A review of advertisements for part-time library positions in Pennsylvania and New Jersey

Abstract

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to examine advertisements for part-time professional library jobs in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The goal is to gain a better understanding of what skills and experience levels are being required of part-time librarians, as well as what their expected salary and hours might be.Design/methodology/approach– Advertisements for part-time professional library positions were collected from online sources over the course of one year.Findings– Part-time librarian positions tend to be public services positions in either public or academic libraries. Advertisements for these position indicate a need for flexibility and often do not contain information about salary or hours. Many are suitable for entry-level librarians with no experience.Research limitations/implications– Job advertisement studies are limited in that they can only examine the information contained in the advertisements themselves and therefore may not reflect the actual person hired.Practical implications– This paper will provide useful information for librarians seeking part-time positions, as well as for library and information science educators and library managers who wish to mentor or hire new librarians.Originality/value– This paper corrects an identified lack of research into part-time library employment.