Library Science and Administration
Students study information organization, cataloging systems, digital resource management, library programming, and how to connect communities with information and resources. Graduates typically pursue careers as librarians, archivists, information managers, knowledge management specialists, and digital asset coordinators in public libraries, universities, and corporations. Modern librarianship increasingly involves digital literacy, data management, and community technology support.
What Library Science and Administration graduates do
You’ll begin your career connecting people with information in very tangible ways. As a librarian, you might spend your day teaching students how to use a complex research database, helping a community member with genealogy, or curating digital collections. As an archivist, you could be the one meticulously preserving fragile historical documents or authenticating records for a legal case.
With experience, you can advance into management, a path with strong growth. Here, your focus shifts from direct user support to leading a team, managing budgets, and setting the strategic vision for a library system or corporate archive. While the core librarian role faces headwinds, management and archivist positions are expanding. Across these fields, AI will automate significant chunks of routine work like basic cataloging and search queries. The jobs aren't disappearing, but your day-to-day will change, freeing you to focus on complex research, community outreach, and making critical judgments about information quality. Adaptability is key.
Students weighing Library Science and Administration often also consider Systems Science and Theory, Historic Preservation, and Biological & Physical Sciences — compare earnings, ROI, and AI outlook side by side.
Where Library Science and Administration graduates work
Common career paths for Library Science and Administration graduates, with median salaries, projected growth, and AI exposure per role. Roughly 121,700 combined openings per year across these roles.
| Role | Median Pay | Annual Openings | 10-yr Growth | AI Exposure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Managers, all other
|
$136,550
$100K–$179K
|
106,700 | +4.5% | Moderate · 47% |
|
Library science teachers, postsecondary
|
$78,630
$62K–$97K
|
400 | +3.0% | High · 51% |
|
Librarians and media collections specialists
|
$64,320
$51K–$81K
|
13,500 | +1.7% | High · 54% |
|
Archivists
|
$61,570
$48K–$80K
|
1,100 | +3.8% | High · 50% |
Best schools for Library Science and Administration
Schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score (earnings × AI resilience × ROI × job-market size). Top 2 of 2.
Highest Earnings Top 5
| Ashford University
CA |
$29,163 |
| University of Nebraska at Omaha
NE |
$25,054 |
Best ROI Top 5
| University of Nebraska at Omaha
NE |
6.5x |
| Ashford University
CA |
5.8x |
Related majors
Similar fields of study often offered alongside Library Science and Administration.
Frequently asked about Library Science and Administration
What do Library Science and Administration graduates make in their first year?
Across 2 schools, Library Science and Administration graduates earn an average of $27,109 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $25,054 to $29,163 depending on the school.
How exposed is Library Science and Administration to AI disruption?
Our analysis classifies Library Science and Administration as "High" for AI risk — approximately 52% of typical job tasks overlap with current AI capabilities. That puts most of the daily work in the automation-sensitive category.
Which school has the best Library Science and Administration program?
Our data ranks University of Nebraska at Omaha first among 2 Library Science and Administration programs. Its score of 30/100 reflects strong outcomes across earnings ($25,054/yr), return on investment, and career durability.
What's the outlook for a Library Science and Administration degree?
The average 10-year earnings multiple is 6.1x tuition. This is a moderate return — school choice matters significantly. The spread between the best and worst programs is wide, so individual school selection has a major impact.