How many libraries are there in the United States? The following data are taken from one of the "Facts About Libraries" publications on the American Library Association's library web page http://www.ala.org/ala/alalibrary/libraryfactsheet/Default1446.htm, which should be checked for sources, qualifications, etc.:
| Academic libraries | 3,653 | |
| Public libraries (not counting branches) | 9,207 | |
| School library media centers | 93,861 | |
| Public schools 76,807 | ||
| Private schools 17,054 | ||
| Special libraries | 9,181 | |
| Armed Forces libraries | 302 | |
| Total libraries* | 117,378 | |
* Includes government and special libraries
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 the ALA web page above for sources of the data:
| Librarians | Other staff | Total | |
| Academic libraries | 25,936 | 68,149 | 94,085 |
| Public libraries | 45,037 | 90,977 | 136,014 |
| School libraries | 66,471 | 99,557 | 166,028 |
| 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 2006 issue reports an average beginning 2005 salary of $40,118, with average full-time salaries of 2005 graduates/respondents highest in the West and Northeast. The average for men was $42,143, for women $39,587.
On October 29, 2004 the American Library Association released results of a survey (Ref Z682.3.L92) showing a mean salary of $52,188 and a median salary of $48,792 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 recommended minimum salary is $45,787 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 $67,400. Note that this figure is obtained through a membership survey, and includes people with many years of experience.
The Association of Research Libraries 2005-2006 report on salaries is discussed in http://www.arl.org/resources/pubs/br/index.shtml, the ARL Bimonthly Report #246, June 2006 (see also Ref Z682.3.A79a). Tables are available that give detailed breakdowns by type of position and years of experience.