Libraries and archives industry

Industry Snapshot

GENERAL INDUSTRY: Government and Public Administration

CAREER CLUSTER: Government and Public Administration Occupations

SUBCATEGORY INDUSTRIES: Archives; Bookmobiles; Centers for Documentation; Circulating Libraries; Film Archives; Lending Libraries; Libraries; Motion Picture Film Libraries and Archives; Music Archives; Reference Libraries

RELATED INDUSTRIES: Local Public Administration; Publishing and Information Industry

ANNUAL DOMESTIC REVENUES: US$2.8 billion (IBISWorld, 2023)

NAICS NUMBER: 51912

Summary

An archive is a repository of original documents, such as diaries, manuscripts, photographs, and letters. Historians and other researchers use these primary sources to write books and articles for magazines or other publications; the finished products may then be housed in libraries. Both of these institutions exist for the primary purposes of collecting and preserving materials, making these available to interested parties, and using them to answer questions. In addition, libraries offer such services as public use of computers and the internet, borrowing privileges for a range of media (books, films, compact discs, and so on), and in-person classes. At public libraries, such services are generally free of charge.

History of the Industry

Archaeological evidence indicates that archives and libraries have existed since ancient times, with sites in what used to be the empires of Sumeria, Babylonia, and Assyria. The most important and well known of these early libraries was the Alexandrian Library in Egypt. Handwritten clay tablets and papyrus rolls, made from reeds, were typical of this era.

Literature arose with the Greek and Roman civilizations. Wealthy citizens amassed impressive private holdings of epics, poetry, and the like by such classical greats as Sophocles and Euripides, while temples to the various gods contained public records and official histories. Reading materials consisted of scrolls of parchment, made from the skins of sheep or goats, and vellum, a more durable substance created from unsplit lambskin, kidskin, or calfskin.

The end of the Roman Empire in 476 CE brought with it marauding bands of Vandals, Goths, Huns, and other barbarian tribes, who burned and pillaged cities and the libraries they harbored. This destruction was offset by other developments, principally the rise of monasteries throughout Europe and especially in Ireland. The monks of these bastions of faith scoured the countryside for ancient manuscripts and laboriously copied them by hand.

Paralleling this trend was the establishment of universities, which, like the monasteries, were under the purview of the church. In large cities such as Paris, Oxford, and Heidelberg, which had stable social structures and economies, more people were encouraged to matriculate, so the demand for books increased, and college libraries were established. By this time, paper had been introduced via the trade routes from China, and a primitive form of the book, known as the codex, was displacing parchment and vellum.

The Renaissance saw the advent of printing with movable type, when Johann Gutenberg of Mainz, in what is now Germany, produced the now famous Bible of 1455. With mass production of books possible, their cost diminished considerably, giving rise to increased demand, which led to the establishment of private libraries. Members of royalty, not to be outdone, often donated their monumental collections to found public libraries. Influential individuals, such as Martin Luther, became advocates for libraries and encouraged their founding and maintenance.

The Enlightenment in the eighteenth century was a further impetus to the growth of libraries and archives throughout Europe and the British colonies in the new world. It was also at this juncture that archives and libraries became separate institutions. Up to this time, documents, records, books, and periodicals had been housed in single repositories. With the turmoil of the French Revolution, the value of preserving national heritage through historic documents and public records was recognized. In 1789, the Archives Nationales were founded in France. Their underlying model, in which the state is responsible for collecting and preserving important papers, was soon copied by other governments around the world.

With the nineteenth century came the establishment of national repositories, such as the British Library and the Library of Congress in the United States. Library and archive administration also became professionalized during that century. In 1876, the American Library Association was founded, and Melvil Dewey created his decimal classification system, which is still in wide use in the twenty-first century. This period also saw the creation of specialized schools for the training of librarians and archivists. By the twentieth century, library construction and maintenance in the United States was furthered by such philanthropists as steel magnate Andrew Carnegie and by governmental foresight. The Library Services and Construction Act of 1964, for example, helped ensure that just about any school or town of any size had a library that it could call its own.

The Industry Today

Archives and libraries have evolved from what they were in the past, namely, warehouses for papers and books run largely by clerks. They reflect not only advances in technology but also the wishes of the clientele they serve, and they are administered by highly trained professionals. In the United States, the majority of librarians possess undergraduate degrees in the liberal arts and master's degrees in library science from schools accredited by the American Library Association. Archivists typically must also possess master's degrees, and, while a few institutions of higher learning offer archival studies or archival science programs, it is much more common for archivists to hold master's degrees in history or library science, with course work in such areas as records management, materials preservation, and so on.

Over time, libraries and archives have increased greatly in number and in the process have become quite specialized. According to the American Library Directory, 2009–2010, there were 29,880 libraries in the United States during that period. According to the American Library Association, there were 123,627 libraries of various kinds in the country in 2023.

There is a wide variety of libraries across the country. Some are legal libraries at law firms, in which librarians must also be familiar with the law, oftentimes holding juris doctor degrees. Others are medical libraries at hospitals, where librarians need to understand medical terminology and procedures. Corporate libraries are located at the headquarters of Fortune 500 companies, and academic libraries exist on college campuses across the country. By far the most common type of library, however, is the public library, which can be found in the smallest towns and the largest metropolitan areas. Funded by appropriations from local governments, public libraries offer many, varied services that are generally free of charge.

In many ways, libraries have evolved into information technology centers rather than simple repositories of books. However, they do still offer their visitors traditional services, with a modern-day emphasis on convenience and expediency. A cornerstone of public librarianship, for example, has been reference service. Traditionally stationed at a reference desk or information desk, reference librarians receive customers, known in the profession as "patrons," or sometimes as "users" or "borrowers." Patrons may ask for information on any topic, from the telephone number of a local business to how plants harness the rays of the sun in the process known as photosynthesis.

While patrons may pose their queries in person or over the telephone as they have in the past, alternative time-saving options abound. Virtual reference allows patrons to communicate with librarians over the internet via real-time chat software. This process allows patrons the luxury of receiving answers regardless of location or time of day, assuming that they have internet access. The rise of the internet itself and, more particularly, of freely available search engines such as Google, has been something of a double-edged sword for the profession, as many individuals choose to do their own research, meaning that demand for this service has diminished somewhat. However, the questions that are posed have generally increased in complexity. For example, a patron may want to know if a book written in, say, French, has ever been translated into English and, if so, when it was published, whether it is available for loan, and from which library.

Archives, too, have harnessed the internet to enhance service to their customers. Historically, those who wished to view public records or other documents had to do so in person. Many archives have digitized their holdings or are in the process of doing so, allowing researchers to view items of interest at any time of the day or night, without the expenditure of time and travel necessary to visit the archive in person.

Archivists work in a variety of locations. Many are employed by government, such as those at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Academia represents another generator of archivist jobs, as many college and university departments are responsible for preserving one-of-a-kind documents and objects. Some archivists are employed by private firms, while still others may make a living at state and local historical societies.

Classes on a variety of topics are often held at libraries. Newly arrived immigrants may take English as a second language (ESL), the unemployed may learn how to navigate the internet to search for jobs or polish their resumes, and senior citizens may learn new hobbies such as birdwatching or quilting. Because there has always been a teaching element to this profession, these classes are generally taught by librarians themselves, especially if they happen to have personal knowledge of the subjects. At the same time, librarians can recommend to their students relevant books, magazines, and other materials that their libraries have in their collections.

With the onset of the recession of 2007–9, library usage increased dramatically, as people canceled magazine subscriptions, bought fewer books, and unplugged their home computers. Because library budgets remained flat or even declined, however, long waits for computer stations or for copies of popular novels became more common. Safety and security concerns at libraries increased, especially at large facilities located in major metropolitan areas. Some libraries resorted to having uniformed police officers patrol the aisles, while others hired private security firms for this purpose. While violent incidents are rare, the threat of unpleasant occurrences can dissuade people from visiting their local libraries, and managers are loathe to have unflattering coverage of their facilities appear in local newspapers or on television.

Libraries have been affected by a continuing shift from print to electronic and digital resources. Many reference books are being purchased as part of electronic databases, which may be accessed remotely via the internet. Books have long been available in audio form (originally on cassette tape and then on CD), and they have also become available as downloadable e-books and digital audiobook files, which can be read on personal computers; dedicated e-book readers; or multipurpose mobile devices, such as tablet computers, handheld computers, and smartphones. However, libraries need to factor in the different costs for e-book licenses when budgeting.

Industry Outlook

Overview

The outlook for this industry shows it to be stable. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment for librarians was predicted to rise by 3 percent between 2022 and 2032. Two countervailing trends are at work: On one hand, the workforce is aging as the US population as a whole ages. Also affecting the industry outlook are younger librarians who are just entering the profession.

Entirely apart from the issue of incoming and outgoing individuals within the profession is the topic of funding. The vast majority of librarians work in public libraries and are therefore at the mercy of the political winds. During times of economic distress, elected officials look for easy targets to cut budgets, and libraries are often at the top of the list. The irony is that it is during these same periods that library usage spikes, as the unemployed flock to their neighborhood branches to use public internet stations to look for work and to take classes in resume writing and other job-related skills.

Librarians are often innovative, and many enter nontraditional employment when standard positions are unavailable or low-paying. The more entrepreneurial may go into business for themselves as consultants and information brokers. They charge hourly fees to search for information and hard-to-find documents or to, for example, analyze the competition for a particular business or industry. Still others engage in teaching at library schools, or in writing books on topics of interest to other librarians.

Prominent news coverage of the decline of print media has driven the perception that books are no longer popular, and so libraries are in less demand than in the past. However, statistics indicate that this is far from the truth. Especially as libraries have pivoted toward providing key information technology services, they have remained vital institutions in many communities. To showcase just how popular libraries are, the Museum and Library Services' 2020 Public Library Survey found that in the United States, there were 9,000 public libraries and 17,000 public library outlets.

Employment Advantages

Those who enjoy literature and learning are able to indulge their twin passions as librarians, since to a large degree the profession involves being familiar with works of the past and present, from classics to contemporary best-selling novels. Librarianship is a helping profession, and in that regard it shares much with teaching and nursing. Librarians may derive satisfaction from matching people with the books they wish to read and from helping them discover new authors and works.

The work of librarians and archivists is mainly intellectual rather than physical. They typically work in comfortable surroundings and are stimulated both by their association with patrons asking questions and by their interactions with colleagues who share their love of learning.

Annual Earnings

In 2024, the market research firm IBISWorld reported an annual revenue of $2.8 billion for the libraries and archives industry in the United States.

According to the BLS, in 2022 the median pay for librarians and library media specialists was $61,660. Some librarians, such as those covered by union contracts, fare better than average, as collective bargaining has proven to be of benefit to workers generally.

Bibliography

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