What's Here? - Table of Contents
School Librarians
School librarians are licensed professionals who work within elementary and high school libraries. They must be certified in a state to practice in the said state. As certification processes differ slightly from state to state, so do remuneration and the procedure for salary increase differ.
How Are School Librarian Salaries Determined in Ohio?
School librarians in Ohio are paid based on predetermined salary structures that are created by their institutions. Since public schools are funded by the federal or state government as appropriate, the governing board of these schools has to set suitable salary ranges for every position. These ranges are fixed considering different factors such as your qualification and years of experience.
How Can One Increase Their Salary?
As your years of service in a particular institution increases and you pay attention to your professional development, it is normal for most schools to implement an annual raise on your pay. There is a fixed percentage for this increase and your salary step and level affect the percentage. The Ohio County Board of Education recently released that they will be implementing a 2.5% increase in educator salaries between 2021 and 2022. This reveals another way to increase salaries. Actions of unions and interest groups can result in an increase in salaries across the board as can be seen in some of the stories on pages 53 to 55 here.
Librarians and Media Specialists Salaries in urban areas of Ohio
| Metro Area | # Employed | Mean Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Akron, OH | 300 | $61,730 |
| Canton-Massillon, OH | 220 | $55,420 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 900 | $64,220 |
| Cleveland-Elyria, OH | 1,360 | $66,540 |
| Columbus, OH | 1,000 | $69,970 |
| Dayton, OH | 420 | $55,650 |
| Mansfield, OH | 110 | $60,040 |
| Springfield, OH | 190 | $61,480 |
| Toledo, OH | 350 | $67,980 |
| Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA | 260 | $58,750 | Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics - 2023 |
Librarians and Media Specialists Salaries in rural areas of Ohio
| Metro Area | # Employed | Mean Salary |
|---|---|---|
| West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | 280 | $39,210 |
| North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | 350 | $41,220 |
| Eastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | 140 | $43,410 |
| Southern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | 280 | $43,230 | Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics - 2023 |
Associations That Provide Help or Resources
The Ohio Educational Library Media Association (OELMA) provides an avenue for school librarians in the state to rub minds towards improving their work conditions and improving the quality of the library user experience in all schools. This association holds conferences regularly and they have helpful resources that school librarians can leverage to perform excellently in their jobs. The networking opportunities provided by the association can also be very relevant as regards professional development.
Public Librarians
Users of public libraries benefit tremendously when the library has qualified public librarians who are remunerated adequately. Public librarians attend to a more diverse crop of users and they must be willing to provide services that meet the needs of every user.
How Are Public Librarian Salaries Determined in Ohio?
Public libraries are established and funded by the state government. The state government allocates financial resources to all counties and this affects the salaries of everyone employed by the government. Here is a document showing the allocations for public libraries in all counties in Ohio for September 2021. Each library determines a suitable pay for each staff member including public librarians.
How Can One Increase Their Salary?
Government jobs place employees on defined salary scales and levels from entry. These levels are decided upon based on the qualifications presented and the level of experience. The level at entry determines the proportion by which your salary will be increased following appropriate review procedures. Professional development cannot be overemphasized as a sure way to fly high in the reviews. However, a good work ethic and problem-solving or creativity will heighten your value in the eyes of the board members.
Associations That Provide Help or Resources
The Ohio Library Commission (OLC) is the association that represents the interests of all libraries in the state. In addition to providing networking opportunities through conferences, they provide useful resources for professional development and advocate for the welfare of members.
Academic Librarians
Institutions of higher education (IHEs) have some of the biggest and most developed libraries thanks to adequate funding and the services of academic librarians who are given to research and are keen on finding ways to better the library experience. The career path of an academic librarian is laced with numerous opportunities.
How Are Academic Librarian Salaries Determined in Ohio?
Academic librarians may be expected to show higher levels of educational qualifications than other librarians in the state (masters or doctorate). This can be considered normal considering that they will be entering service at similar levels with lecturers in other faculties. Institutions reserve the right to design or make adjustments to payment schedules and the requirements that have been set are taken into account when placing you in a level.
How Can One Increase Their Salary?
Each institution sets up its protocol for awarding salary increases. Miami University reviews employee’s performances over the past year when considering them for a raise. As the university increases the budget for each department and unit yearly, it is up to the heads of such departments to share the increase amongst employees based on merit. Paying attention to professional development and excellent work ethic will often cause the department to favor you for a raise.
How Can an Academic Librarian Get Tenured and How Does This Affect Their Lifetime Earning Potential?
The Office of Academic Affairs (OAA), Ohio has outlined the procedure for appointment, promotion, and tenure in University Libraries as can be seen here. The libraries are mandated to make recommendations for tenure review based on librarianship, scholarship, and service. It is expected that they will only nominate prospects that have shown potential to improve the quality of library services. Hence, you can position yourself for this by paying attention to professional development and doing diligent and productive work.
Associations That Provide Help or Resources
Academic librarians in Ohio are eligible members of the Academic Library Association of Ohio (ALAO) which is the Ohio chapter of ACRL (Association of College and Research Libraries). This association represents the interests of academic and research librarians and provides resources for professional development. Their conferences also provide an avenue for networking for members.