What's Here? - Table of Contents
School Librarians
How are school librarian salaries determined in Indiana?
School librarian salaries in the state of Indiana are dictated by the Indiana Department of Education. According to the 2018 Status Report on Indiana School Libraries, published by the Indiana Library Federation, due to underfunding the library services in the area, many schools are left without a certified librarian, or multiple schools might fall under one single librarian. This underfunding of library staff is also reflected in the salaries of librarians in the state. While the state of Indiana does not put out a report on how the funding for each library is determined, it most likely has to do with the size of the schools, and the educational needs of the students. High schools tend to have school librarians that are certified and thus receive a better salary for the services that they provide.
Librarians and Media Specialists Salaries in urban areas of Indiana
| Metro Area | # Employed | Mean Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Bloomington, IN | 160 | $64,570 |
| Columbus, IN | 40 | $55,850 |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | 70 | $47,230 |
| Evansville, IN-KY | 120 | $52,280 |
| Fort Wayne, IN | 190 | $49,910 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN | 640 | $57,310 |
| Kokomo, IN | 30 | $48,690 |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | 60 | $50,720 |
| Muncie, IN | 80 | $55,320 |
| South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | 180 | $50,970 |
| Terre Haute, IN | 70 | $49,800 | Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics - 2023 |
Librarians and Media Specialists Salaries in rural areas of Indiana
| Metro Area | # Employed | Mean Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | 200 | $46,100 |
| Central Indiana nonmetropolitan area | 220 | $42,930 |
| Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | 190 | $44,140 | Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics - 2023 |
How can one increase their salary?
Within the state, there don’t appear to be many opportunities for development for school librarians. In general, it appears that being a certified librarian and with years of experience in the field will lead you to receive a better salary. As the funding for school librarians in Indiana is limited there does not appear to be opportunities for librarians to move into better positions so as to generate better income.
Government or non-profit resources within Indiana providing assistance for better school librarian pay (please provide links to their websites here).
The predominant association for school librarians in Indiana is known as the Association of Indiana School Library Educators and it falls under the Indiana Library Federation. They are the ones advocating for better funding for school libraries, as well as for more librarian positions and better pay. They frequently also hold conferences which as a member you will be able to join.
Public Librarians
How are public librarian salaries determined in Indiana?
The salary of public librarians in Indiana is usually determined by the State’s department of education. Each year, the state publicizes reports about the funding of public libraries and the different resources allocated to them. The full annual report can be found on the state website. While the state has not put out a specific document to explain how salaries are determined, they are usually determined by the size of the library, the position that one holds there as well as their educational and work experience.
How can one increase their salary?
Public libraries and especially larger public libraries provide more opportunities for growth and thus a better salary than school libraries do. A great way of increasing your salary if you are working in a public library is applying for higher-level or more specialized positions. For example, an archivist is bound to make more than a simple librarian, that is because their work is more specialized and thus might even require further educational background. So, if you wish to increase your salary as a public librarian it might be worth looking into what jobs are available within your library that you could apply for.
Government or non-profit resources within Indiana providing assistance for better public librarian pay (please provide links to their websites here).
The main organization lobbying for better pay and funding for libraries is the Indiana Library Federation. However, outside of that, the department of education in Indiana also offers a number of different grants and funds that the library you are employed in may be eligible for. It is always worth taking a look there to see if you could increase your library’s funding in that way, especially because library funds are directly associated with a librarian’s pay. There is also a number of other smaller association including the Indiana Public Library Association that work in lobbying for better librarian pay and library access. A full list of those can be found on the Indiana State Library website.
Academic Librarians
How are academic librarian salaries determined in Indiana?
The average academic librarian salary in Indiana is determined by the institution of employment of each librarian. In general, academic librarians appear to be making 10,000 to 20,000 dollars more than school librarians. This may be because librarians in university settings have access to better funding as each individual college can determine how much the library needs to operate.
How can one increase their salary?
Academic librarians in most universities are able to apply for different promotions as they spend more time in each institution. Most academic libraries and universities work with a sort of rank system that you can rise in and thus increase your salary.
How can an academic librarian get tenured and how does this affect their lifetime earning potential?
Tenure can have a very positive effect on a librarian’s lifetime earnings. This is because with tenure a librarian is guaranteed a position of employment until retirement. There are exceptional occasions when tenure might be broken, but those are not common, and even when they happen the librarian will be eligible for a hefty compensation. To become a tenured librarian you would need to rise in the ranks at your institution’s library and apply for tenure following the guidelines they provide.
Government or non-profit resources within Indiana providing assistance for better academic librarian pay (please provide links to their websites here).
Academic librarians tend to be able to lobby for better pay from within their institute of employment. Still, there is also an association that they can joy to lobby for better pay. The biggest of these in Indiana is known as the Indiana Academic Library Association, which runs in affiliation with the Indiana Library Federation. Another great association for lobbying librarians in Indiana is the Indiana University Librarians Associations which has been lobbying for academic librarians since 1960.