Read up on libraries during National Library Week

Libraries are often associated with their book collections. But libraries are much more than books! They are places for communities to meet, scholars to do research, students to study, and for everyone to view art, listen to lectures, learn something new, and be creative.

In the third quarter of 2024, there were over 7,500 libraries and archives in the United States. This total includes almost 5,000 local public libraries and archives and more than 2,300 private libraries and archives.

You’ll most certainly find librarians at libraries, but they are also found in many other industries, such as schools, museums, and hospitals. Overall, employment of librarians and library media specialists is projected to grow about 3 percent, from 142,200 to 146,400, over the 2023 to 2033 decade. Within the industry that includes libraries and archives (web search portals, libraries, archives, and other information services) employment of librarians and library media specialists is projected to grow 17.1 percent over the decade.

Data on the number of libraries and archives are collected by the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages and are preliminary. Employment projections for library occupations are from the Employment Projections program. You can learn more about occupations in the Occupational Outlook Handbook.