Job opportunities for librarians are expected to increase across all library sectors in the long term.

Nearly half of current librarians are over 45 years old, and a significant number are expected to retire in the next five to 10 years. This will open up many positions for both newly qualified librarians and experienced librarians, who can move into management roles.

Job opportunities for librarians best at public libraries

Demand for librarians is greatest from public libraries, while demand for librarians in other areas (tertiary, school, law, heritage, and special libraries) is forecast to remain steady. Since libraries provide an essential service to their users, library jobs are usually among the last to be cut by employers, even during tough economic times. 

Census figures showed a 20% increase in the number of librarians between 1996 and 2006. Library funding increased during this period because the population rose by 10%, and public library services were expanded to keep up with demand from these extra users. This trend is expected to continue.

Number of librarians in New Zealand
(1996, 2001, 2006)

Census	Number of librarians
1996	3,312
2001	3,627
2006	3,948
Source: Department of Labour, Jobs and Tertiary Education Indicator Tool.

A combination of qualifications and experience helps improve your chances of getting a librarian job

While employers value library qualifications, students are also encouraged to gain volunteer or work experience in libraries – either before or during their study. Practical experience is well-regarded by employers, as it shows that applicants know how libraries work and understand how people get their resources.

More than half of the librarians in New Zealand work for public libraries and about a quarter work for tertiary libraries. However, the largest single employer of librarians is the National Library of New Zealand.

Librarians also work for other types of libraries, including:

• libraries or information services that serve government departments, organisations or companies (special libraries)
• school libraries
• law libraries
• prison libraries
• museum and heritage libraries.

Librarians can work throughout New Zealand. However, the region you live in will dictate the job opportunities you have, with the main centres offering the greatest scope for employment.

The National Library of New Zealand and most special or corporate libraries are based in Wellington and Auckland, and university and law libraries are based in larger cities. If you live in a rural area, your work may be limited to working at public or school libraries.

Significant regions of employment for librarians are:

• Auckland (29% of librarians)
• Wellington (22%)
• Canterbury (13%)
• Waikato (7%)
• Manawatu-Wanganui (6%).

Employers are especially interested in applicants who can demonstrate strong customer service skills and experience to fill library roles, especially for public and tertiary library jobs. With technological advances, increasing automation, and high user expectations of what libraries can deliver, libraries are trying to stay relevant by focusing more on meeting user needs.

This means fewer librarians are needed to catalogue and classify information, and more are needed to help people find the information they need.