People who are interested becoming a librarian need to start in high school. They should focus English as well as computing or data entry classes. While librarians do work with books more and more librarian jobs focus on computer and information science.
There are many colleges that offer bachelors degrees in Library sciences or information sciences. There are job opportunities for people who have a bachelors degree, but for the best jobs and advancement it's a better idea to go on for further education and get a masters or Ph.D. Most university programs include separate LS and IS degrees. Information sciences tend to be the jobs in the field that work around computers. Researchers and heads of media centers are just two of the careers in information sciences. Some schools also offer a joint LIS degree.
While there are a lot of schools that offer one of these programs, it's best to go to school that is certified by the American Library Association, or the ALA. There are about 60 schools in the US that have that certification. Other countries have their own associations that certify or approve their universities.
Some of the non-traditional jobs for librarians include jobs in special libraries. These libraries include ones in a corporate setting. Librarians in those settings do any research that people in the company require, plus they also maintain the records and archives for the company.
Another job opportunity is working in the publishing field. Publishers always need to have people do fact checking and editing. Fact checking requires a lot of research. People who have graduated from a Library school can specialize in research classes past the required courses. People with a degree in LS/IS are in high demand in the publishing field because of their research skills. Editing manuscripts requires a high degree of accuracy, not only looking for language errors, but also plagiarism and information errors.
Another option in the publishing field is book critic or reviewer. A critic can be freelance and doing it on their own, selling their reviews to magazines, papers or publishing on their blog. A critic could also be a staff position at a paper, magazine, or even a publishing house. A person who has a degree in Library science will have had classes in breaking down the themes of books and comparing them to others, making them a valuable asset.
People who are interested in a degree in Library science aren't limited to working in libraries. There are as many options open as there people interested in becoming a librarian. It's possible a person to create their own career if they don't like any of the many available non-traditional librarian careers.
