Will AI replace librarians and media collections specialists?

Unlikely, though parts of the work are changing. About 1h 47m of an 8-hour shift goes to tasks touched by AI working on its own. The other 6h 13m (78%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 2.6% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

AI shows up regularly in 5 of 30 tasks, about 1h 47m of a typical shift. The biggest ones:

• Analyze patrons' requests to determine needed information and assist in furnishing or locating that information. (38m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Search standard reference materials, including online sources and the Internet, to answer patrons' reference questions. (32m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Develop, maintain, and troubleshoot information access aids, such as databases, annotated bibliographies, Web pages, electronic pathfinders, software programs, and online tutorials. (19m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Locate unusual or unique information in response to specific requests. (13m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Respond to customer complaints, taking action as necessary. (6m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)

Not in workplaces like this one, based on a 2026 review of robot deployments. 3 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here. For 3 physical tasks, no robot has shown it can do the work yet.

6h 13m of a typical shift, or 78%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Supervise daily library operations, budgeting, planning, and personnel activities, such as hiring, training, scheduling, and performance evaluations. (38m a shift)
• Plan and teach classes on topics such as information literacy, library instruction, and technology use. (38m a shift)
• Review and evaluate materials, using book reviews, catalogs, faculty recommendations, and current holdings to select and order print, audio-visual, and electronic resources. (32m a shift)
• Plan and deliver client-centered programs and services, such as special services for corporate clients, storytelling for children, newsletters, or programs for special groups. (32m a shift)
• Confer with colleagues, faculty, and community members and organizations to conduct informational programs, make collection decisions, and determine library services to offer. (25m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 86% talk face to face with others every day
• 71% say dealing with the public is very or extremely important
• 63% are in constant contact with other people

For the 2 tasks in this job where AI shows up and timing data exists, a typical request takes about 3h 22m for a person alone and about 25m with AI. These are Claude's own estimates from real conversations in April and May 2026 (Anthropic Economic Index). They describe single requests, not whole workdays, and time saved on a task doesn't mean jobs are cut. The biggest gaps:

• Locate unusual or unique information in response to specific requests (about 4h 40m alone, 31m with AI)
• Search standard reference materials, including online sources and the Internet, to answer patrons' reference questions (about 2h 5m alone, 18m with AI)

On Indeed, job postings in the Education & Instruction sector are at 107% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), down 9.5% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 13,000 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $68,270 a year ($32.82 an hour), 34% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $43,660 and $103,990 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects growth of 2.6% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 146,000 jobs in 2035. It expects about 13,000 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 134,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.09% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 234th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 146,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a master's degree: about 65% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 5 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: graduate degree. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Service Orientation, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Writing
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 6h 13m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Excel, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Creative Cloud software
• Learn to use AI well on the tasks where it already shows up in this job (listed above)

These use similar skills. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Archivists (1h 2m touched, $65k median pay)
• Postsecondary Library Science Teachers (3h 42m touched, $80k median pay)
• Instructional Coordinators (2h 59m touched, $77k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 5 observed in real AI use, 25 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.