AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 25-4022.00

Will AI replace Librarians and Media Collections Specialists?

Librarians and Media Collections Specialists: AI can already handle 8 of 30 tasks; the work mostly needs a frontier-tier model.

Have a team in this role?

Get your free 10-role sample: send this role and up to nine others, and a founder sends a board-pack PDF within two business days.

Get your free 10-role sample Book a 15-minute call

Every task, scored

The 30 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Librarians and Media Collections Specialists, from most to least exposed. 8 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Search standard reference materials, including online sources and the Internet, to answer patrons' reference questions. 100 Observed Efficient 4.1
Locate unusual or unique information in response to specific requests. 98 Observed Efficient 3.8
Maintain hardware and software, including computers, media equipment, scanners, color copiers, and color laser printers. 90 Estimated Efficient 3.0
Compile lists of books, periodicals, articles, and audio-visual materials on particular subjects. 80 Estimated Efficient 3.6
Review and evaluate materials, using book reviews, catalogs, faculty recommendations, and current holdings to select and order print, audio-visual, and electronic resources. 65 Estimated Frontier 4.2
Evaluate materials to determine outdated or unused items to be discarded. 65 Estimated Standard 3.7
Evaluate vendor products and performance, negotiate contracts, and place orders. 65 Estimated Frontier 3.6
Troubleshoot problems with audio-visual equipment. 65 Observed Frontier 3.8
Supervise daily library operations, budgeting, planning, and personnel activities, such as hiring, training, scheduling, and performance evaluations. 50 Estimated Frontier 4.1
Plan and teach classes on topics such as information literacy, library instruction, and technology use. 50 Estimated Standard 4.0
Plan and deliver client-centered programs and services, such as special services for corporate clients, storytelling for children, newsletters, or programs for special groups. 50 Estimated Standard 3.9
Develop library policies and procedures. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.8
Develop, maintain, and troubleshoot information access aids, such as databases, annotated bibliographies, Web pages, electronic pathfinders, software programs, and online tutorials. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.7
Engage in professional development activities, such as taking continuing education classes and attending or participating in conferences, workshops, professional meetings, and associations. 50 Estimated Standard 3.6
Teach library patrons basic computer skills, such as searching computerized databases. 35 Estimated Efficient 4.4
Direct and train library staff in duties, such as receiving, shelving, researching, cataloging, and equipment use. 35 Estimated Efficient 3.7
Confer with teachers to select course materials and to determine which training aids are best suited to particular grade levels. 35 Estimated Efficient 3.6
Train faculty and media staff on the use of software and audio-visual equipment. 35 Estimated Standard 3.0
Check books in and out of the library. 30 Estimated Efficient 4.4
Analyze patrons' requests to determine needed information and assist in furnishing or locating that information. 30 Estimated Efficient 4.1
Confer with colleagues, faculty, and community members and organizations to conduct informational programs, make collection decisions, and determine library services to offer. 30 Estimated Efficient 4.0
Code, classify, and catalog books, publications, films, audio-visual aids, and other library materials, based on subject matter or standard library classification systems. 30 Estimated Efficient 3.9
Respond to customer complaints, taking action as necessary. 30 Estimated Efficient 3.9
Explain use of library facilities, resources, equipment, and services, and provide information about library policies. 30 Estimated Efficient 3.9
Arrange for interlibrary loans of materials not available in a particular library. 30 Estimated Standard 3.5
Represent library or institution on internal and external committees. 30 Estimated Standard 3.4
Set up, adjust, and operate audio-visual equipment, such as cameras, film and slide projectors, and recording equipment, for meetings, events, classes, seminars, and video conferences. 30 Estimated Efficient 3.3
Keep up-to-date records of circulation and materials, maintain inventory, and correct cataloging errors. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.1
Maintain inventory of audio-visual equipment. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.5
Assemble and arrange display materials. 15 Estimated No tier 3.1

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 3 of 30 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 27 of 30. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.

The model tier this role needs

A frontier-tier model or lower covers 97% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 97% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 3% is hands-on.

Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.

Wages, employment and outlook

US employment
133,790
Median annual wage
$68,270
Middle half of earners
$56,310 to $84,480
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
+1.7%

Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.

Adjacent roles

The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.

Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.

Questions about Librarians and Media Collections Specialists and AI

Will AI replace Librarians and Media Collections Specialists?

AI already handles 8 of the 30 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 46 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +1.7% from 2024 to 2034.

What is the AI exposure of Librarians and Media Collections Specialists?

46 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 3 of the 30 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 27 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Librarians and Media Collections Specialists tasks can AI already do?

The tasks with the highest exposure are: Search standard reference materials, including online sources and the Internet, to answer patrons' reference questions; Locate unusual or unique information in response to specific requests; Maintain hardware and software, including computers, media equipment, scanners, color copiers, and color laser printers. They are three of the 8 tasks that reach 60 or more.

What AI model tier does this role need?

A frontier-tier model or lower covers 97% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.

How many people work as Librarians and Media Collections Specialists, and what do they earn?

133,790 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $68,270 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +1.7% from 2024 to 2034.

How to cite

Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.

JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Librarians and Media Collections Specialists. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/librarians-and-media-collections-specialists

Have a team in this role?

Get your free 10-role sample. Send this role and up to nine others, with no employee data, and a founder sends a PDF in board-pack format within two business days.

Get your free 10-role sample Book a 15-minute call

A founder replies within one business day.