2006 AND 2007 data included!

Non-MLS Survey Caveats

Caveats should be observed in reading the tables. The intent of the survey is to collect and present a statistically valid report of region- and state-level data for each position and library type. This was not possible with an overall response rate of 24.5 percent. Although we received at least one response from either a public or academic library in forty-nine states (49), separating those responses by library class and region reduced the significance of individual library responses.

·Very Large public libraries (serving 500,000+) had the highest response rate at 48.7 percent, followed by Large public libraries at 32.9 percent. Universities libraries were the largest respondent group among academic libraries at 25.1 percent.

·The Range of Average Minimum and Maximum Salaries is a mean from those libraries that reported a minimum (beginning) and maximum (cap) range for each position. All libraries did not include these data in their responses.

·The Degree Required tables include data from libraries that reported the minimum degree required to hold a position. All libraries did not include these data in their responses.

·The higher the number of cases (N), the more reliable the results of the sample in giving a true picture of the total population. For three regions, the response rate for Very Large public libraries was sufficient: Great Lakes & Plains at 73 percent, N=8; Southeast at 50 percent, N=9; and West & Southwest at 49 percent, N=17. The response rate was above 40 percent for only one other region, Large public libraries (serving 250,000-499,999) in the North Atlantic at 40.4 percent, N=19. Response rates are defined as the percentage of responses divided by the surveys sent by category. For example, eleven surveys were sent to Very Large public libraries in the Great Lakes & Plains region and eight responded (8/11 = 73 percent).

·Another caveat is that when the mean and the median are not close together, the mean is being influenced by some unusual values. When the mean is much higher than the median, there are several very high salaries. When the mean is much lower than the median, there are several very low salaries.