So You Want To Be A Librarian (So You Want To Be A...)
About
What does it really take to be a librarian — and could it be you?
Say the word “librarian” and most people picture someone stern, whispering “shhh” at anyone who dares to giggle. It’s a funny picture, and it’s completely wrong. So You Want To Be A Librarian opens the door to one of the most surprising and deeply human careers in the world, and invites curious kids to imagine themselves inside it.
Written for readers ages 10 to 14 and a treasured read-aloud for younger children, this warm, beautifully illustrated nonfiction book is part of the acclaimed So You Want To Be A... series of career-exploration books for kids. It takes young readers seriously, trusting them with the real texture of a working life: the wonder, the hard parts, and the moments of surprise that make a calling worth pursuing.
Inside, kids discover that a librarian does far more than shelve books. They connect one person to exactly what they need, organize all of human knowledge so any stranger can find it, and teach a skill more valuable every year: how to tell a trustworthy fact from a convincing fake. Readers explore where librarians actually work, from sunlit children’s rooms and hushed archives to bookmobiles, hospitals, and the digital systems that answer millions of questions a day. They meet the values that hold the whole profession together, including open access, reader privacy, and the freedom to read.
Along the way, young readers meet remarkable librarians from history, from Pura Belpré and S. R. Ranganathan to the fearless Pack Horse Librarians who carried books on horseback into the Kentucky mountains. Fun facts, a glossary of library words, an author’s note, and a rich guide to books, websites, and activities round out a volume built to be grown into rather than out of.
A perfect gift for book-loving kids, reluctant readers, homeschool and classroom shelves, and any child who loves books and people in equal measure, So You Want To Be A Librarian is an invitation to picture a future spent keeping knowledge free and within everyone’s reach.
Praise for this book
"So You Want To Be A Librarian by Linda Soules gives young readers a clear and engaging look at what it really means to work in a library. It begins with the earliest libraries and traces the development of public collections, showing how the job has evolved from ancient clay tablets to the modern digital tools librarians use today. Readers will learn about the different types of librarians, how information is organized, and why curiosity, patience and a love of helping people are essential skills. The book also introduces the Pack Horse Librarians, who delivered books to remote communities, and explains how today’s librarians support schools, hospitals and public spaces. If you have ever wondered what librarians do behind the desk, this book walks you through the work and helps you decide if this could be the right career for you.
So You Want To Be A Librarian by Linda Soules is a clear and enjoyable addition to the series, written in simple, down‑to‑earth language that makes the subject easy for young readers to understand. It explains what librarians do in a way that is practical and familiar, showing how they keep everything organized, help people find the information they need, and make sure the library is a welcoming place for everyone. The book also spends time showing why librarians help people tell the difference between solid information and things that can lead you in the wrong direction, and it does this in a way younger readers can follow without feeling talked down to. There is a lovely moment when the Pack Horse Librarians are introduced, giving children a sense of how determined people were to bring books to families living far from any town. The modern examples help readers understand the many different places librarians work in today, from busy public branches to school libraries and even hospitals. The book walks readers through what the job looks like from morning to closing time, and the final pages offer simple, practical steps for anyone who thinks this might be the right path for them. It is a friendly, informative, beautifully illustrated guide for children who enjoy learning how things work and who want to understand what really happens behind the desk at their local library."
"So You Want To Be A Librarian is an engaging and informative introduction to the world of librarianship. Written for children, the book challenges the outdated stereotype of librarians as stern people who only shelve books and tell visitors to be quiet. Instead, it shows librarians as teachers, researchers, problem-solvers, and champions of free access to information. Young readers learn that librarians work in many places, including schools, hospitals, archives, bookmobiles, children’s rooms, and digital information systems.
I loved the way the book explains the importance of libraries in everyday life. Librarians do more than help people find books; they listen carefully, answer questions, connect visitors with useful resources, and teach people how to recognize reliable information. The book’s focus on critical thinking and misinformation is especially valuable for children growing up in a digital world. It also presents the library as a living organization that must change and grow along with the community it serves.
The book is well organized and includes sections about the best, hardest, and most surprising parts of the job, as well as a typical day in the life of a librarian. Warm illustrations, fun facts, historical profiles, career questions, and a glossary make the information easy and enjoyable to explore. Readers are introduced to inspiring figures such as Pura Belpré, S. R. Ranganathan, and the Pack Horse Librarians, who carried books into remote areas of Kentucky.
So You Want To Be A Librarian is a fun, appealing, and educational book for elementary and middle-grade readers. It would be an excellent choice for classrooms, homeschool collections, family read-alouds, and children who enjoy career-exploration books such as the Who Was? series. Even readers who do not plan to become librarians will gain a greater appreciation for libraries as welcoming places of knowledge, comfort, connection, and community. Most importantly, the book encourages curiosity, kindness, critical thinking, and a lifelong love of reading and learning."
"So You Want To Be a Librarian by Linda Soules treats eight-to-fourteen-year-olds as serious thinkers. It shows what librarians actually do, not the quiet stereotype, and gives parents a clear look at a profession built on curiosity, fairness, and welcome.
I kept thinking about how this book walks kids through the real work: the reference interview that finds the need underneath a vague request, Dewey Decimal organization and why librarians keep improving it, Pack Horse Librarians on mountain trails, and Pura Belpré filling shelves with Spanish books. It covers public, school, medical, and prison librarians, plus catalogs and information literacy. Parents will appreciate the hard parts too, from defending the freedom to read to after-school hours when the library feels like the safest place in town.
Her clear, conversational voice never talks down. Reading it feels like a thoughtful adult beside a curious young reader, explaining intellectual freedom and Ranganathan's five laws without fuss. Bright illustrations give younger readers visual footholds while older ones dig into the substance. The honest, eye-level tone makes this guide easy to share at home and worth reading aloud together.
If your child lights up at questions, or you want a conversation about careers that matter, hand them this book. It makes librarianship feel both possible and important, and worth discussing as a family."
"I bought this for my book-loving niece, and it ended up being such a fun read for both of us. I love that it challenges the old stereotype of librarians and shows kids that they're so much more than people who shelve books. They're teachers, researchers, problem-solvers, and champions of free access to information.
What really stood out to me was the emphasis on critical thinking and learning how to tell the difference between reliable information and misinformation. In today's world, that's such an important skill for kids to develop. And a super important takeway is that a library is a growing organism, a living that must change & grow along its community.
The writing is engaging, the illustrations are lovely, and it presents the profession in a way that's inspiring without feeling preachy. Whether your child dreams of working in a library or simply loves books, this is a wonderful read that encourages curiosity, kindness, and a lifelong love of learning."
"This is a very appealing book to me. I have loved libraries my whole life and even worked in them for a long try time. So You Want to Be a Librarian features warm, inviting illustrations. It explains the history of libraries, talks about what librarians do, how libraries work in general, gives brief profiles of some librarians through history, and lists some fun facts about libraries and librarians."
"I feel like many librarians get a bad connotation associated with them but this book presented them in such a positive light, it was just delightful. This book showed the importance of the job that they do and how the library can be a safe place for many. This is one of my favorite books from this series."
"This makes me want to put my kindle or phone down and run to the library! I love to read books. I used to go with my grandmother when I was little. I know our local library does all kinds of things for children and activities for others also. We also, in my town, have many 'book boxes' or small libraries around town for anyone to grab a book or if you have books you don’t want anymore, you can place them in the box. Reading is always such a good thing for any age."
"This book gives a very precise and detailed overview of all the facets of being a librarian. It goes into qualities that good librarians have, a love of people, curiosity, patience, ability to order, and courage. It also stresses how librarians are nonjudgmental and are available to help everyone who walks in the door. This book explains the many ways librarians serve all aspects of their communities, and the various duties they perform on a daily basis. I found this quite informative as an adult, even though it was written for middle school readers."
"I love the 'So You Want to Be' books! The author provides the reader with the necessary information to determine the direction they want to take when looking for a career. As a school librarian, I really enjoyed this book and feel it was spot on in its description of the librarian career. I would highly recommend this series for young people searching for options available when they are ready to decide their future plans."
"The character here is my 12 year old. She’s the one who lives in the library after school, not because she has to, but because she likes helping people find things. She’s the one who gets mad when she hears 'fake news' on TikTok and wants to know how to check it. This book spoke directly to her.
Instead of just talking about books on shelves, it hands her the real job. Connecting one person to the exact book they need. Organizing all of human knowledge so a stranger can find it. Teaching people how to tell a trustworthy fact from a convincing fake. That last one hit her hard. She looked up and said, 'That’s important.'
What I loved is how much ground it covers. One page she’s in a sunlit children’s room. The next she’s imagining riding with the Pack Horse Librarians in Kentucky, carrying books on horseback to families who’d never had them. Then it’s a hospital library. Then it’s the digital systems answering millions of questions. She realized librarians aren’t in one place. They’re wherever people need help.
The history parts mattered too. Meeting Pura Belpré and S. R. Ranganathan gave her people to look up to who weren’t just in the US. And the book is honest about the values, open access, reader privacy, freedom to read. It doesn’t pretend those are easy. It treats kids like they can handle that."
"I really enjoyed reading this book! I have always loved spending time in libraries and often wondered if this is something I wanted to do when I was younger. Although I took a different path and it was great to learn about what a librarian actually does!"
"Excellent series. My daughter loves books and dreams of the fun of having a job where books surround her. Love the illustrations in this. It's a bookworm's dream."
"I just can’t get enough of this series. This was full of great information and I was surprised to learn about some of the places libraries can be."
"I like to spend time reading these types of books with my son. It helps to show him all aspects of a career and not just the stereotype of the career. I love that this one addressed the common error that librarians just sit and shush everyone and that libraries can actually be lively. I also liked seeing the time line of a day in the life of a librarian."
"This fact-filled book shared with kids exactly what it takes to be a librarian! Topics include exactly what a librarian does (hint: it’s not just reading books all day long!), the best and hardest parts of the job, what a day in the life looks like, what qualities are needed, who librarians work with and how they help people, famous librarians in history, lots of fun facts, and much more! Anyone who loves books will be fascinated by all the things librarians do to keep our libraries running smoothly day after day."