Librarian Salary

Huntington and his Library Staff

 Image from http://huntingtonblogs.org/2012/04/national-library-week/

I could not locate the Huntington librarian salary, but most of Huntington's librarians were professors, so the money that they received may have been equivalent to the salary of a professor.

Work Where you Live

"In 1920, Mr. Huntington moved his collections from New York City to the newly completed library building designed by Myron Hunt, and also moved his library staff and their families to California" (Bernal p. 15). The fact that Huntington moved his entire library staff and their families from New York to California raises the question, as to  whether or not their living quarters were built into their salary. Huntington could have payed his librarians wages, but because he provided a home for them, and their families could mean that they were provided for. In this case, the cost of living would be less, because they are working where they live. In addition, the librarians would not be living too far away from their family,   because their family was living at the Huntington living quarters. This would allow Huntington to have his library staff to work long hours and not have to worry about traveling expenses. Since they were living in the Huntington living quarters, they may have been provided meals, or the wives of the family may have cooked their meals. Do the librarians live free and make a low salary? Do the librarian receive standard wages for librarian profession, or reduced wages because they have living quarters. These are some ideas about how the salary may have been considered.

There would not be any turnover in the library position, because they lived where they worked. The Huntington's first librarian, George W. Cole stayed a librarian until his retirement, then he became "Librarian Emeritus" in 1924. The definition of emeriti is one who is retired but retains an honorary title corresponding to that held immediately before retirement (Farlex). Therefore, compared to today's employment struggles, the position was secure.The turnover was based on age. This lifestyle allowed many people to spend the time becoming an authority in their field, instead of having to be multi-faceted because unstable employment, or layoffs. Cole, and other librarians spent their entire life focusing on one career and working for the same boss.