Library Assistant Job Description, Key Duties and Responsibilities

This post provides detailed information on the library assistant job description, including the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities they typically perform.

It also highlights the major requirements that you may need to meet to be hired for the library assistant role.

What Does a Library Assistant Do?

Library assistants are responsible for helping library users to effectively use the various services offered by the library, including the children’s section.

The library assistant job description involves sorting out books and other materials, checking out books, CDs and other materials for users, or getting them from the lending libraries.

It also entails helping in checking out materials from the machines that are located in the vicinity of the library.

Library assistants ensure that all patrons are using the facilities and services that are provided by the library.

It is their duty to assist in providing information to students and teachers.

The library assistant often gives presentations instructing students on how to use their library resources.

One of their other responsibilities is to make sure that the library website is maintained properly and that it displays accurate information about the various services provided by the library, and that it is updated regularly.

Another important task of a library assistant is that they help in the collection of books, periodicals, audio visual materials such as CDs and DVDs, digital resources such as eBooks and databases in addition to other information resources needed to support teaching and learning at school or other institutions.

They ensure that all these sources are kept in good condition.

The library assistant work description also involves organizing the library resources to ensure they are properly displayed and stored.

It also entails maintaining the databases and indexes of materials that the library subscribes to, ensuring their accuracy and updating them regularly.

They also assist in cataloging information about videos, CDs, DVDs etc., according to specific criteria for indexing them.

It is part of the duties to search and retrieve information in various databases, such as the school encyclopedias and the internet.

Library assistants help in checking out resources from the online library catalog that are available on the internet and other access points, thus ensuring effective use of resources.

They also create and maintain web pages on electronic databases, digital repositories, and educational technology.

Library assistants are responsible for providing information to students about the facilities and services offered by the library.

Library Assistant Job Description Sample/Example/Template

The library assistant job description consists of the following duties, tasks, and responsibilities:

• Promotes the reading culture in the school
• Functions as the collection point for all books, magazines, journals and other materials needed for student use
• Maintains good relations with the student population by doing regular library presentation
• Provides technical assistance in accessing adequate sources of information as required by school rules and regulations
• Assists students in accessing resources to enhance learning opportunities in secondary schools
• Maintains up-to-date knowledge on the library resources, materials, and services
• Provides excellent customer service in all areas of the library
• Participates in reference service activities
• Sets up and maintains the computer system for students to make use of the library resources and services
• Archives all materials to be kept at the library, shelves books using proper classification, and marks them with proper identification tags
• Assists teachers in making collections of materials for different subjects and grade levels
• Assists students in using various library resources
• Organizes workshop for the purpose of exposing participants to concepts and ideas pertaining to information literacy skills so as to enable the participants to make informed use of information
• Participates in activities promoting school library programs, such as parents’ day, open house, etc.
• Maintains cleanliness of the reading room by proper use of supplies, such as dusters, brooms, and trash cans.

Library Assistant Job Description for Resume

If you have worked as a library assistant previously or are currently working in that role and are making a new resume or CV, then you can make a compelling Professional Experience section for your resume by applying the sample library assistant job description provided above.

You can express the duties and responsibilities you carried out or are presently performing as a library assistant in your resume’s Professional Experience by utilizing the ones provided in the library assistant job description template above.

This will help to convince the employer/recruiter that you have been successful performing the duties and responsibilities of a library assistant, which can greatly enhance your chances of being hired for the new job, especially if the new position that you are seeking requires someone with some library assistant work experience.

Library Assistant Requirements: Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities for Career Success

Here are major requirements that you may be asked to fulfill if you are seeking to work as a library assistant:

• Must have a high school diploma or its equivalent
• Possess at least one year of library experience
• A punctual and reliable personality
• Ability to cope with pressure and stress in a fast-moving environment
• Must show interest in and be sensitive to customer issues
• Good listener, speaker, note taker, note maker and organizer
• Must have a harmonious personality, strong interpersonal skills, can work well in team work, able to work independently and solve problems on own
• Good time management skills
• Basic computer skills, internet/library/database searching skills
• Armed with basic computer literacy
• Able to understand and identify principles of library collection maintenance, checking of library books and property and care of library materials
• Good knowledge and understanding of the standardization of library services for the development of library program
• Able to manage resources effectively, have patience and good organizational skills
• Must be able to communicate effectively with students, staff, parents/guardians and other stakeholders
• Ability to work within the guidelines and standards of the school council (if applicable)
• Must be able to manage resources, such as books, magazines, journals etc., in order to organize them correctly in different school libraries.

Library Assistant Salary

According to Glassdoor, the national average compensation for a library assistant in the United States is $34,323.

Conclusion

This post is helpful to individuals interested in the library assistant career. They will be able to learn all they need to know about the duties they typically perform so they can decide if that’s the right job for them.

It is also useful to recruiters/employers needing to create effective job description for the library assistant position in their organizations; they can apply the template provided on this page.