Library Technician Career

library-tech-500Library technicians, also known as library assistants, aid librarians in various tasks that contribute to the upkeep of public and private libraries. Such responsibilities include maintaining patron records, supervising other support staff, and addressing customer complaints. Cataloging library material is also a big part of the job as many librarians hand such duties over to their technicians.

A library technician may work in either a public or private entity. Cities, counties, and states are usually in charge of funding and overall operations in public libraries. Private libraries include those found at some universities.

Library Technician Career Snapshot

Library technicians work under sedentary conditions. They may be given personal office space but usually have designated desks that allow them to interact with other employees in the workroom. While some technicians work full-time schedules consisting of 40 hours per week, many assistants work part-time hours that do not exceed 30 hours in a week. Weekend and overtime work is the norm for library technicians working in academic libraries. Public library assistants are usually not given such opportunities for extra pay.

Further details on a career as a library technician are listed below (statistics from the May 2016 Bureau of Labor Statistics and Onet Online):

$31,620

is the median annual salary for library technicians.

5%

increase in employment between 2014 and 2024.

210,700

jobs in 2014 with an additional 11,200 added through 2024.

Library Tech Education

A library technician typically has certifications based in the field of library science from their local community college. Many assistants hold bachelor’s and even master’s degrees. Although advanced certification is common, one only needs a high school diploma and two years of customer service experience to be considered for a library technician position.

Library Tech Job Duties

Library technicians assist librarians in various facets of daily operations. Such help includes working in circulation and at the reference desk where assistants provide customer service and maintain the library’s catalog.

Library Tech Salaries

On average, library technicians are paid $15.81 per hour, which averages out to around $31,620 annually according to BLS.gov reports. Some assistants in various parts of the nation earn a salary of about $25 hourly. Technicians working in regions where the cost of living is significantly lower than the national average earn around $9.46 per hour or $18,920 annually.

Library Tech Job Outlook

The job outlook for library technicians in the next ten years for increase by five percent. Such percentile is in line with the nation’s average for job growth in other industries.

Library Technician Skills & Traits

Library Technician Skill Set:Required Abilities:Tools Used by Library Techs:Typical Work Activities:
• Reading Comprehension
• Speaking
• Active Listening
• Service Orientation
• Speech Recognition
• Written Comprehension
• Near Vision
• Oral Comprehension
• Bar code reader equipment
• Film projectors
• Microfiche or microfilm viewers
• Photocopiers
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
• Getting Information

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