Library assistant

Library assistants help librarians to manage the day-to-day running of a library.

Also known as: Information assistant, learning resource centre assistant

• Starter salary£22,000 a year
• Experienced£27,000 a year
• Typical hours30 to 37 a week

What you'll do

As a library assistant, you could:

• help customers to find and use print, online and image resources
• check materials in and out
• deal with counter, phone and email enquiries
• help to catalogue new resources
• shelve returned items and arrange repair of damaged materials
• promote collections or new library resources
• enter customers' membership details on a record management system
• assist with events and activities like storytelling or computer skills sessions

Working environment

You could work at a library, at a school, at a college or at a university.

Skills and knowledge you'll need

You'll need:

• administration skills
• the ability to work well with others
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• customer service skills
• the ability to work on your own
• knowledge of English language
• to be flexible and open to change
• sensitivity and understanding
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

How to become a library assistant

You can get into this job through:

• an apprenticeship
• volunteering
• applying directly

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Library, Information and Archive Services Assistant Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship, with a library service or an organisation like a college or university.

This typically takes between 1 and 2 years to complete and is a mix of workplace learning and off-site study.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Volunteering

You could gain experience of working in a library through volunteering, or as a casual assistant, in a local authority or community library . This could give you an advantage when applying for jobs.

You can also find opportunities through sites like:

• The National Council for Voluntary Organisations
• Do IT

Direct application

You can apply for a job as a library assistant if you have some experience of working in a library, archive or information service, for example as a volunteer.

You may need GCSEs grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) or equivalent, including maths and English, to apply.

Experience working in an administration, customer services or IT role will also be useful for applying directly.

For some assistant jobs, for example in industrial or commercial libraries, you may need qualifications at A level standard or higher. You may also need specialist knowledge, like a language or science, depending on the nature of the job.

Restrictions and requirements

You'll need to:

• pass enhanced background checks

Career path and progression

With experience, further training and qualifications, you could become a senior library assistant or librarian .

Career tips

A knowledge of information classification systems, like the Dewey Decimal Classification, may be useful, though not essential, as training will be given when you start.

Guides for this industry

• Education & Teaching: pay, interviews and getting started →

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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0