OverviewSalaryAboutEducationWhere are the jobsEmploymentGenderRace/Origin
Overview
Assist librarians by helping readers in the use of library catalogs, databases, and indexes to locate books and other materials; and by answering questions that require only brief consultation of standard reference. Compile records; sort and shelve books or other media; remove or repair damaged books or other media; register patrons; and check materials in and out of the circulation process. Replace materials in shelving area (stacks) or files. Includes bookmobile drivers who assist with providing services in mobile libraries.
Explore Pathways
Titles for this career often contain these words
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Responsibilities and activities
Library technicians and assistants typically do the following:
- Loan library materials to patrons and collect returned materials
- Sort and reshelve returned books, periodicals, and other materials
- Catalogue and maintain library materials
- Handle interlibrary loans
- Register new patrons and issue library cards
- Answer routine reference questions from patrons
- Teach patrons how to use library resources
- Maintain computer databases used to locate library materials
- Perform routine clerical tasks such as answering phones and organizing files
- Help plan and participate in special programs, such as used-book sales, story times, or outreach programs
A librarian usually supervises library technicians and assistants. Both technicians and assistants help patrons find information and organize library materials. However, library technicians typically have more responsibilities than library assistants.
Library technicians and assistants in small libraries have a broad range of duties. In large libraries, they tend to specialize in a particular area, such as user services or technical services. Those specializing in user services assist library patrons with locating resources and information. Those specializing in technical services research, acquire, catalog, and process materials to be added to the library’s collections.
The following are examples of types of library technicians and assistants:
Academic library technicians and assistants help students, faculties, and staff in colleges and universities access resources and information related to coursework or research projects. Some teach students how to access and use library resources. They may work at service desks for reserve materials, special collections, or computer labs.
Public library technicians and assistants work in community libraries to serve members of the public. They help patrons find books to read for pleasure, assist patrons with their research, or teach patrons how to access the library’s resources. Some technicians in public libraries may help plan programs for users, such as story time for children or book clubs for teens or adults.
School library technicians and assistants show students how to find and use library resources, maintain textbook collections, and help teachers develop curriculum materials.
Special library technicians and assistants work in settings other than school or public libraries, including government agencies, corporations, museums, law firms, and medical centers. They assist users, search library resources, compile bibliographies, and provide information on subjects of interest to the organization.
Salary
Median salary: $37,010 annually
Half of those employed in this career earn between $28,080 and $48,400.
Context: Median Salary
How do salaries for this career compare to other jobs' salaries?
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Salary growth for library technicians
Is this job likely to reward you for sticking with it through pay raises and promotions? The higher a job’s “experience quotient,” the more you are likely to get as you stay there.
Experience quotient percentile
Take a minute to look at how much you might expect your salary to increase with each five years' experience, as well as how the numbers working at each age change. Does this seem to be a job for the young or the old, or could it be a career offering steady salary growth for many years?
Salary distribution
Number employed
About Library Technicians
How do benefits for this career compare to other jobs? The availability of health care, especially employer provided health care, and pension plans can add significantly to the value of compensation you receive in a career. These charts compare how this career compares to other careers with regard to health care and pension plans.
Employee has health insurance
Employer is providing health insurance
Employer-provided pension plan is available
Worker concerns
Some jobs are more stressful than others, and some are just plain dangerous. The following list gives the percentages of library technicians who report hazardous or difficult situations typically occurring at least once a week.
- High Conflict Frequency (56%)
- Time Pressure (45%)
- Exposed to Contaminants (38%)
- Unpleasant or Angry People (34%)
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Personality and skills
Can you see yourself in the ranks of Library Technicians? Here are the skills and traits that could lead to success.
Communication skills
Library technicians and assistants must be able to answer patrons’ questions clearly and explain use of library resources.
Detail oriented
Library technicians and assistants must pay close attention to ensure that library materials and information are organized correctly and according to the library’s organizational system.
Interpersonal skills
Library technicians and assistants need to work with library patrons, <a href="/ooh/education-training-and-library/librarians.htm" title="Librarians and Library Media Specialists">librarians</a>, teachers, or researchers.
Listening skills
Library technicians and assistants need to listen to patrons to help them with research topics or with finding materials.
Education pathways to this career
Education attained by library technicians
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), library technicians typically hold a postsecondary nondegree award.
Sometimes the typical education identified by the BLS differs a bit from the reality of the how much education current workers actually have. The donut shows the education level held by people currently working as library technicians as reported in responses to the American Community Survey.
Education level of Library Technicians
Only 39% of library technicians have a bachelor's degree or higher.
Education attained by library technicians
None
High School
Some College
Associate's Degree
Bachelor's Degree
Master's Degree
Professional Degree
Doctorate
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Programs recommended by the Department of Education
The Department of Education recommends the following college degree programs as preparation for this career. You can click the program row to learn more about the program and explore a list of schools that offer the program.
Number of degrees awarded in 2018
Education
Education level of awarded degrees
Assoc./Cert.
Bachelor's
Graduate
Gender
Gender of graduates
Men
Women
Race/Origin
Race/origin of graduates
White
Minority
International
Where are the jobs
State-by-state employment numbers
Some careers tend to be centered in specific parts of the country. For example, most jobs in fashion are in New York or California. Let's see if your dream job is easy to find in your dream location! We have a few choices for viewing the data that can help you get a full employment picture.
Select a state to see local area details
Number of Library Technicians per 1,000 workers (ACS)
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Job density versus job count
Which states hire the most library technicians? We wonder if that's a fair question since states come in all sizes, so instead let's start with the question of which states have the highest density of people working as library technicians. You can choose to view the number of jobs per state if you prefer.
Salaries by state
Let's get a feel for where library technicians earn the highest salaries. There are several choices for which data we consider and how we view that data, and each can lead to different conclusions, so please read on...
Median salary versus state ratio
We use two methods to compare salaries across states:
- In-state comparisons: the ratio of median (middle) salaries for library technicians compared to the median salary for all people working in each state, or
- Median salary: the unaltered median salaries for library technicians.
The darkest shading corresponds to states in which library technicians earn the highest salary when compared to other jobs in the state. We think this figure might be a better indicator than the actual salary for your buying power as a state resident.
Select a state to see local area details
Location-adjusted median salary for Library Technicians (ACS)
Employment
66% of Library technicians are working part time.
We’ve found that some jobs have a huge number of part-time workers, and typically that is because they are unable to find full-time work or the job itself can’t provide full-time hours. With 66% part-time workers, this occupation has a higher percentage of part-time workers than 99% of careers.
Employer types
This donut shares the break-down of workers by employer type, giving us a picture of what employers most typically hire for this career.
Employers of undefined (ACS)
Private for-profit
Private not-for-profit
Local government
State government
Federal government
Self-employed incorporated
Self-employed not incorporated
Working without pay
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Distribution: Salaries of library technicians by type of employer
Here are the salary distributions based on employer type.
Gender
Library technicians and gender
With 75% women, this occupation has a higher percentage of women than 84% of careers.
Gender of Library technicians
Men (25%)
Women (75%)
Distribution: salaries by gender
Does gender greatly influence your salary in this career? The closer the bars are, the less discrepancy there is.
We only include salary data when the survey error is less than 20%, so you may see only partial information for some categories.
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Context: Women in the workforce
How does this career compare to other careers with regard to the percentage of women in the career.
Context: Salary inequity
The median (middle) salary for all full-time male workers
in the US exceeds the full-time median salary for women
by 19%, and the difference
for library technicians tops that, with the median salary for
men 37% higher than the median
salary for women.
Race/Origin
Race and origin of Library technicians
This donut shows the distribution of race and origin among those employed as Library technicians.
Race/origin of library technicians
White (77% )
Black (12% )
Asian (7% )
Multiracial (2% )
Other (1% )
Hispanic (1% )
American Indian (0% )
Pacific Islander (0% )
Distribution: salaries by race/origin
Some careers might have a pay disparity based on race or origin, the closer the below bars are the less of a discrepancy is present.
We only include salary data when the survey error is less than 20%, so you may see only partial information for some categories.
