Library Assistants, Clerical

Education and TrainingO*NET 43-4121.00United States

Compile records, and sort, shelve, issue, and receive library materials such as books, electronic media, pictures, cards, slides and microfilm. Locate library materials for loan and replace material in shelving area, stacks, or files according to identification number and title.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning

Median annual earnings: $36,899
Projected change: −2.2%
Typical education: High school diploma or less
Employment: 92.5K jobs

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Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

The work

What library assistants, clerical do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

Open and close library during specified hours and secure library equipment, such as computers and audio-visual equipment.
Sort books, publications, and other items according to established procedure and return them to shelves, files, or other designated storage areas.
Enter and update patrons' records on computers.
Locate library materials for patrons, including books, periodicals, tape cassettes, Braille volumes, and pictures.
Manage reserve materials by placing items on reserve for library patrons, checking items in and out of library, and removing out-of-date items.
Answer routine inquiries and refer patrons in need of professional assistance to librarians.
Lend, reserve, and collect books, periodicals, videotapes, and other materials at circulation desks and process materials for inter-library loans.
Instruct patrons on how to use reference sources, card catalogs, and automated information systems.
Inspect returned books for condition and due-date status and compute any applicable fines.
Maintain records of items received, stored, issued, and returned and file catalog cards according to system used.
Perform clerical activities, such as answering phones, sorting mail, filing, typing, word processing, and photocopying and mailing out material.
Register new patrons and issue borrower identification cards that permit patrons to borrow books and other materials.
Process new materials including books, audio-visual materials, and computer software.
Provide assistance to librarians in the maintenance of collections of books, periodicals, magazines, newspapers, and audio-visual and other materials.
Send out notices and accept fine payments for lost or overdue books.
Review records, such as microfilm and issue cards, to identify titles of overdue materials and delinquent borrowers.
Maintain library equipment, such as photocopiers, scanners, and computers, and instruct patrons in proper use of such equipment.
Schedule, supervise, and train clerical workers, volunteers, student assistants, and other library employees.
Repair books using mending tape, paste, and brushes or prepare books to be sent to a bindery for repair.
Take action to deal with disruptive or problem patrons.
Prepare, store, and retrieve classification and catalog information, lecture notes, or other information related to stored documents, using computers.
Select substitute titles when requested materials are unavailable, following criteria such as age, education, and interests.
Prepare library statistics reports.
Deliver and retrieve items to and from departments by hand or using push carts.
Assist in the preparation of book displays.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile: $27,726
25th percentile: $31,824
50th percentile: $36,899
75th percentile: $45,614
90th percentile: $55,307

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $36,899 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

−2.2%projected to decline

202592,498 jobs

2035 projected90,482 jobs

2,016 fewer positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

High school diploma or less: 58.4%
Some college: 14.1%
Associate degree: 12.1%
Certificate: 10.7%
Bachelor's degree: 4.6%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

Library Services
Collections
Office Equipment
Library Programming
Library
Interlibrary Loan
Statistics
Public Service
Integrated Library Systems
Lifting Ability
Readers' Advisory
Cataloguing
Data Entry
Dewey Decimal Classification
Archives
Library Catalog
Collection Development
Library Science
Workflow Management
Cash Register

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Management of Personnel Resources: Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

01Library Assistants2,328 postings
02Library Clerks548 postings
03Library Associates544 postings
04Library Aides531 postings
05Library Pages385 postings
06Library Services Assistants213 postings
07Library Media Assistants206 postings
08Library Specialists206 postings
09Student Library Assistants182 postings
10Library Technical Assistants142 postings
11Children's Library Assistants111 postings
12Substitute Librarians100 postings
13Youth Services Librarians94 postings
14Library Student Workers84 postings
15Library Services Specialists81 postings
16Media Clerks80 postings
17Library Administrative Assistants79 postings
18Media Assistants71 postings
19Library Information Assistants66 postings
20Library Media Clerks66 postings

Top employers

01The New York Public Library116 postings
02Library Systems & Services115 postings
03Edjoin.Org112 postings
04Herc68 postings
05Fort Bend County64 postings
06Cuyahoga County Public Library57 postings
07Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library47 postings
08Clark County School District46 postings
09King County33 postings
10Great River Regional Library32 postings
11CUNY29 postings
12Cabarrus County25 postings
13East Carolina University25 postings
14St. Louis County Library25 postings
15Maricopa County24 postings
16Pennsylvania State University24 postings
17Brevard County23 postings
18University of Miami23 postings
19Lone Star College System22 postings
20University of Utah21 postings

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