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Library Assistant Job

Ukulelegeek

Hi there 

I have an interview coming up for a library assistant. I am wondering if anyone has ever worked or is working in a library as an assistant or another role?

I am currently working in a large retail store (I know!) so I'm thinking a library has to be less sensory by far. I know they have children in and groups etc. 

Any advice or what an average day is like in a library will be really helpful. 

Thanks.

Parents

  • It's a long time since I worked in a library, but some things may still be relevant.

    There were two categories of library assistant in my day, one qualified and the other not. The unqualified ones assisted in general duties - replacing books on shelves (a lot of the time), registering books out and in (at the desk), repairing books (a nice, quiet job) and other odds and ends. The library I worked in had a separate children's library, which was always noisier than the adult, but manageable. The qualified librarian took storytime for children etc.

    Replacing books is easy as libraries catalogue books on the Dewey system, which goves every category of knowledge a main number and sub-numbers for sub-categories. You won't be expected to know this immediately (qualified librarians learn it in order to assign a category to books) but you will find you pick it up over time. As every book has a number on the spine, you don't have to guess - just put the numbers in order and file the books away.

    Desk duties included checking books for damage, answering queries about where to find a particular book or category of non-fiction and library facilities such as local information. Of course, these days there are other things such as computers, DVDs etc. You should receive training in all this and be paired with an experienced librarian who can handle the queries yoiu don't have an answer to. 

    You can ask what areas you'll be expected to work in and what training you'll be given. 

Reply

  • It's a long time since I worked in a library, but some things may still be relevant.

    There were two categories of library assistant in my day, one qualified and the other not. The unqualified ones assisted in general duties - replacing books on shelves (a lot of the time), registering books out and in (at the desk), repairing books (a nice, quiet job) and other odds and ends. The library I worked in had a separate children's library, which was always noisier than the adult, but manageable. The qualified librarian took storytime for children etc.

    Replacing books is easy as libraries catalogue books on the Dewey system, which goves every category of knowledge a main number and sub-numbers for sub-categories. You won't be expected to know this immediately (qualified librarians learn it in order to assign a category to books) but you will find you pick it up over time. As every book has a number on the spine, you don't have to guess - just put the numbers in order and file the books away.

    Desk duties included checking books for damage, answering queries about where to find a particular book or category of non-fiction and library facilities such as local information. Of course, these days there are other things such as computers, DVDs etc. You should receive training in all this and be paired with an experienced librarian who can handle the queries yoiu don't have an answer to. 

    You can ask what areas you'll be expected to work in and what training you'll be given. 

Children
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