Library assistant
Career outlook for library assistant
UK Salary Ranges
Entry-level
£17,000
£17,000
Experienced
£23,000
£23,000
Currently employed in Scotland
3,300
Salary information is provided by the "National Careers Service". "Oxford Economics" supplies job forecasts and employment figures. Due to COVID-19 the jobs market is constantly changing. Some of the information may not reflect the current situation.
What's it like?
You would support the day-to-day running of a library. You’d help people find and borrow the information they want.
You could work in a public library or in a library in a large business, university, college or school, as part of a team.
There are a lot of different materials you might work with, including:
- Books and journals
- Newspapers, leaflets and pamphlets
- Maps and photographs
- Video, film, DVDs and CDs
- Microfiche and computer databases
You would:
- Help library users to find the items they need
- Check materials in and out
- Put returned items back on the shelves or in store
- Answer enquiries by telephone, email or post
- Add new materials to the library catalogue
- Keep databases and records up to date
- Get damaged items repaired
In a public library, you might help with community events such as story readings.
Working conditions
Hours
Travel
Environment
UK employment status
Full-time
24%
Part-time
76%
Self employed
0%
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Find a jobTop skills
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- Building relationships
- Verbal communication
- Written communication
- Researching
- Respecting
- Filtering
- Sorting
- Understanding
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Entry requirements for courses can change. Always contact the college, university or training provider to check exactly what you'll need.
Qualifications
There are no set qualifications for this role. Most employers look for:
- National 4 or 5 qualifications including English and maths
- IT skills
- Customer service skills
You could get this job through a Modern Apprenticeship.
Useful subjects
- English (required by many employers and courses)
- Maths (required by many employers and courses)
- ICT
- Business
- Social subjects
- Languages
You will also need
For some jobs, you will need to be approved for membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme run by Disclosure Scotland.
Helpful to have
Once in the job with experience, you can apply for Affiliate membership of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (ACILIP) and work towards their Certification award. This can be a useful stepping stone to becoming a fully-qualified librarian.
Once in the job you may be expected to gain further qualifications such as:
- Professional Development Award (PDA) in Applications of ICT in Libraries at (SCQF level 7/8)
- Certificate in Libraries, Archives and Information Services at QCF level 2 / SCQF level 5
- Diploma in Libraries, Archives and Information Services at QCF level 3/SCQF level 6.