How to hire librarians and media collections specialists
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Analyze patrons' requests to determine needed information and assist in furnishing or locating that information. • Code, classify, and catalog books, publications, films, audio-visual aids, and other library materials, based on subject matter or standard library classification systems. • Confer with colleagues, faculty, and community members and organizations to conduct informational programs, make collection decisions, and determine library services to offer. • Evaluate vendor products and performance, negotiate contracts, and place orders. • Plan and teach classes on topics such as information literacy, library instruction, and technology use. • Review and evaluate materials, using book reviews, catalogs, faculty recommendations, and current holdings to select and order print, audio-visual, and electronic resources. • Search standard reference materials, including online sources and the Internet, to answer patrons' reference questions. • Supervise daily library operations, budgeting, planning, and personnel activities, such as hiring, training, scheduling, and performance evaluations. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Master's degree] • Strong reading comprehension, active listening, speaking, critical thinking, writing and monitoring skills • Working knowledge of English Language, customer and personal service, education and training and computers and electronics • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $32.82 an hour ($68,270 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for librarians and media collections specialists
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to analyze patrons' requests to determine needed information and assist in furnishing or locating that information. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to code, classify, and catalog books, publications, films, audio-visual aids, and other library materials, based on subject matter or standard library classification systems. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to confer with colleagues, faculty, and community members and organizations to conduct informational programs, make collection decisions, and determine library services to offer. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to evaluate vendor products and performance, negotiate contracts, and place orders. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What librarians and media collections specialists do
- Analyze patrons' requests to determine needed information and assist in furnishing or locating that information.
- Code, classify, and catalog books, publications, films, audio-visual aids, and other library materials, based on subject matter or standard library classification systems.
- Confer with colleagues, faculty, and community members and organizations to conduct informational programs, make collection decisions, and determine library services to offer.
- Evaluate vendor products and performance, negotiate contracts, and place orders.
- Plan and teach classes on topics such as information literacy, library instruction, and technology use.
- Review and evaluate materials, using book reviews, catalogs, faculty recommendations, and current holdings to select and order print, audio-visual, and electronic resources.
- Search standard reference materials, including online sources and the Internet, to answer patrons' reference questions.
- Supervise daily library operations, budgeting, planning, and personnel activities, such as hiring, training, scheduling, and performance evaluations.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for librarians and media collections specialists
- Typical education to start: Master's degree (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 1 to 2 years (O*NET)
- Job outlook: +2.6% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 12,600 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay librarians and media collections specialists
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Washington | $100,030 |
| District of Columbia | $96,550 |
| California | $89,790 |
| Maryland | $88,570 |
| Nevada | $84,540 |
| Utah | $53,730 |
| Indiana | $53,500 |
| West Virginia | $42,980 |
See librarians and media collections specialists pay in every state
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Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.