How to hire library technicians

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
• Answer routine telephone or in-person reference inquiries, referring patrons to librarians for further assistance, when necessary.
• Catalogue and sort books and other print and non-print materials according to procedure and return them to shelves, files, or other designated storage areas.
• Deliver and retrieve items throughout the library by hand or using pushcart.
• Enter and update patrons' records on computers.
• Help patrons find and use library resources, such as reference materials, audio-visual equipment, computers, and other electronic resources and provide technical assistance when needed.
• Process print and non-print library materials to prepare them for inclusion in library collections.
• Provide assistance to teachers and students by locating materials and helping to complete special projects.
• Reserve, circulate, renew, and discharge books and other materials.

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: Postsecondary nondegree award]
• Strong reading comprehension, active listening, speaking, critical thinking and learning strategies skills
• Working knowledge of customer and personal service and English Language
• [Anything else you would really turn someone away for]

Pay and benefits
[Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $21.43 an hour ($44,580 a year).
[Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.]

How to apply
[Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]

Copy the template Check your finished job post

Interview questions for library technicians

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.

1. Tell me about a time you had to answer routine telephone or in-person reference inquiries, referring patrons to librarians for further assistance, when necessary. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
2. Tell me about a time you had to catalogue and sort books and other print and non-print materials according to procedure and return them to shelves, files, or other designated storage areas. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
3. Tell me about a time you had to deliver and retrieve items throughout the library by hand or using pushcart. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
4. Tell me about a time you had to enter and update patrons' records on computers. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
5. Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
6. 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?
7. Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
8. 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 library technicians do

• Answer routine telephone or in-person reference inquiries, referring patrons to librarians for further assistance, when necessary.
• Catalogue and sort books and other print and non-print materials according to procedure and return them to shelves, files, or other designated storage areas.
• Deliver and retrieve items throughout the library by hand or using pushcart.
• Enter and update patrons' records on computers.
• Help patrons find and use library resources, such as reference materials, audio-visual equipment, computers, and other electronic resources and provide technical assistance when needed.
• Process print and non-print library materials to prepare them for inclusion in library collections.
• Provide assistance to teachers and students by locating materials and helping to complete special projects.
• Reserve, circulate, renew, and discharge books and other materials.

Skills that matter most

Reading ComprehensionActive ListeningSpeakingCritical ThinkingLearning StrategiesCustomer and Personal ServiceEnglish Language

Education, experience and outlook for library technicians

• Typical education to start: Postsecondary nondegree award (BLS)
• Related work experience most have: 6 months to 1 year (O*NET)
• Job outlook: -6.4% over ten years, declining · about 10,800 openings a year (BLS)

What to pay library technicians

Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:

See library technicians pay in every state

Related hiring guides

• Library Assistants, Clerical
• File Clerks
• Office Clerks, General
• Computer Occupations, All Other
• Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
• Stockers and Order Fillers
• Receptionists and Information Clerks
• Database Administrators
• Computer User Support Specialists
• Archivists

Job 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.