About This Career

Administers and maintains libraries or collections of information, for public or private access through reference or borrowing. Work in a variety of settings, such as educational institutions, museums, and corporations, and with various types of informational materials, such as books, periodicals, recordings, films, and databases. Tasks may include acquiring, cataloging, and circulating library materials, and user services such as locating and organizing information, providing instruction on how to access information, and setting up and operating a library's media equipment.

This career is part of the Education and Training cluster Professional Support Services pathway.

A person in this career:

• Checks books in and out of the library.
• Teaches library patrons basic computer skills, such as searching computerized databases.
• Reviews and evaluates materials, using book reviews, catalogs, faculty recommendations, and current holdings to select and order print, audio-visual, and electronic resources.
• Keeps up-to-date records of circulation and materials, maintains inventory, and corrects cataloging errors.
• Searches standard reference materials, including online sources and the Internet, to answer patrons' reference questions.
• Analyzes patrons' requests to determine needed information and assists in furnishing or locating that information.
• Supervises daily library operations, budgeting, planning, and personnel activities, such as hiring, training, scheduling, and performance evaluations.
• Plans and teaches classes on topics such as information literacy, library instruction, and technology use.
• Confers with colleagues, faculty, and community members and organizations to conduct informational programs, make collection decisions, and determine library services to offer.
• Codes, classifies, and catalogs books, publications, films, audio-visual aids, and other library materials, based on subject matter or standard library classification systems.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

• Regular working hours and limited travel