Career: Library Technicians
The library technician parks the bookmobile at a home for the elderly, where residents are waiting, eager to return books and borrow new ones. The library technician helps them find what they need and checks out the materials on a computer. Soon he or she will be off, stopping at the mall and the elementary school before returning to the library.
If you like the idea of working for a library but don't want to get a graduate degree, you might enjoy being a library technician.
Library technicians help librarians find, prepare, and organize information. They also help library visitors find information. Some library technicians operate bookmobiles. Usually they are supervised by a librarian, but sometimes they work on their own.
Did You Know?
- J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series and Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn were among the books most often objected to in the 1990s.
Are You Ready To...?
- Help visitors find information
- Keep up on advances in library technology
- Run audiovisual equipment such as film projectors
- Operate a bookmobile
- Design library displays
It Helps to Be...
Organized and efficient, excited about learning new things, and eager to help others. You'll enjoy this field if you are equally comfortable with people, books, and technology. You'll want to be at ease reporting to a supervisor as well as working independently.
Make High School Count
- Volunteer or work at your school or neighborhood library. Observe staff members at work and find out how the library's information is organized.
- Take psychology to develop your communication skills and computer courses to get comfortable using technology.
- Make the most of class time. Together, your classes will help you grasp the information our culture values and understand how that information is organized.
Did You Know?
- Library technicians are sometimes called "library technical assistants" or "media aides."
Outlook
Employment of library technicians is expected to grow as fast as the average for all occupations through 2016.
The increasing use of computers in libraries may increase job growth. Computers have simplified certain tasks that can now be handled by technicians instead of librarians.
Compensation
Many library technicians work part-time and are paid on an hourly basis. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, they earned an average wage of $13.96 an hour in 2007.
