Library Technicians
Assist librarians by helping readers in the use of library catalogs, databases, and indexes to locate books and other materials; and by answering questions that require only brief consultation of standard reference. Compile records; sort and shelve books or other media; remove or repair damaged books or other media; register patrons; and check materials in and out of the circulation process. Replace materials in shelving area (stacks) or files. Includes bookmobile drivers who assist with providing services in mobile libraries.
Most important skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Service Orientation
- Critical Thinking
- Learning Strategies
- Social Perceptiveness
- Coordination
Key knowledge
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Administrative
- Computers and Electronics
- Education and Training
- Communications and Media
- Psychology
- Mathematics
What the work involves
- Reserve, circulate, renew, and discharge books and other materials.
- Enter and update patrons' records on computers.
- Provide assistance to teachers and students by locating materials and helping to complete special projects.
- Train other staff, volunteers, or student assistants and schedule and supervise their work.
- Conduct reference searches, using printed materials and in-house and online databases.
- Deliver and retrieve items throughout the library by hand or using pushcart.
- Take actions to halt disruption of library activities by problem patrons.
- Process print and non-print library materials to prepare them for inclusion in library collections.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Conventional, Social, Realistic.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- Bachelor's Degree (29.6% of respondents)
- Related experience
- Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (34.9%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months (35.7%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 3: Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Library Technicians is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Low | Lower on contact with others than 72% of occupations compared | 43% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others” |
| Dealing with the public | High | Higher on dealing with the public than 61% of occupations compared | 39% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Teamwork | Low | Lower on teamwork than 65% of occupations compared | 42% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | Moderate | Higher on freedom to make decisions than 53% of occupations compared | 44% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom” |
| Time pressure | Low | Lower on time pressure than 77% of occupations compared | 37% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week” |
| Conflict situations | High | Higher on conflict situations than 76% of occupations compared | 48% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Moderate | Higher on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 56% of occupations compared | 39% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Consequence of error | Very low | Lower on consequence of error than 91% of occupations compared | 40% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: low
- Conflict situations: high
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: moderate
- Consequence of error: very low
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 12.96%
- Contact with others about half the time: 11.93%
- Contact with others most of the time: 32.57%
- Constant contact with others: 42.54%
n = 36, Incumbent 07/2017
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 5.73%
- Fairly important: 16.89%
- Important: 18.25%
- Very important: 19.9%
- Extremely important: 39.23%
n = 36, Incumbent 07/2017
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 0%
- Fairly important: 6.21%
- Important: 20.73%
- Very important: 31.53%
- Extremely important: 41.54%
n = 35, Incumbent 07/2017
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 1.35%
- Very little freedom: 3.17%
- Limited freedom: 12.5%
- Some freedom: 44.09%
- A lot of freedom: 38.89%
n = 36, Incumbent 07/2017
Time pressure
- Never: 7.6%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 10.19%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 37.15%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 16.73%
- Every day: 28.32%
n = 36, Incumbent 07/2017
Conflict situations
- Never: 7.33%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 24.58%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 11.81%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 48.19%
- Every day: 8.09%
n = 35, Incumbent 07/2017
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 5.36%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 39.36%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 20.98%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 29.42%
- Every day: 4.87%
n = 36, Incumbent 07/2017
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 35.67%
- Fairly serious: 39.9%
- Serious: 10.08%
- Very serious: 14.35%
- Extremely serious: 0%
n = 36, Incumbent 07/2017
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O*NET-SOC 25-4031.00 · SOC 25-4031 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8