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Assistant librarian vs circulation desk assistant

The differences between assistant librarians and circulation desk assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an assistant librarian has an average salary of $53,764, which is higher than the $26,159 average annual salary of a circulation desk assistant.

The top three skills for an assistant librarian include library materials, reference services and library services. The most important skills for a circulation desk assistant are library materials, customer service, and library patrons.

Assistant librarian vs circulation desk assistant overview

Assistant LibrarianCirculation Desk Assistant
Yearly salary$53,764$26,159
Hourly rate$25.85$12.58
Growth rate-4%-4%
Number of jobs1,61725,638
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age4747
Years of experience--

Assistant librarian vs circulation desk assistant salary

Assistant librarians and circulation desk assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Assistant LibrarianCirculation Desk Assistant
Average salary$53,764$26,159
Salary rangeBetween $40,000 And $71,000Between $19,000 And $34,000
Highest paying CityHayward, CA-
Highest paying stateAlaska-
Best paying companyKent Daniels & Associates-
Best paying industryHealth Care-

Differences between assistant librarian and circulation desk assistant education

There are a few differences between an assistant librarian and a circulation desk assistant in terms of educational background:

Assistant LibrarianCirculation Desk Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common majorBusinessPsychology
Most common collegeNew York UniversityNorthwestern University

Assistant librarian vs circulation desk assistant demographics

Here are the differences between assistant librarians' and circulation desk assistants' demographics:

Assistant LibrarianCirculation Desk Assistant
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 31.5% Female, 68.5%Male, 33.7% Female, 66.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 6.3% White, 63.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 63.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between assistant librarian and circulation desk assistant duties and responsibilities

Assistant librarian example responsibilities.

  • Manage yearly budget for DVDs.
  • Cataloge new book, reclassify, original updates using OCLC.
  • Help patrons with computers, word processing, and PowerPoint.
  • Provide customer service through assisting the patrons with their research topics and general questions through OCLC library information system.
  • Create PowerPoint presentations for orientation.
  • Provide opportunities for students to use the library for class-relate research, individual investigation, independent reading, and personal inquiry.
  • Show more

Circulation desk assistant example responsibilities.

  • Utilize computerized system for circulating books and DVDs.
  • Stack, sort, and insert ads into newspapers.
  • Assist in running equipment to bundle newspapers to be send out to carriers for delivery.
  • Assign and monitor computers to students; check books and DVDs in and out using a computerize system.
  • Perform regular cataloging of new acquisitions, maintaining accurate data building for microfilm, microfiche, periodicals, and academic collections.
  • Develop library collection materials for young adults including award-winning non-fiction and fiction titles.

Assistant librarian vs circulation desk assistant skills

Common assistant librarian skills
  • Library Materials, 11%
  • Reference Services, 6%
  • Library Services, 6%
  • Circulation Desk, 5%
  • Collection Development, 5%
  • Library Resources, 5%
Common circulation desk assistant skills
  • Library Materials, 23%
  • Customer Service, 14%
  • Library Patrons, 6%
  • Library Resources, 6%
  • Front Desk, 5%
  • DVDs, 3%

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