How To Become A Circulation Desk Assistant: What It Is and Career Path

What is a circulation desk assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a circulation desk assistant. For example, did you know that they make an average of $12.58 an hour? That's $26,159 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -4% and produce -6,400 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreCirculation Desk AssistantUS Average

Salary

2.0

Avg. Salary $26,159

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.9

Growth rate -4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.76%

Asian 6.45%

Black or African American 9.59%

Hispanic or Latino 14.55%

Unknown 4.75%

White 63.90%

Gender

female 66.32%

male 33.68%

Age - 49

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 49

Stress level

4.9

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

3.7

Complexity level is basic

7 - challenging

Work life balance

10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a circulation desk assistant

Explore circulation desk assistant education requirements

Most common circulation desk assistant degrees

Bachelor's

76.1 %

Associate

9.3 %

High School Diploma

8.0 %

Start to develop specific circulation desk assistant skills

Skills	Percentages
Library Materials	22.64%
Customer Service	14.23%
Library Patrons	6.44%
Library Resources	5.56%
Front Desk	5.11%

Complete relevant circulation desk assistant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New circulation desk assistants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a circulation desk assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real circulation desk assistant resumes.

Research circulation desk assistant duties and 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.

Prepare your circulation desk assistant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your circulation desk assistant resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a circulation desk assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable circulation desk assistant resume templates

Build a professional circulation desk assistant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your circulation desk assistant resume.

Apply for circulation desk assistant jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a circulation desk assistant job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do circulation desk assistants rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Circulation desk assistant reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2023

Pros

Learning the collection and using organizational skills. Efficiently applying the Dewey Decimal System to properly shelve materials.

Cons

Very repetitive. This doesn't negate the fact that the work is a great learning experience of how the library works and comes together to serve patrons.