How to hire a college librarian

How to hire a college librarian, step by step

Here's a step-by-step college librarian hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a college librarian job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new college librarian
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a college librarian, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A college librarian's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, college librarians from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of college librarians and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of College Librarian	Description	Hourly rate
   College Librarian	Librarians help people find information and conduct research for personal and professional use. Their job duties may change based on the type of library they work in, such as public, school, and medical libraries.	$17-37
   Technical Services Librarian	A technical services librarian is responsible for overseeing the technical and circulation services at a library. Typical duties for this role include supervising the technical and circulation staff, working closely with other library services, and directing the activities on library automation... Show more	$17-33
   Youth Services Librarian	Youth services librarians are people who plan and conduct the library's programs and services for children. The librarians execute their tasks under the supervision of a library director... Show more	$16-34

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Library Services
   • Library Resources
   • Reference Services
   • Cataloging
   • AV
   • Library Materials
   • Assist Students
   • Academic Programs
   • Library Policies

   Responsibilities:

   • Achieve proficiency cataloging electronic materials (audio records, video recordings, and streaming video) and continuing resources/serials.
   • Provide opportunities for students to use the library for class-relate research, individual investigation, independent reading, and personal inquiry.
   • Redesign and repair periodical and CD-ROM/DVD center at no cost.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your college librarian job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A college librarian salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, college librarians' average salary in arkansas is 45% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level college librarians earn 53% less than senior-level college librarians.
   • Certifications. A college librarian with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a college librarian's salary.

   Average college librarian salary

   $52,999yearly

   $25.48 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level college librarian salary

   $36,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 22, 2025

4. Writing a college librarian job description

   A college librarian job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a college librarian job description:

   College librarian job description example

   **Introduction**
   
   Barnes & Noble College is a retail partner for nearly 800 colleges and universities nationwide. We offer a retail environment like no other - uniquely focused on delivering essential educational content, tools, and merchandise within a dynamic retail environment on campuses of higher education. Our teams interact directly with our customers including students, faculty, administration, alumni, and the general public to provide outstanding customer service to sell or rent books, general merchandise, and an array of products and services for an academic community.
   
   **Overview**
   
   Barnes & Noble College is seeking dynamic, friendly, and customer-focused team members to work as Seasonal Booksellers throughout the school year. As a seasonal employee you may work in any department within the store from Textbooks, Trade Books, or General Merchandise to assist customers with locating products, answering questions, shelving and restocking the sales floor, processing cash, credit, and/or financial aid transactions, assisting with refunds and returns, among other tasks. Our seasonal booksellers work in one or a variety of departments periodically throughout the year to support our stores during peak periods or special events.
   
   **Responsibilities**
   
   **Expectations:**
   
   + Greet customers, answer questions, and assist with the purchase of merchandise or services.
   
   + Shelve, arrange, clean, and organize product or space within the store to maintain an appealing sales floor.
   
   + Assist with processing sales transactions involving cash, credit, or financial aid payments.
   
   + Seasonal positions require work during peak periods (i.e. semester starts and ends), occasional weekends, and flexibility in scheduling to work periodically during the school year.
   
   **Physical Demands:**
   
   + Frequent movement within the store to access various departments, areas, and/or products.
   
   + Ability to remain in a stationary position for extended periods.
   
   + Frequent lifting.
   
   + Occasional reaching, stooping, kneeling, crouching, and climbing ladders.
   
   **COVID-19 Considerations:**
   
   Our stores comply with all applicable federal, state and local requirements and/or recommendations regarding social distancing and sanitizing. In accordance with individual campus requirements, positions may require confirmation of vaccination. The use of face masks throughout the day and while on campus may also be expected or required.
   
   **Qualifications**
   
   + Candidates must be a minimum of 18 years of age to be considered for employment.
   
   + High-energy, friendly personality, with strong communication skills to interact with a variety of people.
   
   + Outstanding customer service skills to match customers to products that meet their needs.
   
   + Basic math, keyboarding, and data entry skills.
   
   + Flexibility in scheduling is necessary.
   
   **EEO Statement**
   
   **Barnes & Noble College is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer committed to diversity in the workplace. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status.**
   
   **Job Locations** _US-MI-FLINT_
   
   **ID** _2022-1951_
   
   **Category** _Retail Sales Associate_
   
   **Position Type** _Seasonal_

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right college librarian for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your college librarian job on Zippia to find and recruit college librarian candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with college librarian candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new college librarian

   Once you've decided on a perfect college librarian candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new college librarian first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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