How to hire a library aide

How to hire a library aide, step by step

Here's a step-by-step library aide hiring guide:

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

What does a library aide do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a library aide, 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 library aide's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, library aides 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.

   This list presents library aide salaries for various positions.

   Type of Library Aide	Description	Hourly rate
   Library Aide	Library technicians and assistants help librarians with all aspects of running a library. They assist patrons, organize library materials and information, and perform clerical and administrative tasks.	$10-17
   Aide	Aides are personal employees of their clients who commonly have health issues that render them unable to do certain tasks. They help out their clients with activities they may need assistance in... Show more	$10-16
   Library Technician	A library technician is responsible for sorting books and other catalogs to their appropriate shelf for easy and accurate searching. Library technicians manage and monitor the materials borrowed from the facility, keeping a record of the borrower's information and updating details on the library's database... Show more	$13-23

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Library Materials
   • Customer Service
   • Circulation Desk
   • Library Patrons
   • Library Services
   • Reference Materials
   • Library Resources
   • Dewey Decimal System
   • Front Desk
   • Decimal System
   • Library Catalog
   • DVDs
   • Library Policies
   • Shelve Books

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Assist library patrons at the front desk, checking in/out, use of an ILS.
   • Label new books, label dvds and organize inventory.
   • Shelve DVDs and books, clean doors and windows.
   • Demonstrate initiative by volunteering to undergo cross training on inter-library loan policies and procedures.
   • Process internal and external inter-library loan requests for fiction and non-fiction titles and digital media.
   • Perform elementary descriptive cataloging using automate bibliographic database.

   More library aide duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your library aide job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A library aide can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, library aides' average salary in missouri is 44% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level library aides 42% less than senior-level library aides.
   • Certifications. A library aide with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a library aide's salary.

   Average library aide salary

   $13.56hourly

   $28,197 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level library aide salary

   $21,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average library aide salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$36,261	$17
   2	Connecticut	$31,707	$15
   3	Massachusetts	$31,144	$15
   4	Maine	$30,744	$15
   5	North Dakota	$30,165	$15
   6	Utah	$29,627	$14
   7	Arizona	$28,338	$14
   8	Minnesota	$26,716	$13
   9	Montana	$26,700	$13
   10	Iowa	$26,431	$13
   11	Colorado	$26,256	$13
   12	Kansas	$26,219	$13
   13	New York	$26,198	$13
   14	Nebraska	$26,063	$13
   15	Illinois	$25,914	$12
   16	Pennsylvania	$25,851	$12
   17	Texas	$25,093	$12
   18	Wisconsin	$24,996	$12
   19	Virginia	$24,481	$12
   20	Indiana	$22,820	$11

   Average library aide salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Dublin City Schools	$39,374	$18.93	7
   2	Saint Xavier University	$37,744	$18.15
   3	Sterling High School	$34,246	$16.46
   4	City of Richmond	$29,145	$14.01	1
   5	BAE Systems	$29,031	$13.96
   6	City of Redwood City	$28,992	$13.94	1
   7	City of Rochester MN	$28,698	$13.80
   8	Minnesota Limited	$28,662	$13.78
   9	DUNLAP CO/THE	$28,653	$13.78	2
   10	Lewiston Public Schools	$28,479	$13.69	3
   11	Black Hills Special Services Cooperative	$28,354	$13.63
   12	Harrisburg School District	$28,277	$13.59	4
   13	Christian Academy School System	$28,045	$13.48
   14	City of Aurora	$27,629	$13.28
   15	City of Billings	$27,119	$13.04
   16	Soquel Union Elementary School District	$26,943	$12.95
   17	City of Euless	$26,896	$12.93
   18	City of Norfolk	$26,572	$12.78	3
   19	City of Scottsdale	$25,965	$12.48	1
   20	City of Iowa City	$25,898	$12.45

4. Writing a library aide job description

   A job description for a library aide role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a library aide job description:

   Library aide job description example

   Bradshaw State Jail in Henderson is re-opening soon! At the Bradshaw State Jail, operated by Management & Training Corporation, we provide a safe and secure working environment for our staff while helping offenders gain valuable skills necessary for success upon release. Our team members enjoy competitive wages, affordable health, dental, and prescription drug insurance, education and tuition assistance, paid time off, 9 paid holidays, flexible schedules, 401(k) with company match, and a chance to make a difference every day! Hiring immediately!
   
   Reports to the principal. Responsible for filing a collection of books, serial publications, documents, audiovisual and other materials and assisting offenders in locating and obtaining materials in compliance with Management & Training Corporation (MTC) and Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) directives.
   Essential Functions:
   1. Assist with the planning and organization of library program for offenders.
   2. Adhere and enforce library policies, procedures, and programs.
   1. Advise the principal of library material needs; select, acquire and organize library materials.
   2. Conduct library inventory
   3. Review requests and select books and other library materials according to mental state, educational background and special needs of offenders.
   4. Assemble book reviews for institution's bulletins or newspapers and circulates reviews among offenders.
   5. Supervise and train offender librarians.
   6. Deliver library material to offenders as required; push and pull carts and walk long distances to perform such duties.
   7. Provide disabled or bedridden offenders with reading aids, such as prism glasses, page turners, book stands, talking books, etc.
   8. Promote the development of positive social skills through modeling appropriate behaviors and intervening when inappropriate behaviors are observed; provide regular feedback to staff regarding social skills procedures and intervention techniques.
   9. Maintain accountability of offenders and property; adhere to safety practices.
   
   It is expected that the incumbent shall perform other duties as assigned within his/her capabilities as determined by management.
   
   Education and Experience Requirements:
   High School Diploma or equivalent or GED required. Six (6) months of library, clerical, administrative or related experience, including proficiency with various word processing, spreadsheets, data bases, and computer data entry experience preferred. Valid driver's license in the state of Texas with an acceptable driving record required, unless waived by management.
   
   Post Hire Requirements:
   Must successfully complete annual in-service training requirements and pass an annual background check, both of which must be approved by TDCJ.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find library aides for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any library aides they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level library aides with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit library aides, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   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 library aide

   Once you've decided on a perfect library aide 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 employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

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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How much does it cost to hire a library aide?