How To Become A Library Clerk: What It Is and Career Path

What is a library clerk and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

As a library clerk who is often referred to as a library assistant, it's your duty to support the library's librarians with activities such as shelving books and helping a book patron locate reference materials and services.

As a successful library clerks you should have excellent memorization, organization and research skills, and a kind, friendly demeanor. You should also have a passion for reading and learning, good English, math and computer skills, and some experience.

Training requirements for library clerks are generally minimal. As an library clerk, you should hold a high school diploma or its equivalent although some libraries also hire high school students. Additionally, you can receive most of your training during the course of the job.

The BLS reports that graduates who gravitate toward this field end up laying claim to annual earnings that top out at $25,921. The current median pay for a library clerk ranges from $20,450 to $29,548 in the US. However, this figure can vary significantly depending upon your experience, skills, or organization.

ScoreLibrary ClerkUS Average

Salary

2.4

Avg. Salary $30,275

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.9

Growth rate -4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.77%

Asian 5.32%

Black or African American 9.83%

Hispanic or Latino 14.87%

Unknown 4.77%

White 64.45%

Gender

female 71.28%

male 28.72%

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 library clerk

Explore library clerk education requirements

Most common library clerk degrees

Bachelor's

51.9 %

Associate

22.4 %

High School Diploma

12.2 %

Start to develop specific library clerk skills

Skills	Percentages
Library Materials	19.38%
Customer Service	12.07%
Circulation Desk	7.00%
Library Patrons	3.54%
Word Processing	3.50%

Complete relevant library clerk training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New library clerks 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 library clerk based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real library clerk resumes.

Research library clerk duties and responsibilities

Issue out DVDs, CD's, and newspapers to library customers.
Check in and out library merchandise including: books, audio recordings, magazines, and DVDs.
Perform copy cataloging, subject analysis and assignment of classification numbers.
Perform regular cataloging of new acquisitions, maintaining accurate data building for microfilm, microfiche, periodicals, and academic collections.

Prepare your library clerk resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your library clerk 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 library clerk resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable library clerk resume templates

Build a professional library clerk 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 library clerk resume.

Apply for library clerk jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a library clerk 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 library clerks rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

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Library clerk 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.

A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019