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Library technical assistant vs reference assistant

The differences between library technical assistants and reference assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a library technical assistant has an average salary of $33,427, which is higher than the $27,874 average annual salary of a reference assistant.

The top three skills for a library technical assistant include library materials, circulation desk and library services. The most important skills for a reference assistant are library materials, library patrons, and interlibrary loan.

Library technical assistant vs reference assistant overview

Library Technical AssistantReference Assistant
Yearly salary$33,427$27,874
Hourly rate$16.07$13.40
Growth rate-4%-4%
Number of jobs68,948658
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 61%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age4747
Years of experience--

Library technical assistant vs reference assistant salary

Library technical assistants and reference assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Library Technical AssistantReference Assistant
Average salary$33,427$27,874
Salary rangeBetween $25,000 And $44,000Between $21,000 And $36,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NY-
Highest paying stateNew York-
Best paying companySaint Anselm College-
Best paying industryEducation-

Differences between library technical assistant and reference assistant education

There are a few differences between a library technical assistant and a reference assistant in terms of educational background:

Library Technical AssistantReference Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 61%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common majorBusinessEnglish
Most common collegeNew York UniversityNew York University

Library technical assistant vs reference assistant demographics

Here are the differences between library technical assistants' and reference assistants' demographics:

Library Technical AssistantReference Assistant
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 35.0% Female, 65.0%Male, 32.3% Female, 67.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 6.2% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between library technical assistant and reference assistant duties and responsibilities

Library technical assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage paperwork associate with HVAC procedures.
  • Check in and out books, journals, DVDS, etc.
  • Operate, maintain and troubleshoot computer equipment as required.
  • Search OCLC [library record database] as well as Internet for hard to find records.
  • Upgrade to full level, OCLC and RLIN bibliographic records for monographs that lack usable subject and/or classification numbers.
  • Perform elementary descriptive cataloging using automate bibliographic database.
  • Show more

Reference assistant example responsibilities.

  • Construct and manage subject LibGuides.
  • Manage yearly budget for DVDs.
  • Search for and retrieve cases from online databases such as Westlaw and Lexis-Nexis.
  • Prepare library libguides and bibliographies on various areas of law.
  • Train fellow staff members in inter-library loan procedures and online database, OCLC.
  • Process requests for journal articles and books from RapidILL, OCLC, and DOCLINE.
  • Show more

Library technical assistant vs reference assistant skills

Common library technical assistant skills
  • Library Materials, 15%
  • Circulation Desk, 7%
  • Library Services, 7%
  • Library Equipment, 4%
  • Check-In, 4%
  • Cataloging, 3%
Common reference assistant skills
  • Library Materials, 8%
  • Library Patrons, 7%
  • Interlibrary Loan, 6%
  • Reference Desk, 6%
  • Reference Services, 6%
  • Library Resources, 5%

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