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

What is a periodicals library 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 periodicals library assistant. For example, did you know that they make an average of $16.63 an hour? That's $34,596 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -4% and produce -6,400 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScorePeriodicals Library AssistantUS Average

Salary

2.7

Avg. Salary $34,596

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.9

Growth rate -4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.77%

Asian 6.58%

Black or African American 9.17%

Hispanic or Latino 14.82%

Unknown 4.76%

White 63.91%

Gender

female 61.88%

male 38.12%

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 periodicals library assistant

Explore periodicals library assistant education requirements

Most common periodicals library assistant degrees

Bachelor's

67.9 %

Associate

10.1 %

High School Diploma

10.1 %

Start to develop specific periodicals library assistant skills

Skills	Percentages
Newspapers	34.40%
Magazines	22.69%
Student Assistants	13.30%
Library Materials	10.06%
Word Processing	6.89%

Complete relevant periodicals library assistant training and internships

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

Research periodicals library assistant duties and responsibilities

Perform elementary descriptive cataloging using automate bibliographic database.
Perform elementary descriptive cataloging using automate bibliographic database.

Prepare your periodicals library assistant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your periodicals library 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 periodicals library 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 periodicals library assistant resume templates

Build a professional periodicals library 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 periodicals library assistant resume.

Apply for periodicals library assistant jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a periodicals library 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 periodicals library assistants rate their job?

-/5

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Periodicals library assistant reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019

Pros

pay Invoice on spreadsheet , sort open shipment from Baker Taylor warehouse , process books and DVD , put new barcode and labels on all books and av material