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Reference assistant vs library circulation assistant

The differences between reference assistants and library circulation assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a library circulation assistant has an average salary of $30,375, which is higher than the $27,874 average annual salary of a reference assistant.

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

Reference assistant vs library circulation assistant overview

Reference AssistantLibrary Circulation Assistant
Yearly salary$27,874$30,375
Hourly rate$13.40$14.60
Growth rate-4%-4%
Number of jobs6581,137
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 76%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age4747
Years of experience--

Reference assistant vs library circulation assistant salary

Reference assistants and library circulation assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Reference AssistantLibrary Circulation Assistant
Average salary$27,874$30,375
Salary rangeBetween $21,000 And $36,000Between $23,000 And $39,000
Highest paying City-Albany, NY
Highest paying state-Washington
Best paying company-The University of Kansas Health System
Best paying industry-Education

Differences between reference assistant and library circulation assistant education

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

Reference AssistantLibrary Circulation Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 76%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common majorEnglishEnglish
Most common collegeNew York UniversityDuke University

Reference assistant vs library circulation assistant demographics

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

Reference AssistantLibrary Circulation Assistant
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 32.3% Female, 67.7%Male, 31.2% Female, 68.8%
Race ratioBlack 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%Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 6.7% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between reference assistant and library circulation assistant duties and responsibilities

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 circulation assistant example responsibilities.

  • Process internal and external inter-library loan requests for fiction and non-fiction titles and digital media.
  • Check books and CDs in and out; put books and CDs back on shelves
  • Develop library collection materials for young adults including award-winning non-fiction and fiction titles.

Reference assistant vs library circulation assistant skills

Common reference assistant skills
  • Library Materials, 8%
  • Library Patrons, 7%
  • Interlibrary Loan, 6%
  • Reference Desk, 6%
  • Reference Services, 6%
  • Library Resources, 5%
Common library circulation assistant skills
  • Library Materials, 15%
  • Circulation Desk, 12%
  • Library Circulation, 9%
  • Customer Service, 7%
  • Library Equipment, 5%
  • Library Patrons, 5%

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