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Reference library assistant vs circulation assistant

The differences between reference library assistants and circulation assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a circulation assistant has an average salary of $28,632, which is higher than the $27,791 average annual salary of a reference library assistant.

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

Reference library assistant vs circulation assistant overview

Reference Library AssistantCirculation Assistant
Yearly salary$27,791$28,632
Hourly rate$13.36$13.77
Growth rate-4%-4%
Number of jobs1,130738
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age4747
Years of experience--

Reference library assistant vs circulation assistant salary

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

Reference Library AssistantCirculation Assistant
Average salary$27,791$28,632
Salary rangeBetween $21,000 And $36,000Between $22,000 And $37,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between reference library assistant and circulation assistant education

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

Reference Library AssistantCirculation Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common majorEnglishEnglish
Most common collegeStanford UniversityNorthwestern University

Reference library assistant vs circulation assistant demographics

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

Reference Library AssistantCirculation Assistant
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 38.7% Female, 61.3%Male, 30.9% Female, 69.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 5.2% White, 63.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 6.2% White, 63.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between reference library assistant and circulation assistant duties and responsibilities

Reference library assistant example responsibilities.

  • Construct and manage subject LibGuides.
  • Perform elementary descriptive cataloging using automate bibliographic database.
  • Perform elementary descriptive cataloging using automate bibliographic database.

Circulation assistant example responsibilities.

  • Assist patron's in locating materials using MLS database.
  • Perform check-in duties to shelve all tapes that are used the night before.
  • Locate library materials for patrons, including books, periodicals, DVDs, and other items.
  • Locate library materials for students and faculty, including books, periodicals, DVDs and online resources.
  • Receive requests from other libraries to lend MLS materials; check availability of materials, request materials via system reserve process.
  • Process internal and external inter-library loan requests for fiction and non-fiction titles and digital media.
  • Show more

Reference library assistant vs circulation assistant skills

Common reference library assistant skills
  • Customer Service, 15%
  • Library Materials, 12%
  • Library Patrons, 8%
  • Research Assistance, 7%
  • Reference Services, 7%
  • Library Resources, 6%
Common circulation assistant skills
  • Patron Accounts, 15%
  • Customer Service, 13%
  • Interlibrary Loan Materials, 8%
  • Check-In, 8%
  • Library Patrons, 6%
  • Front Desk, 5%

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