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

What is a senior library assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Senior library assistants manage library databases and serve users at libraries. They help them find and check out the resources they are looking for and give recommendations for further publications related to their research. You will work under the supervision of the library manager and carry out tasks following their decisions.

You will be responsible for supervising the work of library assistants and supporting library staff. You will be there to provide information to customers, sort out IT issues, and help locate books and other materials.

It will be your job to catalog new publications and see to the functional running of the library management system. You will stand in for absent librarians and train library support staff. Teamwork will be an important part of your job, as well as customer service duties and excellent communication skills.

ScoreSenior Library AssistantUS Average

Salary

2.7

Avg. Salary $34,518

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.9

Growth rate -4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.76%

Asian 6.27%

Black or African American 11.13%

Hispanic or Latino 14.17%

Unknown 4.72%

White 62.95%

Gender

female 68.42%

male 31.58%

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 senior library assistant

Explore senior library assistant education requirements

Most common senior library assistant degrees

Bachelor's

61.8 %

Master's

14.5 %

Associate

13.2 %

Start to develop specific senior library assistant skills

Skills	Percentages
Library Materials	12.46%
Library Patrons	10.76%
Library Policies	8.74%
Library Operations	6.25%
Student Assistants	6.17%

Complete relevant senior library assistant training and internships

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

Research senior library assistant duties and responsibilities

Collect data, compile bibliographies, manage current contents and perform copy cataloging functions.
Train patrons on Westlaw, Lexis and general reference computer system.
Direct and train library staff in receiving, shelving, researching, cataloging, and equipment use.
Collect data, compile bibliographies, manage current contents and perform copy cataloging functions.

Prepare your senior library assistant resume

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

Build a professional senior 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 senior library assistant resume.

Apply for senior library assistant jobs

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

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Senior 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