Post job

Serials assistant vs assistant librarian

The differences between serials assistants and assistant librarians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an assistant librarian has an average salary of $53,764, which is higher than the $36,172 average annual salary of a serials assistant.

The top three skills for a serials assistant include OCLC, newspapers and library materials. The most important skills for an assistant librarian are library materials, reference services, and library services.

Serials assistant vs assistant librarian overview

Serials AssistantAssistant Librarian
Yearly salary$36,172$53,764
Hourly rate$17.39$25.85
Growth rate-4%-4%
Number of jobs5431,617
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age4747
Years of experience--

Serials assistant vs assistant librarian salary

Serials assistants and assistant librarians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Serials AssistantAssistant Librarian
Average salary$36,172$53,764
Salary rangeBetween $20,000 And $63,000Between $40,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City-Hayward, CA
Highest paying state-Alaska
Best paying company-Kent Daniels & Associates
Best paying industry-Health Care

Differences between serials assistant and assistant librarian education

There are a few differences between a serials assistant and an assistant librarian in terms of educational background:

Serials AssistantAssistant Librarian
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common majorPsychologyBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of Maryland - College ParkNew York University

Serials assistant vs assistant librarian demographics

Here are the differences between serials assistants' and assistant librarians' demographics:

Serials AssistantAssistant Librarian
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 30.8% Female, 69.2%Male, 31.5% Female, 68.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 5.9% White, 64.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 6.3% White, 63.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between serials assistant and assistant librarian duties and responsibilities

Serials assistant example responsibilities.

  • Edit MARC records for serials.
  • Process newspapers, magazines, and journals using SirsiDynix.
  • Shelve periodicals and newspapers in the periodical area and keep the area tidy.
  • Spearhead creation of a share document listing recurring names and terminology to facilitate consistent taxonomy across the cataloging team.
  • Assess and discard non-fiction collections as assigned.

Assistant librarian example responsibilities.

  • Manage yearly budget for DVDs.
  • Cataloge new book, reclassify, original updates using OCLC.
  • Help patrons with computers, word processing, and PowerPoint.
  • Provide customer service through assisting the patrons with their research topics and general questions through OCLC library information system.
  • Create PowerPoint presentations for orientation.
  • Provide opportunities for students to use the library for class-relate research, individual investigation, independent reading, and personal inquiry.
  • Show more

Serials assistant vs assistant librarian skills

Common serials assistant skills
  • OCLC, 30%
  • Newspapers, 19%
  • Library Materials, 16%
  • Cataloging, 12%
  • Marc, 11%
  • Library System, 10%
Common assistant librarian skills
  • Library Materials, 11%
  • Reference Services, 6%
  • Library Services, 6%
  • Circulation Desk, 5%
  • Collection Development, 5%
  • Library Resources, 5%

Browse office and administrative jobs