Library Technicians

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

• Catalogue and sort books and other print and non-print materials according to procedure and return them to shelves, files, or other designated storage areas.
• Process print and non-print library materials to prepare them for inclusion in library collections.
• Answer routine telephone or in-person reference inquiries, referring patrons to librarians for further assistance, when necessary.
• Design posters and special displays to promote use of library facilities or specific reading programs at libraries.
• Plan and conduct children's programs, community outreach programs, and other specialized programs, such as library tours.
• Maintain and troubleshoot problems with library equipment, including computers, photocopiers, and audio-visual equipment.
• Train other staff, volunteers, or student assistants and schedule and supervise their work.
• Order all print and non-print library materials, checking prices, figuring costs, preparing order slips, and making payments.
• Compose explanatory summaries of contents of books and other reference materials.
• Organize and maintain periodicals and reference materials.
• Reserve, circulate, renew, and discharge books and other materials.
• Compile data and create statistical reports on library usage.
• Claim missing issues of periodicals and journals.
• Compile and maintain records relating to circulation, materials, and equipment.
• Operate and maintain audio-visual equipment, such as projectors, tape recorders, and videocassette recorders.
• Sort and deliver library mail and packages.
• Sort and deliver library mail and packages.
• Compile bibliographies and prepare abstracts on subjects of interest to particular organizations or groups.
• Provide assistance to teachers and students by locating materials and helping to complete special projects.
• Verify bibliographical data for materials, including author, title, publisher, publication date, and edition.
• Check for damaged library materials, such as books or audio-visual equipment, and provide replacements or make repairs.
• Review subject matter of materials to be classified and select classification numbers and headings according to classification systems.
• Train other staff, volunteers, or student assistants and schedule and supervise their work.
• Process interlibrary loans for patrons.
• Help patrons find and use library resources, such as reference materials, audio-visual equipment, computers, and other electronic resources and provide technical assistance when needed.
• Issue identification cards to borrowers.
• Enter and update patrons' records on computers.
• Conduct reference searches, using printed materials and in-house and online databases.
• Retrieve information from central databases for storage in a library's computer.
• Catalogue and sort books and other print and non-print materials according to procedure and return them to shelves, files, or other designated storage areas.

Skills

• Science
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
• Coordination
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
• Equipment Selection
  • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
• Systems Evaluation
  • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
• Systems Analysis
  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
• Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
• Speaking
  • Talking to others.
• Troubleshooting
  • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
• Reading Comprehension
  • Reading work-related information.
• Operation and Control
  • Using equipment or systems.
• Installation
  • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
• Management of Financial Resources
  • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
• Quality Control Analysis
  • Testing how well a product or service works.
• Technology Design
  • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
• Active Learning
  • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
• Learning Strategies
  • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
• Instructing
  • Teaching people how to do something.
• Writing
  • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
• Complex Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
• Equipment Maintenance
  • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
• Persuasion
  • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
• Management of Personnel Resources
  • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
• Mathematics
  • Using math to solve problems.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Understanding people's reactions.
• Management of Material Resources
  • Managing equipment and materials.
• Time Management
  • Managing your time and the time of other people.
• Monitoring
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
• Operations Analysis
  • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
• Negotiation
  • Bringing people together to solve differences.
• Programming
  • Writing computer programs.
• Operations Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
• Active Listening
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Service Orientation
  • Looking for ways to help people.
• Critical Thinking
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

Abilities

• Far Vision
  • Seeing details that are far away.
• Glare Sensitivity
  • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
• Night Vision
  • Seeing at night or under low light.
• Visual Color Discrimination
  • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
• Deductive Reasoning
  • Using rules to solve problems.
• Flexibility of Closure
  • Seeing hidden patterns.
• Stamina
  • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
• Peripheral Vision
  • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
• Sound Localization
  • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
• Inductive Reasoning
  • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
• Time Sharing
  • Doing two or more things at the same time.
• Oral Expression
  • Communicating by speaking.
• Mathematical Reasoning
  • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
• Visualization
  • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
• Trunk Strength
  • Using your lower back and stomach.
• Speech Clarity
  • Speaking clearly.
• Speech Recognition
  • Recognizing spoken words.
• Originality
  • Creating new and original ideas.
• Memorization
  • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
• Spatial Orientation
  • Knowing where things are around you.
• Multilimb Coordination
  • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Information Ordering
  • Ordering or arranging things.
• Extent Flexibility
  • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Written Comprehension
  • Reading and understanding what is written.
• Depth Perception
  • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
• Category Flexibility
  • Grouping things in different ways.
• Control Precision
  • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
• Explosive Strength
  • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
• Finger Dexterity
  • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
• Oral Comprehension
  • Listening and understanding what people say.
• Fluency of Ideas
  • Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Number Facility
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
• Speed of Closure
  • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
• Selective Attention
  • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
• Response Orientation
  • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
• Speed of Limb Movement
  • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
• Gross Body Coordination
  • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
• Near Vision
  • Seeing details up close.
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
• Auditory Attention
  • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
• Dynamic Flexibility
  • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Hearing Sensitivity
  • Telling the difference between sounds.
• Dynamic Strength
  • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
• Written Expression
  • Communicating by writing.
• Rate Control
  • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
• Static Strength
  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
• Problem Sensitivity
  • Noticing when problems happen.
• Manual Dexterity
  • Holding or moving items with your hands.
• Perceptual Speed
  • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
• Reaction Time
  • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

Knowledge

• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Philosophy and Theology
  • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Personnel and Human Resources
  • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Administration and Management
  • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Chemistry
  • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Engineering and Technology
  • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Physics
  • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
• Communications and Media
  • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Psychology
  • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• Education and Training
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• Public Safety and Security
  • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Geography
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Foreign Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Administrative
  • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

Education

Education

Postsecondary certificate

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

No on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

×

Education and Training Opportunities

• Spokane Falls Community College
  3410 W Whistalks Way, Spokane WA 99224-5288
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 509-533-3500
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  https://sfcc.spokane.edu/
  Program Name
  Library and Archives Assisting
  Length
  Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year
  Award Level
  Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year, Associate's degree
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Pay

Washington Annual Salary

57550/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

27.67/hr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

77,000

Yearly Projected Openings

13200

Personality

Conventional: People interested in this work like activities that include data, detail, and regular routines. They do well at jobs that need:

• Cooperation
• Dependability
• Integrity
• Self Control
• Attention to Detail
• Concern for Others

Tools

• Bar code reader equipment
• Cargo trucks
• Cash registers
• Desktop computers
• Digital video disk players or recorders
• Film projectors
• Microfiche or microfilm viewers
• Microfiche reader printers
• Notebook computers
• Personal computers
• Photocopiers
• Scanners
• Special purpose telephones
• Video cassette players or recorders

Technology

• Data base user interface and query software
• Desktop publishing software
• Document management software
• Electronic mail software
• Graphics or photo imaging software
• Internet browser software
• Library software
• Office suite software
• Operating system software
• Presentation software
• Spreadsheet software
• Web page creation and editing software
• Word processing software