Entry Level Qualification 

10

Career Fields 

Humanities, Liberals Arts & Social Science

For Specially Abled 

Career Entrance Exam 

CUET UG, IPU CET UG

About Career 

As a Library Assistant, your primary responsibility will be to assist the Librarian in running a library smoothly. You will be performing several tasks to provide library services to the readers at a library or to the members of the library.

Library Assistants perform a wide range of duties associated with a library. They may work with a computer at the circulation desk or they may help in organizing, cataloging, and shelving books, magazines, journals, and other reading materials. Furthermore, Library Assistants also maintain online library records and databases, maintain office equipment, issue library cards, process new materials that come in, collect fines, attach barcodes on books, and so on.

Key Roles & Responsibilities

1. To maintain and organize library materials.

2. To catalog and sort library materials such as books, magazines, journals, newspapers, audio-visual materials, and so on.

3. To maintain the online database of library materials on the computer.

4. To greet and assist readers and members locate their desired reading materials.

5. To register new readers and member as well as issue library cards.

6. To loan library materials as well as collect returned materials.

7. To re-shelve returned library materials.

8. To answer phone calls, respond to emails and take messages associated with library work.

9. To assist with the planning and organizing of library events and reading sessions.

10. To collect fines and update the database accordingly.

Career Entry Pathway 

Class 10 all subjects as per scheme of studies - 1 year or more work experience in a Library - NSQF Level 5 Qualification.

After you complete your school, you may find a job in a Library as an Assistant. Then, after having 1 year or more experience, you can obtain an NSQF (National Skill Qualification Framework) Level 5 qualification by completing a training program in Library & Information Science. This will help you to get a job.

Class 10 all subjects as per scheme of studies – Class 11-12 with any subject combination as per scheme of studies - Diploma in Library Science/Library & Information Science/Similar course.

After you’ve completed your secondary level school studies (class 10), you can pursue your higher secondary level studies. Following this, you can opt for a Diploma course in Library Science or in Library and Information Science or any other similar course. The duration of these diploma courses can extend from 6 months to 2 years, depending upon the educational institution you choose.

Class 10 all subjects as per scheme of studies – Class 11-12 with any subject combination as per scheme of studies - ITI Certificate in Librarian/ Library & Information Science.

After you’ve completed your secondary level school studies (class 10), you can pursue your higher secondary level studies. Then you can opt for an ITI certificate in Librarian or in Library & Information Science.

Required Qualification & Competencies 

Undergraduate studies after school:

After your Class 10, you can apply for an Assistant’s job in a local/school library and gain at least one year of experience. Then, you can complete a training program in Library & Information Science and get an NSQF (National Skill Qualification Framework) Level 5 qualification. Also, you can either choose to complete your higher secondary school studies or you can directly enroll for Diploma courses in Library Science/Library and Information Science. You can even choose ITI Certificate in Librarian/Library and Information Science. This level of education is usually enough to apply for Library Assistant job roles.

COMPETENCIES REQUIRED

Interest

1. Conventional: You should have interests for Conventional Occupations. Conventional occupations involve repetitive and routine tasks as well as fixed processes or procedures for getting things done. These occupations involve working more with data, systems, and procedures and less with ideas or creativity.

2. Realistic: You should have interests for Realistic Occupations. Realistic occupations involve more practical and hands-on activities than paperwork or office work. Realistic occupations often involve physical activities for getting things done using various tools and equipment. 

3. Social: You should have interests for Social Occupations. Social occupations involve helping or assisting others; these involve working with and communicating with people to provide various services; these may involve educating and advising others.

Knowledge

Administration: Knowledge of various administrative and operational functions in managing a business or an organisation such as general administration, facility management, front office management, back office management, etc.

Skills

1. Active Learning: Focused and continuous learning from various sources of information, observation and otherwise for application in getting work done.

2. Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, understanding the points being made by others, asking questions, etc.

3.Coordination: Skills in working together with other people to get things done.

4. Instruction: Skills in training others how to do something.

5. Judgment and Decision Making: Skills in considering pros and cons of various decision alternatives; considering costs and benefits; taking appropriate and suitable decisions.

6. Reading Comprehension: Skills in understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

7. Service Orientation: Skills in or keen interest to help and assist people.

Abilities

1. Abstract Reasoning: The ability to understand ideas which are not expressed in words or numbers; the ability to understand concepts which are not clearly expressed verbally or otherwise.

2. Emotional Intelligence: The ability to understand your own and others' emotions and feelings; empathy for others; adjusting your behaviour or self-control and self-regulation according to others' emptions and situations.

3. Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information from various sources, concepts, and theories to form general rules or conclusions. For example, analysing various events or situations to come out with a set of rules or conclusions.

4. Inter-Personal: The ability to build and maintain good relationships with others at workplaces and elsewhere.

5. Verbal Reasoning: The ability to think and reason with words; the ability to reason out ideas expressed in words.

6. Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a long period of time without being distracted.

Personality traits:

1. You are always or mostly organized in your day-to-day life and activities.

2. You are always or mostly disciplined in your action and behaviour.

3. You are always calm or generally remain calm in most situations.

4. You always feel secure in your surroundings and in most situations.

5. You trust others sometimes but not always.

6. You are always practical or in most situations.

Career - Job Opportunities & Profiles 

After obtaining the degrees mentioned-above, you can get the job of a Library Assistant in government and private educational institutions or local/public libraries. Apart from this, Library Assistants are also sometimes recruited by art museums, foreign embassies, special libraries, and information centers.

Work Environment

Library Assistants usually work indoors. A major portion of their time is spent either on the front desk in a library or arranging/organizing/restacking library materials inside the library. Your working hours may either be adjusted in shifts or full-time normal office hours (7-8 hours).

CAREER GROWTH

Although there are limited opportunities for growth in this career, you can scale up the ladder as you gain more and more work experience. Usually, freshers in this field begin their careers as a Library Assistant and after about 6-7 years, you can get promoted to the role of an Assistant Librarian. The highest job post in this field is that of a Librarian.

Salary Offered  

1. As a Library Assistant, depending upon where you are working, i.e. in a Government Library or a Private Library, you may earn about Rs. 5,000 - 12,000 per month.

2. After 5-10 years of experience, you can become an Assistant Librarian and earn about Rs. 15,000 - 35,000 per month.

3. After 12-20 years of experience, you can become a Librarian and earn about Rs. 35,000 - 60,000 per month.

MONTHLY EARNINGS IN INDIAN RUPEE 

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Famous Personalities 

Information not available.

Work Activities 

1. Assisting and caring for people.

2. Communicating with co-workers and others.

3. Handling administrative activities.

4. Using computers for work.

5. Getting Information and learning - Observing, hearing, reading, using computers, or otherwise obtaining information and learning from it.

6. Processing of information - Searching, compiling, tabulating, calculating, auditing, verifying or otherwise dealing with information processing including data entry, transcription, recording, storing and maintaining databases.