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Date: 05/17/2025

Library Assistants, Clerical

Compile records, and sort, shelve, issue, and receive library materials such as books, electronic media, pictures, cards, slides and microfilm. Locate library materials for loan and replace material in shelving area, stacks, or files according to identification number and title. Register patrons to permit them to borrow books, periodicals, and other library materials.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Send out notices and accept fine payments for lost or overdue books.
    • Acquire books, pamphlets, periodicals, audio-visual materials, and other library supplies by checking prices, figuring costs, and preparing appropriate order forms and facilitating the ordering process by providing such information to others.
    • Perform clerical activities, such as answering phones, sorting mail, filing, typing, word processing, and photocopying and mailing out material.
    • Register new patrons and issue borrower identification cards that permit patrons to borrow books and other materials.
    • Locate library materials for patrons, including books, periodicals, tape cassettes, Braille volumes, and pictures.
    • Operate and maintain audio-visual equipment.
    • Repair books using mending tape, paste, and brushes or prepare books to be sent to a bindery for repair.
    • Inspect returned books for condition and due-date status and compute any applicable fines.
    • Send out notices and accept fine payments for lost or overdue books.
    • Review records, such as microfilm and issue cards, to identify titles of overdue materials and delinquent borrowers.
    • Process new materials including books, audio-visual materials, and computer software.
    • Assist in the preparation of book displays.
    • Classify and catalog items according to content and purpose.
    • Operate small branch libraries, under the direction of off-site librarian supervisors.
    • Acquire books, pamphlets, periodicals, audio-visual materials, and other library supplies by checking prices, figuring costs, and preparing appropriate order forms and facilitating the ordering process by providing such information to others.
    • Deliver and retrieve items to and from departments by hand or using push carts.
    • Plan or participate in library events and programs, such as story time with children.
    • Repair books using mending tape, paste, and brushes or prepare books to be sent to a bindery for repair.
    • Perform accounting and bookkeeping activities, such as invoicing, maintaining financial records, budgeting, and handling cash.
    • Prepare library statistics reports.
    • Perform clerical activities, such as answering phones, sorting mail, filing, typing, word processing, and photocopying and mailing out material.
    • Take action to deal with disruptive or problem patrons.
    • Maintain library equipment, such as photocopiers, scanners, and computers, and instruct patrons in proper use of such equipment.
    • Schedule, supervise, and train clerical workers, volunteers, student assistants, and other library employees.
    • Perform clerical activities, such as answering phones, sorting mail, filing, typing, word processing, and photocopying and mailing out material.
    • Sort books, publications, and other items according to established procedure and return them to shelves, files, or other designated storage areas.
    • Open and close library during specified hours and secure library equipment, such as computers and audio-visual equipment.
    • Operate and maintain audio-visual equipment.
    • Enter and update patrons' records on computers.
    • Select substitute titles when requested materials are unavailable, following criteria such as age, education, and interests.
    • Inspect returned books for condition and due-date status and compute any applicable fines.
    • Answer routine inquiries and refer patrons in need of professional assistance to librarians.
    • Design or maintain library web site and online catalogues.
    • Prepare, store, and retrieve classification and catalog information, lecture notes, or other information related to stored documents, using computers.
    • Lend, reserve, and collect books, periodicals, videotapes, and other materials at circulation desks and process materials for inter-library loans.
    • Manage reserve materials by placing items on reserve for library patrons, checking items in and out of library, and removing out-of-date items.
    • Prepare, store, and retrieve classification and catalog information, lecture notes, or other information related to stored documents, using computers.
    • Maintain records of items received, stored, issued, and returned and file catalog cards according to system used.
    • Plan or participate in library events and programs, such as story time with children.
    • Provide assistance to librarians in the maintenance of collections of books, periodicals, magazines, newspapers, and audio-visual and other materials.
    • Schedule, supervise, and train clerical workers, volunteers, student assistants, and other library employees.
    • Instruct patrons on how to use reference sources, card catalogs, and automated information systems.

    Skills

    • 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 Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    3
    Workplace Documents
    4
    Graphic Literacy
    4

    Abilities

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    Knowledge

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • 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.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

    • 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.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • 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.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    Career Video

    Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 33600/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 16.15/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 2,690
    • Yearly Projected Openings 470

    Typical Education

    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
    • Attention to Detail
    • Concern for Others
    • Adaptability/Flexibility

    Tools

    • Bar code reader equipment
    • Braille devices for the physically challenged
    • Cargo trucks
    • Cash registers
    • Desktop calculator
    • Desktop computers
    • Digital cameras
    • Film projectors
    • Laminators
    • Laser fax machine
    • Laser printers
    • Magnifiers
    • Mail opening machines
    • Microfiche or microfilm viewers
    • Microfiche reader printers
    • Minivans or vans
    • Multi function printers
    • Multimedia projectors
    • Photocopiers
    • Pocket calculator
    • Scanners
    • Special purpose telephones
    • Thermal book binding machines
    • Typewriters
    • Videoconferencing systems
    • Voice synthesizers for the physically challenged

    Technology

    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Desktop publishing software
    • Document management software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Graphics or photo imaging software
    • Information retrieval or search software
    • Internet browser software
    • Library software
    • Object or component oriented development software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Presentation software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software

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    Workforce Supply Tool

    The Workforce Supply Tool provides statistics for the occupations in highest demand throughout Ohio.

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