I'm Surprised . . . - KillerAngel Posted: Oct 27th, 2021 - 1:33 pm In Reply to: It sounds wonderful - sleepymt
that libraries in your area have such stringent requirements, SleepyMT, especially with the current hiring situation. I perused job postings on RAILS which serves the northern and west-central parts of my state and found this:
The educational requirement for shelvers is usually high school graduation or GED, although some libraries will hire high school students as long as they are at least 16. I have found that aside from being asked directional-type questions or if a patron my browse and take items from the cart I'm shelving, there is generally little customer service activity. Lifting/pushing weight requirements are to be taken seriously, however. Being a shelver is a physical job. Some books (i.e., art books, design books, car repair manuals and even cookbooks) can weigh 25-35 pounds. A fully-loaded book cart or sorter bin can, indeed, weigh 150-300 pounds. A shelver also reaches, bends, stoops and walks for the majority of a shift.
Circulation clerk (the lady or gent at the front desk) usually requires high school graduation or GED as well. Customer service experience is valued here because the clerks have heavy contact with the public. This is where working at home can come back to bite. There is still a perception (although COVID may change that) that people who work at home do not "play well with others." Don't forget, though, that doing volunteer work at a food pantry or a hospital or working at church/school rummage sales, craft shows and bake sales gives you customer service experience. The interviewer will probably ask how you would handle certain scenarios. Again, take any weight handling requirements seriously.
Librarian assistant jobs often require a bachelor's degree, but usually they don't care what it's in. It's more to show that you're a serious reader and have research skills, although a particular patron may need something from your major(s). Again, customer service experience is helpful here because of heavy interaction with the public.
A master of science in library science is required for any librarian who is heading a division of a library or is the director of the library itself. That is a firm requirement.
If a shelver, clerk or librarian assistant job sounds interesting to you, SleepyMT, I'd recommend you try for it. What do you have to lose?
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