Library Technicians

Reserve, circulate, renew, and discharge books and other materials.

Answer routine telephone or in-person reference inquiries, referring patrons to librarians for further assistance, when necessary.

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.

Deliver and retrieve items throughout the library by hand or using pushcart.

Process print and non-print library materials to prepare them for inclusion in library collections.

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.

Enter and update patrons' records on computers.

Issue identification cards to borrowers.

Provide assistance to teachers and students by locating materials and helping to complete special projects.

Compile and maintain records relating to circulation, materials, and equipment.

Take actions to halt disruption of library activities by problem patrons.

Review subject matter of materials to be classified and select classification numbers and headings according to classification systems.

Process interlibrary loans for patrons.

Maintain and troubleshoot problems with library equipment, including computers, photocopiers, and audio-visual equipment.

Check for damaged library materials, such as books or audio-visual equipment, and provide replacements or make repairs.

Order all print and non-print library materials, checking prices, figuring costs, preparing order slips, and making payments.

Collect fines and respond to complaints about fines.

Send out notices about lost or overdue books.

Retrieve information from central databases for storage in a library's computer.

Train other staff, volunteers, or student assistants and schedule and supervise their work.

Conduct reference searches, using printed materials and in-house and online databases.

Verify bibliographical data for materials, including author, title, publisher, publication date, and edition.

Plan and conduct children's programs, community outreach programs, and other specialized programs, such as library tours.

Compile data and create statistical reports on library usage.

Organize and maintain periodicals and reference materials.

Claim missing issues of periodicals and journals.

Design posters and special displays to promote use of library facilities or specific reading programs at libraries.

Compose explanatory summaries of contents of books and other reference materials.

Design, customize, and maintain databases, web pages, and local area networks.

Sort and deliver library mail and packages.

Collaborate with archivists to arrange for the safe storage of historical records and documents.

Operate and maintain audio-visual equipment, such as projectors, tape recorders, and videocassette recorders.

Prepare volumes for binding.

File catalog cards according to system used.

Compile bibliographies and prepare abstracts on subjects of interest to particular organizations or groups.

Open and close the library.