Tips for Library jobs

Firetastic

I am having the exact same problem. I would love to work as a Library Assistant. I have applied six times to my Local Council in the hope that maybe they will get sick of seeing my name but to no avail.

I now notice that any Library Assistant jobs are internal only so it's probably down to me.:o

vivatifosi

Hermia wrote: »

I work in a library and we do get a lot of applicants for library assistant jobs. It's hard to know where you are going wrong. You shouldn't treat library jobs as any different to customer service jobs generally really. There is this perception that you need to be a shy book-loving introvert to work in a library. We get people who come in, sidle up to the desk whilst blushing and staring at their feet and say, "I love reading so my mum/friend said I should get a job in the library". Arg! I think the things you need to do are...

1) Really emphasise any customer service/retail experience you can have. To work in a library you need to be assertive and able to cope on your own. Urban libraries, especially city ones, get all the problems associated with urban areas (drunks, druggies, angry people, mentally-ill people) and you need to be able to deal with those problems. Rural libraries are often single-staffed some of the time so you need to be someone who can cope on their own.

2) If you have any library-related interest or can bring some extra skills/talents to the job then make that clear on the form. There are the core library tasks, but there are lots of other ones you can get involved with (teaching computer classes, reading stories during storytime, running family history sessions, working with special needs/mentally ill people). If an applicant helps with reading at their kid's school, has some training experience or has worked in social care settings I am interested in finding out more about them.

3) Are your computer skills up to scratch? ECDL or equivalent is a good start. So much of library work involves computers. Library assistants who just stand there like lemons when a customer needs help on the computer are a pain. Now we have electronic resources/books/journals computer skills have become even more important.

4) Make sure you are aware of what is happening in the library world. Applicants who know what libraries now provide and are aware of current projects or related news stories are always good. We have applicants who don't realise that libraries now have computers or e-resources or can help with family history enquiries. If you use a particular library resource try and find a way to mention it on the form.

Like Hermia I work in a library and this is all really good advice. One other thing I'd add. When I got my library job I wasn't getting on the list from the agency. So I spoke to people who work in the library. Someone suggested that I introduce myself to the library's manager, which I did. When I applied and again my application wasn't put forward, she said "oh I thought vivatifosi had applied", and my application was only then put forward. It was a numbers game and when they had enough people at the agency they didn't always put good candidates forward. Bear in mind they have a lot of applicants. When she asked, I got added to the long list. What I'd written they were happy with so I then made the short list and was the best applicant at interview so got the job.

I'm amazed at the number of people who apply for library jobs yet never set foot in a library and have a set idea of what the job is that is way off target. Hermia's first point is particularly pertinent. With so many public services such as day centres being cut we get a higher number of problem customers through our doors. To deal with that you have to be assertive, compassionate and at times have a strong constitution. Most of us really like books and information, but you have to also like people or the job will drive you crazy.