Careers

Library technicians both help librarians acquire, prepare, and organize material and assist users in finding information. Library technicians usually work under the supervision of a librarian, although they work independently in certain situations.

Technicians in small libraries handle a range of duties; those in large libraries usually specialize. As libraries increasingly use new technologies—such as CD-ROM, DVD, the Internet, virtual libraries, and automated databases—the duties of library technicians will expand and evolve accordingly.

Library technicians are assuming greater responsibilities, in some cases taking on technical services tasks previously performed by librarians.

Library technicians held about 122,000 jobs in 2004; almost half worked in county or municipal public libraries. Most of the rest worked in school or academic libraries, while some worked in special libraries for health and legal services. The Federal Government employs library technicians primarily at the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Library of Congress.

Occupational Outlook Handbook: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos113.htm
US Library Technician Programs: http://colt.ucr.edu/ltprograms.html