A library technician prepares books, magazines, newspapers, electronic resources, and other types of media for circulation in a library. They are also in charge of maintaining and repairing the condition of the items. Library technicians are typically unskilled workers who report to a senior technician or another librarian for supervision.
A supervisor is usually the one who trains technicians. Every library has its own set of rules and guidelines. Although a technician may have worked with similar materials in the past, the job of a library technician at a different library is unlikely to be identical. Some libraries, for example, receive media that has already been pre-labeled with a call number and security tags. In this case, the library technician may devote the majority of his or her time to entering data into the library catalog and stamping media with the library’s identification stamp.
Pre-labeled materials are not used in other libraries. After the cataloging librarian has assigned a call number to the items, library technicians attach it. They also apply protective covers, security strips, and the library’s identification stamp to the item. After that, the item is entered into the library catalog and delivered to the workers who will shelve it.
Technicians are frequently asked to “pull” items. Pulling items from the library stacks for elimination, repair, or binding is referred to as pulling. When the library needs to make room for other items that are more popular or in better condition, a product is eliminated. Items that have been discarded are frequently sold to raise funds for the library.
Library media, like everything else, is subject to general wear and tear. Protective covers may extend the life of an item, but almost every item will require repair at some point. Minor damage, such as tears, is usually repaired by library technicians. A skilled technician can repair entire sections of books, even rebinding them if necessary.
Binding on a large scale is usually done by a third party. Library technicians are in charge of updating the item’s record in the catalog to reflect its status, preparing the items for shipment, and replacing the items in the stacks when they return.
A library technician may perform a wider range of tasks in small libraries with only one or two full-time librarians. A library technician may work at the service desk, checking out items for customers, or lead programs such as story time and computer classes. The technician is more commonly referred to as a library assistant in these situations.