Library technicians prepare and repair materials for circulation, under the supervision of a senior technician or librarian. Their tasks vary depending on the library’s procedures and expectations, including pulling items, repairing damage, and preparing items for binding. In small libraries, they may also work the front desk and lead programs.
A library technician works in a library preparing materials such as books, magazines, newspapers, electronic resources, and other media for circulation. They are also responsible for the condition of the items and repairing damage to them. Library technicians are usually unskilled workers who are under the supervision of a senior technician or other librarian.
Technicians are typically trained by a supervisor. Every library has its own procedures and expectations. While a technician may have experience working with the same types of materials, a library technician’s job is unlikely to be exactly the same in a different library. For example, some libraries receive media pre-labeled with a callout number and security tags. In this case, the library technician can spend most of his time entering the information into the library catalog and marking the media with the library’s identifying stamp.
Other libraries do not use pre-labeled materials. Library technicians attach a call number after it has been assigned to items by the cataloging librarian. They also add protective covers, apply security strips, and mark the item with the library’s identifying stamp. Upon completion, the item is entered into the library catalog and given to workers who archive the items.
Technicians are also often asked to “pull” items. Pulling refers to retrieving items from library stacks for disposal, repair, or binding. Deleting a product occurs when the library needs space for other items that are more popular or in better condition. Deleted items are often sold to generate additional income for the library.
Like everything else, library media suffer general wear and tear. Protective covers can extend the life of an item, but sooner or later almost every item will need some form of repair. Library technicians usually fix minor damage, such as tears. An experienced technician can repair entire sections of books, right down to the point of rebinding an item.
Large-scale binding is usually done by an outside company. Library technicians are responsible for preparing items for binding, updating the item’s record in the catalog to reflect its status, preparing items for shipment, and replacing items in stacks when they return.
In small libraries, which employ only one or two full-time librarians, a library technician can perform a wider variety of tasks. The library technician may work the front desk, check items for patrons, or lead programs such as story time and computer classes. In these cases, the technician is more commonly referred to as a library assistant.
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