How to become Library assistant
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- volunteering
- applying directly
College
You could do a Level 2 Certificate or Level 3 Diploma in Libraries, Archives and Information Services.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course
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Apprenticeship
You could do a library, information and archive services assistant advanced apprenticeship.
This typically takes 18 months to complete as a mix of workplace learning and off-the-job study.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
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Volunteering
You could gain experience of working in a library through volunteering in school, college or local authority libraries.
You can find opportunities through sites like:
Direct Application
You can apply for a job as a library assistant if you have some experience of working in a library, an archive or information service, for example as a volunteer. You may need GCSEs grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) or equivalent, including English, to apply.
Experience working in an administration, customer services or IT role would also be useful for applying directly.
For some assistant jobs, for example in industrial or commercial libraries, you may need qualifications at A level standard or higher. You may also need specialist knowledge like languages or science, depending on the job.
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Career tips
A knowledge of information classification systems, like the Dewey Decimal Classification, may be useful, though not essential, as training would be given.
Further information
You can find more details about working in libraries from the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP).