How to become a library clerk or assistant

Official title: Library clerks and assistants

Also called: Assistant, Library clerk, Chief assistant, Archive assistant, Counter assistant, Library assistant, Library attendant, Archives assistant, Clerical assistant, Shelving assistant, Library supervisor, Press cuttings clerk

Library clerks and assistants classify, sort and file publications, documents, audio-visual and computerised material in libraries and offices.

Main tasks

• Sorts, catalogues and maintains library records
• Locates and retrieves material on request for borrowers
• Issues library material and records date of issue/ due date for return
• Classifies, labels and indexes new books
• Performs simple repairs on old books

How to become one

There are no minimum academic requirements, although entrants usually possess GCSEs/S grades or A-levels/H grades. Training is usually provided on-the-job. NVQs/ SVQs in Information and Library Services are available at levels 2 and 3.

Ways in

• Apprenticeship (England): Library, information and archive services assistant (level 3). England. Typically 18 months. Skills England standard ST0664.
• University: Arts & Humanities degrees, Offered by 27 universities in the UK
• University: Business & Commerce degrees, Offered by 27 universities in the UK

Pay · Outlook

• Median full-time pay: £28,134 a year The middle half earn £24,214 to null.
• About 33,500 people work in this job now, and about 31,900 are projected by 2035. (-5%)

Related jobs

• Records clerks and assistants
• Pensions and insurance clerks and assistants
• Stock control clerks and assistants
• Transport and distribution clerks and assistants
• Human resources administrative occupations

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Questions people ask

How do I become a library clerk or assistant?

There are no minimum academic requirements, although entrants usually possess GCSEs/S grades or A-levels/H grades. Training is usually provided on-the-job. NVQs/ SVQs in Information and Library Services are available at levels 2 and 3.

How much does a library clerk or assistant earn in the UK?

Median full-time pay is £28,134 a year (Office for National Statistics).

Is a library clerk or assistant a growing career in the UK?

Employment is projected to fall 5% by 2035, from about 33,500 to about 31,900 people (Department for Education).

Do you need a degree to become a library clerk or assistant?

Usually. 70% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Sources

• Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

Graduate outcomes: Discover Uni dataset, HESA (www.hesa.ac.uk), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). Aggregated by subject and adapted by Peernovo.