Library Technicians
Assist librarians by helping readers in the use of library catalogs, databases, and indexes to locate books and other materials; and by answering questions that require only brief consultation of standard reference. Compile records; sort and shelve books or other media; remove or repair damaged books or other media; register patrons; and check materials in and out of the circulation process. Replace materials in shelving area (stacks) or files. Includes bookmobile drivers who assist with providing services in mobile libraries.
68,690 people do this job in the US. $44,580 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 39%
- 6%
- 56%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 3%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 33%. Today's estimate: 36%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 31 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plan and conduct children's programs, community outreach programs, and other specialized programs, such as library tours.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 8% | 2.5 h50 min to 5 h | Stays with people | |
| Compile and maintain records relating to circulation, materials, and equipment.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 7% | 38 min13 min to 1.7 h | 95%Half by now | |
| Compile data and create statistical reports on library usage.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 6% | 1.7 h50 min to 3.3 h | 90%Half by now | |
| Deliver and retrieve items throughout the library by hand or using pushcart.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 17 min8 min to 33 min | Stays with people | |
| Catalogue and sort books and other print and non-print materials according to procedure and return them to shelves, files, or other designated storage areas.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 13 min4 min to 33 min | Stays with people | |
| Train other staff, volunteers, or student assistants and schedule and supervise their work.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 6% | 50 min25 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people | |
| Help patrons find and use library resources, such as reference materials, audio-visual equipment, computers, and other electronic resources and provide technical assistance when needed.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 5% | 13 min4 min to 25 min | Stays with people | |
| Provide assistance to teachers and students by locating materials and helping to complete special projects.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 5% | 33 min13 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Compose explanatory summaries of contents of books and other reference materials.Done more than yearly by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 5% | 1.7 h38 min to 4.2 h | 72%Half by now | |
| Organize and maintain periodicals and reference materials.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 4% | 1.3 h25 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people | |
| Maintain and troubleshoot problems with library equipment, including computers, photocopiers, and audio-visual equipment.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 4% | 25 min8 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Check for damaged library materials, such as books or audio-visual equipment, and provide replacements or make repairs.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 4% | 21 min8 min to 50 min | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Library Assistants, Clerical10% now, 11% by 2028
- File Clerks31% now, 53% by 2028
- Office Clerks, General58% now, 61% by 2028
- Document Management Specialists22% now, 92% by 2028
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive39% now, 69% by 2028
- Stockers and Order Fillers18% now, 18% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).