Top 12 Library Assistant Skills to Put on Your Resume

Crafting a standout resume as a library assistant means showing the gritty, practical mix of skills that make a library hum—precision with records, genuine care for patrons, and the quiet knack for keeping a thousand tiny details in orbit. Below, you’ll find 12 skills that spark employer interest and speak to real work: organization, service, systems, and the modern digital tools that keep collections alive.

Library Assistant Skills

1. Cataloging
2. Dewey Decimal
3. MARC21
4. Research
5. Customer Service
6. Microsoft Office
7. LibraryWorld
8. Circulation
9. Archiving
10. Digital Preservation
11. Information Literacy
12. Interlibrary Loan

1. Cataloging

Cataloging creates structured records for every item in the collection—books, media, special formats—so users can find what they need without a scavenger hunt. Rules and standards matter, but so does empathy for how people search.

Why It's Important

Without strong cataloging, discovery collapses. With it, materials surface fast, consistently, and in ways that actually match how patrons look for things.

How to Improve Cataloging Skills

Sharpening cataloging means clean data, current standards, and thoughtful description that reflects your users.

1. Keep standards current: Stay aligned with current descriptive practices and authority control. Update local policies when rules evolve.

2. Use robust tools: Work with cataloging software that supports templates, validation, and batch editing to reduce keystroke errors.

3. Practice meticulous QC: Audit records regularly. Spot duplicates, fix typos, tighten subject headings, unify series and author names.

4. Know your audience: Add subject terms and notes that mirror how your community searches. Plain language helps.

5. Grow metadata fluency: MARC21, RDA, and Dublin Core aren’t buzzwords—knowing them speeds accurate work.

6. Learn by doing: Tackle varied formats (AV, e-resources, kits). Ask experienced catalogers for quick peer checks.

Precision accelerates access. Thoughtful metadata does the rest.

How to Display Cataloging Skills on Your Resume

2. Dewey Decimal

The Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) organizes items by subject using numbers and decimals, clustering similar topics together so browsing makes sense.

Why It's Important

DDC gives shelves a shared language. With consistent labeling and signage, patrons move from curiosity to the right aisle in a heartbeat.

How to Improve Dewey Decimal Skills

1. Refresh assignments: Re-check tricky subjects, update call numbers when new editions or topics shift, and keep inclusivity in mind.

2. Make navigation obvious: Clear shelf labels, color cues, and short guides turn decimal soup into something inviting.

3. Coach patrons and staff: Offer quick walk-throughs and mini-tutorials. Short, visual guides work wonders.

4. Lean on technology: Use your ILS to validate call numbers and keep spine labels, records, and maps synchronized.

5. Listen for friction: Ask where people get lost, then adjust signage, categories, or displays accordingly.

How to Display Dewey Decimal Skills on Your Resume

3. MARC21

MARC21 is the structured format libraries use to encode bibliographic and authority data so systems can share, search, and display records reliably.

Why It's Important

Shared standards mean shared records. MARC21 keeps your catalog interoperable, stable, and fast to maintain.

How to Improve MARC21 Skills

1. Stay aligned with updates: Keep an eye on field changes, indicators, and best practices. Adjust local templates when needed.

2. Use validation tools: Editor software with rule checks and batch functions speeds cleanup and reduces typos.

3. Audit with intention: Create a short checklist (fixed fields, subjects, series, notes) and spot-check new imports.

4. Compare exemplars: Look at high-quality records for complex formats and mirror their structure.

5. Document local decisions: A living cheat sheet for local fields and practices keeps the team consistent.

How to Display MARC21 Skills on Your Resume

4. Research

Research means asking sharp questions, hunting through credible sources, and assembling answers that actually hold up. It’s process and persistence.

Why It's Important

Patrons trust you to surface facts, not fluff. Solid research turns vague needs into useful results—quickly, ethically, and with good judgment.

How to Improve Research Skills

1. Frame the question: A clear, focused query saves time and steers your search path.

2. Map the terrain: Know your catalogs, databases, local archives, and open resources. Different tools, different strengths.

3. Search with intent: Combine keywords, subject headings, and Boolean operators. Iterate. Prune noise.

4. Vet sources: Check authority, bias, timeliness, and evidence. Use a structured checklist like the CRAAP test.

5. Organize findings: Track citations and notes consistently—spreadsheets, citation managers, or a simple template.

6. Keep learning: New platforms appear; methods evolve. Short trainings pay off.

How to Display Research Skills on Your Resume

5. Customer Service

In the library, customer service means guiding patrons with patience, clarity, and empathy—whether it’s a quick print job or a knotty research tangle.

Why It's Important

Great service turns first-time visitors into regulars. It builds trust, reduces frustration, and makes the library feel like a welcome room rather than a maze.

How to Improve Customer Service Skills

1. Listen first: Let patrons explain fully. Clarify before you act. Misunderstood requests waste time.

2. Know your tools: Be fluent with the ILS, e-resources, printers, and reservation systems so help is swift and confident.

3. Adjust your tone: Meet people where they are—new learners, power users, kids, elders. Different approaches, same care.

4. Close the loop: Ask if the solution worked. If not, try a different route.

5. Collect feedback: Short surveys, quick comment cards, or conversations at the desk reveal pain points.

6. Practice patience: Stress walks in the door sometimes. Calm presence steadies the room.

How to Display Customer Service Skills on Your Resume

6. Microsoft Office

Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote—everyday tools for documents, data, communication, and planning. Small efficiencies add up fast.

Why It's Important

From inventory sheets to flyers to meeting notes, these applications keep work organized, presentable, and shareable across the team.

How to Improve Microsoft Office Skills

1. Start with templates: Build repeatable documents for reports, labels, newsletters, and statistics.

2. Live on shortcuts: Keyboard shortcuts in Word, Excel, and Outlook shave minutes off every hour.

3. Tame information in OneNote: Store procedures, desk tips, and project notes in one searchable place.

4. Automate the routine: Use rules, mail merges, and simple workflows to handle reminders and batch tasks.

5. Tell the story: Let PowerPoint do clean visuals; keep slides simple, amplify with a concise narrative.

6. Analyze with Excel: Pivot tables, filters, and charts turn raw circulation data into clear insights.

7. Collaborate in real time: Shared documents and team chat reduce version chaos.

8. Stay current: New features arrive constantly; a quick monthly scan keeps you sharp.

How to Display Microsoft Office Skills on Your Resume

7. LibraryWorld

LibraryWorld is a cloud-based system for cataloging, circulation, inventory, and patron management—straightforward and accessible from anywhere.

Why It's Important

It centralizes daily tasks, cuts manual errors, and helps patrons discover materials with fewer clicks and less confusion.

How to Improve LibraryWorld Skills

1. Clean records, clean results: Keep metadata tidy, merge duplicates, and standardize fields so searches land accurately.

2. Teach the basics: Offer short how-tos for patrons and new staff on searching, holds, and account features.

3. Capture feedback: Add a simple suggestion channel for issues like broken links, mislabeled items, or confusing labels.

4. Integrate where possible: Connect e-book platforms or discovery layers your organization supports for a smoother experience.

5. Tune preferences: Use available features—saved searches, alerts, recommendations—so the system feels tailored.

6. Mind accessibility: Check contrast, alt text, and keyboard navigation. Everyone should be able to use it.

7. Monitor performance: Note slow queries or downtime patterns and escalate promptly.

How to Display LibraryWorld Skills on Your Resume

8. Circulation

Circulation is the heartbeat: checkouts, returns, renewals, holds, fines, and the choreography that keeps items moving.

Why It's Important

Good circulation turns a static collection into a living one—available, trackable, and always flowing back to the next reader.

How to Improve Circulation Skills

1. Freshen the shelves: Weed gently, highlight new arrivals, and face-out high-interest titles to spark browsing.

2. Polish the catalog: Ensure the online catalog loads quickly, shows availability clearly, and offers simple filters.

3. Promote smartly: Share staff picks, themed displays, and short “what’s new” notes across your communication channels.

4. Meet the community: Partner with schools, clubs, and local groups; align displays and programs to their interests.

5. Personalize: Offer reading lists and quick consultations. Small touches, big loyalty.

6. Adapt from feedback: If holds clog or queues spike, revisit policies and pickup workflows.

How to Display Circulation Skills on Your Resume

9. Archiving

Archiving preserves records—physical and digital—so history doesn’t evaporate. Description, storage, and access policies all matter.

Why It's Important

Well-kept archives protect memory. Researchers, families, journalists, and students come looking; you make sure the trail is intact.

How to Improve Archiving Skills

1. Digitize with intention: Scan, capture metadata, and store master files safely while providing access copies for users.

2. Standardize description: Use consistent fields (MARC, Dublin Core, or local schemas) so items stay findable.

3. Elevate metadata: Rich, accurate notes and subject terms turn a box of paper into a searchable collection.

4. Preserve smartly: Control climate for physical items; for digital, check checksums, backups, and storage health.

5. Clarify access: Set policies for sensitive materials, rights statements, and reading room procedures.

6. Keep learning: Short workshops in conservation and description techniques pay off quickly.

7. Use the right tools: Collection management and archival systems streamline intake, description, and discovery.

8. Invite the community: Oral histories, local donations, and partnerships deepen the record.

How to Display Archiving Skills on Your Resume

10. Digital Preservation

Digital preservation keeps files accessible as formats, hardware, and platforms change. It’s a process, not a one-time save.

Why It's Important

Without it, digital heritage decays—bit rot, obsolete formats, vanished platforms. With it, collections endure.

How to Improve Digital Preservation Skills

1. Learn the basics: Understand concepts like fixity, format migration, and preservation metadata.

2. Assess your status: Inventory what you have, where it lives, and the risks (formats, storage, documentation).

3. Standardize metadata: Record technical, administrative, and descriptive details so files can be managed long-term.

4. Use dependable storage: Redundant, geographically separate copies with routine fixity checks. No single point of failure.

5. Plan for change: Write a concise policy and procedures for format migration, refresh cycles, and audits.

6. Choose trusted services: Consider community-supported preservation options or institutional repositories (e.g., CLOCKSS, Portico, local university platforms) where appropriate.

7. Train regularly: Short, periodic refreshers keep the team aligned on tools and workflows.

8. Share knowledge: Compare notes with peers to surface pitfalls early.

How to Display Digital Preservation Skills on Your Resume

11. Information Literacy

Information literacy is the capacity to find, judge, and apply information ethically. It’s skepticism with a compass.

Why It's Important

Patrons lean on you to cut through noise. Strong IL skills help them make sound choices—research, health, finances, you name it.

How to Improve Information Literacy Skills

1. Know your resources: Stay current on databases, ebooks, local archives, and trustworthy open sources.

2. Evaluate with rigor: Teach and apply structured checks for authority, relevance, accuracy, and bias.

3. Boost digital fluency: Search skills, privacy settings, permissions, and platform quirks all play a role.

4. Offer instruction: Short classes, one-on-ones, and quick guides build confidence fast.

5. Network and share: Swap lesson ideas and handouts with colleagues; iterate based on what patrons ask.

6. Tackle misinformation: Demonstrate fact-checking habits and lateral reading techniques.

How to Display Information Literacy Skills on Your Resume

12. Interlibrary Loan

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) lets libraries borrow and lend beyond their walls, unlocking access to materials a single collection can’t cover.

Why It's Important

ILL expands the universe for patrons—rare books, niche journals, out-of-print titles—arriving from far corners when needed most.

How to Improve Interlibrary Loan Skills

1. Speed the workflow: Use ILL management tools effectively, standardize request fields, and reduce back-and-forth.

2. Communicate clearly: Set expectations on timelines, fees (if any), pickup, and renewals with friendly templates.

3. Know policies cold: Understand lending rules, copyright constraints, and shipping best practices.

4. Collect quick feedback: Short forms or follow-ups reveal delays, damaged items, or confusing steps to fix.

5. Build relationships: A responsive network of partner libraries shortens turnarounds and solves edge cases.

How to Display Interlibrary Loan Skills on Your Resume