Library Technician

A Library Technician supports the daily operations of library services in public, school, academic, or special libraries across Australia. They manage library collections, process materials, assist patrons with information access, and maintain library systems and records. The role bridges professional librarians and front-line library staff, ensuring efficient circulation of resources and compliance with library standards and copyright regulations.

Process and catalogue library materials including books, journals, audiovisual items, and digital resources using classification systems such as Dewey Decimal or Library of Congress. Operate library management systems and integrated library software to record acquisitions, process returns, and generate circulation reports. Conduct inventory audits and shelf-reading to locate missing items, identify damaged materials, and maintain accurate collection records. Assist library patrons at service desks to locate resources, place holds, renew loans, and resolve overdue account issues. Perform material preparation tasks including barcode labelling, spine labelling, protective covering, and binding of library items. Manage interlibrary loan requests and document transfers between library networks and regional systems. Maintain compliance with copyright regulations and intellectual property guidelines when copying, scanning, or digitising library materials. Assist with collection development activities by tracking usage statistics and recommending withdrawal of obsolete or damaged items.

The standard entry pathway requires a diploma, advanced diploma or associate degree (ABS skill level 2). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

Library funding cuts mean fewer permanent positions and stagnant wages. You'll spend your days on repetitive tasks like labelling, shelving and processing returns. Many roles are part-time or casual, so job security and consistent hours can be hard to find. Also expect medium automation risk as digital systems and self-checkout reduce the need for staff.

Most positions are in capital cities and regional centres where public library networks operate. Roles concentrate in council libraries (metro and regional towns), universities, and school libraries. Remote work is rare. Rural areas have fewer opportunities.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 3993, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Active Listeningcore
• Advise on art handlingcore
• Attention to Detailcore
• Clean animal body partscore
• Clean carcassescore
• Customer Needs Assessmentcore
• Data Entry and Accuracycore
• Data modelscore
• Database development toolscore
• Database management systemscore
• Digital curationcore
• Digital data processingcore
• Digital Literacycore
• Electronic Document Managementcore
• Manage ICT data classificationcore
• Microsoft Office Suite Proficiencycore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Quality Assurance and Checkingcore
• Query languagescore
• Record Managementcore
• Research and Analysiscore
• Resource description framework query languagecore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Written Communicationcore
• Advise on loans of art work for exhibitions
• Analyse big data
• Business intelligence
• Comply with legal regulations
• Confidentiality and Privacy Compliance
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity
• Data extraction, transformation and loading tools
• Database
• Digitization
• IBM InfoSphere DataStage
• Inclusive Practice
• Informatica PowerCenter
• Information structure
• Knowledge Base Utilisation
• Manage content metadata
• Manage database
• MDX
• Multitasking
• Process Documentation
• Team Collaboration
• Time Management and Prioritisation

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

What Library Technician workers move into, from ten years of tax records.

Last updated: 30 October 2026