Library and Public Archive Technicians

(NOC 5211)

in All Arts, Culture, Recreation and Sport

Library and public archive technicians assist users in accessing library or archive resources, assist in describing new acquisitions, participate in archive processing and storage, and conduct reference searches. They are employed by libraries and public archives.

Job Outlook

Limited

Estimate decline slightly employment change, 2017-2019
Estimate 15 openings due to growth and retirements, 2017-2019
Estimate Low rate of unemployment in 2016

Compared to: All Arts, Culture, Recreation and Sport

Estimate Moderate growth employment change, 2017-2019
Estimate 735 openings due to growth and retirements, 2017-2019
Estimate Moderate rate of unemployment in 2016

The employment outlook over the next few years for this occupational group is “limited”, which indicates the chances of a qualified individual finding work is below average when compared with other occupations in Nova Scotia. This is not a large occupation in Nova Scotia so job opportunities may not be that frequent and jobseekers may face competition. The number employed in this occupation is expected to decline slightly over the next few years, which may affect the number of new opportunities available. With a large percent of workers being 55 years of age and older, retirements are expected to be a key contributor to employment opportunities over the coming years. Library and Public Archive Technicians most commonly work full-time hours. Furthermore, the jobs may either be permanent or temporary positions, as both are common. Also, a fair portion of the workforce is self-employed, so having the option to "work for yourself" may appeal to some individuals’ interests/motivations.

The median employment income for 37% of Library and Public Archive Technicians who worked full-time, year-round in 2015 was $38,152. Across all occupations in Nova Scotia, 59% of those who worked full-time year round had a median employment income of $43,600.
(Source: 2016 Census)

Hourly Pay

N/A

Minimum

N/A

Median

N/A

Maximum

Annual Pay

$10,102

Minimum

$33,816

Median

$45,992

Maximum

Compared to: All Arts, Culture, Recreation and Sport

Hourly Pay

$10.81

Minimum

$16.00

Median

$31.00

Maximum

Annual Pay

$945

Minimum

$11,712

Median

$60,447

Maximum

About the job

Nature of work

Job duties

Library technicians perform some or all of the following duties:

Assist library users in accessing books, films, photographs, maps, documents, electronic materials and other library materials.
Catalogue new library acquisitions under the direction of a librarian.
Perform manual and on-line reference searches and make interlibrary loans for users.
Assist librarians in giving tours and providing children's and other specialized library programs.

Public archive technicians perform some or all of the following duties:

Assist in developing inventories, forms and finding aids.
Implement and update classification plans and records scheduling and disposal plans.
Apply standards and policies for storage of records and archival materials.
Codify and classify archival materials.
Put archival materials on microfilm or in databases.
Transfer materials from current to semi-current status or put into permanent storage.
Purge, sort, reduce and sample archives.
Research and retrieve archival materials.
Participate in instructing and assisting users.
Ensure that proper procedures are followed in the use of computerized document management systems.

Sample job titles

archival assistant
archival management technician
archive assistant
archive attendant
archive technician
assistant music librarian
cataloguing technician
library technician
technical indexer - library

Skills

For this type of work, you should be patient and organized, and have good research skills. Both oral and written communication skills are essential. You must be able to work unsupervised with library or museum users, and cooperate with co-workers. Good computer skills and knowledge about audiovisual equipment are strongly recommended. Knowledge of literature is also an asset.

Job requirements

Library technicians usually require completion of a two- to three-year college program in library and information technology.
Public archive technicians require completion of a college diploma or certificate program in archive and document management technology.

Other considerations

None

By the numbers

Quick look

305

employed in 2016

73.1%

employed full-time

0.0%

self employed

91.4%

8.6%

51.4

median age

Compared to: All Arts, Culture, Recreation and Sport

11,000

employed in 2016

59.4%

employed full-time

33.3%

self employed

55.6%

44.4%

38.2

median age

Where will I likely work?

51.4%

Halifax

14.3%

Southern

14.3%

Northern

11.4%

Cape Breton

7.1%

Annapolis Valley

Compared to: All NS Occupations

47.0%

Halifax

15.6%

Northern

12.9%

Annapolis Valley

12.7%

Cape Breton

11.8%

Southern

Top Industries of Employment

55.7%

Educational Services

37.7%

Information, Culture & Recreation

3.3%

Other Industries

3.3%

Health Care and Social Assistance

What is the age of Employment?

28.0%

55-64

24.0%

45-54

24.0%

35-44

8.0%

25-34

8.0%

65+

Compared to: All Arts, Culture, Recreation and Sport

43.8%

35-44

35.4%

45-54

12.5%

25-34

8.3%

55-64

4.2%

65+

Top levels of education

32.8%

College certificate or diploma

$25,892 median annual income

31.3%

Bachelor's degree

$22,451 median annual income

13.4%

Doctorate

N/A

11.9%

High school

$8,447 median annual income

4.5%

Trades certificate

$14,801 median annual income

Compared to: All Arts, Culture, Recreation and Sport

27.5%

Bachelor's degree

$19,705 median annual income

26.2%

High school

$7,127 median annual income

20.3%

College certificate or diploma

$20,158 median annual income

10.2%

Less than high school

$2,298 median annual income

8.0%

Master's degree

N/A

Education & training

Library assistant/technician

This program is typically offered at the trades/college level.

This instructional program class comprises any program that prepares individuals to assist professional librarians. These programs include courses in principles, systems, processes, and procedures of library operation; library resources and services; processes of acquisition, cataloguing, storage, and display systems; discovery and retrieval of requested materials; management of books, periodicals, and other documents.

Institutions providing this program

Nova Scotia Community College - Waterfront Campus & Aviation Institute

80 Mawiomi Place

Dartmouth, NS B2Y 0A5

(902) 491-1100

waterfront.info@nscc.ca

Website

Nova Scotia Community College - Online Learning

Unit 37, 115 Chain Lake Drive

Halifax, NS B3S 1B3

(877) 491-6774

online.learning@nscc.ca