Overview
1. Automation Risk
2. User Poll
3. Growth
4. Wages
5. Volume
Description
Resources
Comments

Library Technicians

High Risk
72%
Where Would You Like to Go Next?
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Vote Comments (5)
Or, Explore This Profession in Greater Detail...
AUTOMATION RISK
CALCULATED
76%
(High Risk)
POLLING
69%
(High Risk)
Average: 72%
LABOR DEMAND
GROWTH
-5.6%
by year 2033
WAGES
$39,310
or $18.90 per hour
Volume
76,670
as of 2023
SUMMARY
JOB SCORE
2.1/10

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Calculated automation risk

76% (High Risk)

High Risk (61-80%): Jobs in this category face a significant threat from automation, as many of their tasks can be easily automated using current or near-future technologies.

More information on what this score is, and how it is calculated is available here.

Some quite important qualities of the job are difficult to automate:

  • Social Perceptiveness

User poll

69% chance of full automation within the next two decades

Our visitors have voted that it's probable this occupation will be automated. This assessment is further supported by the calculated automation risk level, which estimates 76% chance of automation.

What do you think the risk of automation is?

What is the likelihood that Library Technicians will be replaced by robots or artificial intelligence within the next 20 years?






Sentiment

The following graph is included wherever there is a substantial amount of votes to render meaningful data. These visual representations display user poll results over time, providing a significant indication of sentiment trends.

Sentiment over time (yearly)

Growth

Very slow growth relative to other professions.

The number of 'Library Technicians' job openings is expected to decline 5.6% by 2033

Total employment, and estimated job openings

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period between 2023 and 2033
Updated projections are due 09-2025.

Wages

Very low paid relative to other professions

In 2023, the median annual wage for 'Library Technicians' was $39,310, or $18 per hour

'Library Technicians' were paid 18.2% lower than the national median wage, which stood at $48,060

Wages over time

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Volume

Moderate range of job opportunities compared to other professions

As of 2023 there were 76,670 people employed as 'Library Technicians' within the United States.

This represents around 0.05% of the employed workforce across the country

Put another way, around 1 in 1 thousand people are employed as 'Library Technicians'.

Job description

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.

SOC Code: 25-4031.00

Comments

Sarah Jane Heke (Low) 2 months ago
Librarians and Library Technicians have a considerably broader skill set than some of the automated tasks that a computer program such as generative AI could undertake. Librarians provide the community with more than just the environment to borrow books / media material and field repetitive enquiries; librarians primary mandate is to bring a level of empathy and community spirit to their role. Beyond that, a significant part of their duties is promotion and advocacy, library programming development and implementation, day to day user support for personal, academic and professional research that may not be computer based, access to technology and STEM resources and equipment, user support and oversight. Library's are progressively becoming community hubs that support library users in a multitude of ways that require the ability to independently assess situations and respond to unique situations and requests, qualities that don't lend themselves well to computer intelligence or artificial intelligence's current inability to adapt to situations from an empathetic human perspective.
0 0 Reply
Chris Hansen (Uncertain) 2 years ago
While a lot of the duties performed by library technicians can be automated, libraries remain social places that provide services both information, and non-information related. Library technicians working in specialized libraries or serving users with low technology literacy will probably still remain in two decades.
0 0 Reply
KG (No chance) 2 years ago
While I think the day to day of the academic librarian and reference librarian will change drastically as AI continues to optimize information retrieval, public libraries are community centers focused on social engagement and building relationships with young people and families, as well as supporting people who have limited access to information tools. Librarians will continue to work alongside technology and assist people in incorporating these new tools in their lives, the way we always have. It will just look different.
0 0 Reply
Anonymous also 4 years ago
Well, that's perhaps your perception due to the increased use of eBooks, but "Printed book sales amounted to 689.45 million units in 2019, down slightly from the previous year but still a significant improvement on the years 2012 to 2016." That's still a lot of people reading printed books.
0 0 Reply
Anonymous (Highly likely) 5 years ago
Not many people read physical books anymore.
0 0 Reply

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