Library Assistant, Garden Home Community Library

Library Assistant, Garden Home Community Library

We are looking for two part-time Library Assistants to join our excellent, creative Garden Home & West Slope Community Libraries team! The Library Assistant is responsible for customer service, checking out and checking in materials, shelving library collections, and creating and maintaining patron accounts. The position reports to the Garden Home Library Supervisor. Pre-employment background check is required. 

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Sunday, October 25, 2026, 11:59 pm 

SCHEDULE: Tuesday & Saturday or Friday & Saturday (12 hours/week; exact schedule to be determined; occasional opportunities to pick up additional shifts) 

STARTING PAY: $21.90/hour 

BENEFITS: Prorated vacation, holiday, and sick leave; optional Simple IRA retirement plan with 3% employer match  

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The Library Assistant is responsible for customer service, checking out and checking in materials, shelving library collections, and creating and maintaining patron accounts. The position reports to the Library Supervisor. 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Serves as a primary public contact at the circulation desk, answers telephones, and responds to inquiries from the public regarding use of the library and library materials. 
• Exhibits excellent customer service with patrons.  Shows courtesy, compassion and respect with all interactions with the public and library staff. 
• Shelves books and other library materials as needed. Searches shelves for items and routes to other libraries. 
• Uses the Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS) automated system and stays updated on changes in these areas. 
• Registers new borrowers, maintains patron records, and communicates library policies and services.
• Checks library materials out and in, sorts returned materials for re-shelving or placement on reserve shelves, and reviews materials for damage, following established policies and procedures. 
• Assists library users with questions and explains and assists in use of facilities and equipment, including use of public computers and other library equipment. 
• Assists with opening and closing the library and keeping the library tidy and organized. 
• Checks work email and other communication tools regularly to stay informed about operational changes. 
• Performs other duties and responsibilities as assigned. 

ESSENTIAL JOB SKILLS 

• Excellent interpersonal, communication, customer service, and time management skills. 
• Ability to read, write and understand English. 
• Knowledge of office practices and procedures, arithmetic, alpha/numeric sorting methods, and information gathering techniques. 
• Knowledge of, or ability to learn, Dewey Decimal Classification System and integrated library computer system. 
• Manual dexterity and coordination. 
• Ability to operate standard library and office equipment. 
• Fluency in multiple languages is desirable. 

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Physical ability to engage in repetitive motions of hands and arms, to see, to stand, bend, kneel, stoop, and to reach and manipulate objects. 
• Physical ability to lift and move materials weighing up to 10 pounds on a regular basis throughout the workday, push loaded book carts frequently, and lift up to 40 pounds on an occasional basis. 
• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.

EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE

• Experience working directly with the public in a library or other setting.  
• High school diploma or equivalent.