(Potential) High School Library Assistant! Any tips?

Hi, hello! I've joined today, primarily because I wanted to post this, hehe.
So, yes. I am potentially getting a job as a library assistant/aide at a high school. I say potentially because although the school wants to hire me, the district has yet to approve it. So! I'm playing the waiting game for about a week.

So in that time, my anxiety is torturing me, of course and all I can think about is what kind of responsibilities I'd be having. I mean, I have a general idea but I still want to know. As well, of course, as any tips any of you may have, especially those of you who work or have worked in school libraries!

My advice. Do what they tell you to do unless you think that it's illegal or morally wrong.

Otherwise, honestly, I have no earthly idea what you'll be doing. The problem is that you could be anything from simply putting away books to being a librarian in everything but pay and name (and degree). Every single school system is different, and these days most of them are cutting back, which means no Professional librarians (what those librarians with Masters in Library and Info Science are usually called. What you are is a ParaLibrarian, i.e. You get paid less but wind up doing a lot of the same things that we who have gone to library school do. Which, very much sucks for y'all who are ParaLibrarians, not that Professional librarians get paid a whole ton either, but... we do tend to get more credit, whereas it's the paralibrarians who are the backbones of all types of libraries from school to academic to public and don't get praise heaped on them enough.)

Don't worry. They hired you, remember that. That means that they wanted you, not the other people.

Hope that the District approves you. Good luck.

>1 chyusanshine:

all I can think about is what kind of responsibilities I'd be having. I mean, I have a general idea but I still want to know.

Did they not discuss this with you when you were interviewed for the job? Frankly, none of us know, because different libraries will assign different duties to assistants/aides. Depends what's needed.

Please check back in and give us a few more specifics!

Will you be working under the direction of a Teacher Librarian? If I had a para working with me, I would probably have the para do the reshelving, setting up displays and working on bulletin boards, adding my selections to my wish lists, helping to supervise the kids who come in for study hall, helping to process new materials - putting on labels, stamping with the school ownership stamp, covering books, - and copying the papers I need for the classes that come in.

If you aren't working under the direction of a Teacher Librarian, then, like >2 DanieXJ: says, you'll have even more duties that are more similar to what the teacher librarian does.

Promoting literacy and getting youth into public libraries is a popular motivation right now, so thoughts and ideas on how to encourage kids to read and use the library might be helpful, especially if your library has things beyond the typical curriculum.

As a former high library aide, we all put away (shelved) material, helped both students and staff with whatever their question was, checked material in & out. When I started there were 3 full time aides. In addition to above I also worked with equipment that staff had: overhead projectors, LED projectors, wires to connect, etc. though NOT tech support. I was also the one that old or unused equipment was brought to and then I had to fill out a form and update my copy of the school's equipment inventory. I am the one that also ran overdue notices that were sent to each student's 2nd period classroom. Another aide worked very closely with the librarian and pulled material for research, set up the displays. The third aide was incharge of reseting student's passwords, ordering supplies, keeping stats.

Since I retired they have gone down to two aides, and added student laptops/chrome books to the items aides work with.

Hi, I'm new here too. I am hoping to interview at a local elementary school (with the Superintendent of Schools) for a Library Aide position. I'm excited to do this after years as a patron of all sorts of libraries (school, public, research etc.). I believe the Superintendent will be hiring a Librarian too, so I'm sure that the 2019/2020 school year will be a big one at this library.

I have not been in an elementary school library since I was a child (ahem, too many years ago to state here). I have been reading about how different school libraries organize their books and find the ideas engaging and interesting. I have no idea what this particular school will use since it is not in my town. Any ideas for my interview prep? I am familiar with Dewey decimal and Library of Congress systems and understand the concept of organizing by reading level. . .

I expect, if I am hired, that I will be helping with whatever tasks are needed and I'm more than happy for that project. In fact, I'm just excited that this town has a budget for more than one staff person.

Tips? Places to research interview topics for prep?

Thanks so much in advance

(PS: I have a BA in History and course work completed for MS in Adult Ed, work experience as volunteer in many locations so libraries/literacy issues are very important to me -- as a patron -- working from the "other side of the desk" is a wonderful opportunity for me.)