Table 1Transition record

library assistanttolibrarian

A library assistant already meets 50% of what the librarian role asks for. The move turns on 6 required skills not yet in the profile.

From library assistant

50%

Overlap1

To librarian

24 Skills carried over

6 Required, not held

56.5 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 56.5

This move: 56.5 of 100 · substantial

1 Share of the librarian role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the library assistant profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 24 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A librarian role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a library assistant background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held assist in library facility planning management skills
already held maintain library equipment handling and moving
already held select new library items to acquire communication, collaboration and creativity
already held analyse library users' queries information skills
already held buy new library items communication, collaboration and creativity
already held classify library materials information skills

All 24 carried skills, including the 9 the librarian role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 30 missing skills fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier

01 information skills 2 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held evaluate information services using metrics required
required, not held conduct scholarly research required

optional, not held manage digital archives optional
optional, not held manage information access aids optional

02 assisting and caring 1 required, 4 supplementary

required, not held perform customer management required

optional, not held assist students with library operations optional
optional, not held escort students on a field trip optional
optional, not held guarantee students' safety optional
optional, not held perform playground surveillance optional

03 education 1 required, 3 supplementary

required, not held scientific research methodology required

optional, not held post-secondary school procedures optional
optional, not held kindergarten school procedures optional
optional, not held primary school procedures optional

04 communication, collaboration and creativity 1 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held negotiate library contracts required

optional, not held draw up professional texts optional
optional, not held apply social media marketing optional

05 social sciences, journalism and information 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held information governance compliance required

optional, not held digital curation optional

06 management skills 8 supplementary

optional, not held develop artistic educational activities optional
optional, not held supervise daily library operations optional
optional, not held assist in the organisation of school events optional
optional, not held coordinate educational programmes optional
optional, not held manage fundraising activities optional
optional, not held manage human resources optional
optional, not held oversee extra-curricular activities optional
optional, not held recruit employees optional

2 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a librarian role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 24 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held analyse library users' queries skill
already held arrange interlibrary loans skill
already held assess informational needs skill
already held buy new library items skill
already held classify library materials skill
already held collection management knowledge
already held develop solutions to information issues skill
already held manage digital libraries skill
already held provide library information skill
already held apply for library funding skill
already held assist in library facility planning skill
already held compile library lists skill
already held confer with library colleagues skill
already held copyright legislation knowledge
already held create semantic trees skill
already held develop classification systems skill
already held digitise documents skill
already held digitization knowledge
already held literature knowledge
already held maintain library equipment skill
already held organise information skill
already held select new library items to acquire skill
already held use databases skill
already held use software for data preservation skill

The 2 learning areas not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 arts and humanities 3 supplementary

optional, not held music and video industry optional
optional, not held musical genres optional
optional, not held types of literature genres optional

08 business, administration and law 1 supplementary

optional, not held secondary school procedures optional

24 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held assist students with library operations optional
optional, not held digital curation optional
optional, not held develop artistic educational activities optional
optional, not held draw up professional texts optional
optional, not held manage digital archives optional
optional, not held manage information access aids optional
optional, not held post-secondary school procedures optional
optional, not held supervise daily library operations optional
optional, not held apply social media marketing optional
optional, not held assist in the organisation of school events optional
optional, not held coordinate educational programmes optional
optional, not held escort students on a field trip optional
optional, not held guarantee students' safety optional
optional, not held kindergarten school procedures optional
optional, not held manage fundraising activities optional
optional, not held manage human resources optional
optional, not held music and video industry optional
optional, not held musical genres optional
optional, not held oversee extra-curricular activities optional
optional, not held perform playground surveillance optional
optional, not held primary school procedures optional
optional, not held recruit employees optional
optional, not held secondary school procedures optional
optional, not held types of literature genres optional

8 held skills the librarian role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role display library material skill
not needed by the target role evaluate library materials skill
not needed by the target role instruct library users in digital literacy skill
not needed by the target role maintain library inventory skill
not needed by the target role manage digital documents skill
not needed by the target role manage library users queries skill
not needed by the target role manage overdue library materials skill
not needed by the target role organise library material skill

10 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to acquire Tier

required, not held information governance compliance required
required, not held scientific research methodology required
optional, not held digital curation optional
optional, not held post-secondary school procedures optional
optional, not held kindergarten school procedures optional
optional, not held music and video industry optional
optional, not held musical genres optional
optional, not held primary school procedures optional
optional, not held secondary school procedures optional
optional, not held types of literature genres optional

Index

Other moves recorded from library assistant

Full index of moves from library assistant

Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.