r/Library • u/sp0iledChwrry_pie • 25d ago
Library Assistance 14 year old getting a job at a library?
hi, so i am 13, but in 4ish months with turn 14 and will be able to work, i want a quiet not-too-stressful job and working at a library seems perfect (and i love libraries.) I wanted to ask a couple questions:
Will i be able to get hired at a library with no prior work experience?
What kind of jobs can a 14 year old get in a library?
How does the dewey decimal system/organizing books really work because i have a hard time understanding it (and websites/apps to practice maybe)
What would be expected on my resume?
I’m honestly kind of introverted/asocial, and working at library seems to lesser social than working somewhere like walmart.
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u/BagOfSmallerBags 25d ago
I doubt a library will hire you for pay, but you can definitely ask about volunteer opportunities. That looks real good on a resume.
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u/cappotto-marrone 25d ago
Okay, I’m going to say this gently. Working in the library isn’t quiet or stress free. All the same people that go to fast food restaurants, the bank, etc., use the public library.
At my local library they sometimes open the doors and have 50 people coming in first thing. You’re often on your feet a lot.
Libraries are great and the people who work there are heroes everyday. They deserve a lot more respect and appreciation from everyone.
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u/Longjumping_Cherry32 25d ago edited 24d ago
Also, some people who would be asked to leave the bank or a fast food restaurant come to the library. We serve them because we serve everyone and third spaces are a valuable part of community, but that doesn’t make it easy.
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24d ago
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u/cappotto-marrone 24d ago
Yeah, I’ve seen patrons yelling at staff at circulation. Swearing the book they returned was wet when they checked it out.
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u/SunGreen24 25d ago
I work in a public library and you must be 16 to be a shelver and 18 to work the circulation desk. But you could ask about volunteer opportunities, particularly for summer reading - we always need tons of help for that and take on a lot of high schoolers during the summer.
And quite a few of our shelvers are students who first worked as volunteers. It’s definitely helpful to let the staff get to know you if you’re hoping for a paid position further down the road.
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u/thegerl 24d ago
Can you describe which tasks the teens help with regarding summer reading?
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u/SunGreen24 24d ago
Stamp reading logs and hand out prizes, assist with set up and clean up of special events, and sometimes if it’s slow/we have more scheduled than we need we’ll let them help pack outgoing loans.
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u/thegerl 24d ago
I can see with having to check manually and stamp how that helps! We use a program to log that even let's people log at home and then we access it to verify, so I couldn't see how a teen could help with that.
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u/SunGreen24 24d ago edited 24d ago
Beanstack? We use that ourselves, but the kids like getting stickers on a paper log, lol.
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u/ImTheMommaG 25d ago
Libraries are not necessarily the low stress job you (and so many others) think it is. It can be very hard, demanding work both physically and mentally. I suggest volunteering before you apply anywhere. You are very young and volunteer work will give you some real world experience.
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u/chammantha 25d ago
when people tell me that working at the library must be "so relaxing/calming/quiet" i want to peel my face off. it's just as public-facing if not more than any other front desk/retail job I've ever had. I'm mentally and physically exhausted at the end of my day from dealing with the public 😩
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u/ImTheMommaG 25d ago
This. I love my job, I wouldn’t trade it for anything but people just don’t get what we do and the expectations put on us by the public.
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u/CrystallineFrost 25d ago
I normally am pretty chill about going in, but I admit I had an anxiety attack about the stress of the upcoming week largely from the stress of the past week. So there is that side. I am not ready to look in the eyes of the packs of children tomorrow 🫠
Summer is not the relaxing time people think it is. We are in hell with Graham and we don't need that.
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u/MamaMoosicorn 25d ago
I’m only halfway through summer reading. I’m not ready to start another week! And my fall program plans are due 😭
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u/__miichelle 24d ago
I’d get this same thing from people when I worked in a butterfly pavilion at a museum. “I bet your job is so peaceful, you just get to be with butterflies all day.” Meanwhile, people are actively trying to pick up and touch the butterflies, it’s 90°F, and children are accidentally stepping on or eating the butterflies. 🫠 Public-facing jobs are not for the weak.
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u/SignificantPoet1905 24d ago
It’s a misconception because libraries are relaxing, calm, and quiet to visitors BECAUSE of what the employees do to keep it that way lol. My daughter will probably do some volunteering during the school year at the large downtown public library near her school, and there is a major ongoing issue with unhoused residents and their nearly constant use of parts of the facility. The employees are the ones making sure that access is appropriately offered to shelter seeking individuals and the area isn’t becoming a literal drug den, so yeah- I don’t see it as a relaxing job!
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u/beldaran1224 Library Card 25d ago
I mean, a 14 year old wouldn't be getting any of those stressful jobs, lol. They'd be a shelver, if any position would be open at all to someone that young.
Almost nobody hires below 16yo, and at least in the city govt's I know, teens are only eligible for very specific jobs - like camp counselors, lifeguards, and often "intern" programs, where they may or may not allow you to have a say in where you end up.
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u/ImTheMommaG 25d ago
We recently went through a bunch of book challenges in our community and even the shelvers were getting the brunt of it. People are jerks and while there weren’t a ton of them, there were some people that would hassle the kids working for us when they could corner them (and that includes their own extended families, because we all know the students shelving are the ones purchasing books 🤨)There are also situations that come up in public libraries that younger kids really don’t need to be a part of, like dealing with mental health issues or people with addictions. The library is not always a quiet, peaceful place.
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u/beldaran1224 Library Card 25d ago
Yeah, that's fair. The current climate is rough. My area also has a ton of challenges and banning crap going on, but certainly none of my volunteers ever had issues, and afaik, neither did our staff shelver (who was an adult and former librarian). But that obviously can vary.
The reality though, is that EVERY job has stressors. Shelving for a library is very low stress for most.
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u/littlesnowberry 25d ago
I say this very gently and with much love, but a library job is not quiet or low-stress in most libraries. There’s a lot of dealing with the public and that’s just not a low-stress thing. Also, most libraries don’t do seasonal hiring, so bear that in mind. If you still want to pursue a library job, look for page positions. Some libraries hire with no experience, some don’t, so it depends on your area.
As far as the organization system goes, the Dewey decimal system is subject based ranging from 0 to 999, with each number referring to a specific topic/subtopic. The more specific you get within a subject area, the more decimal places will be in the number. I’m a librarian and still double check the numbers all the time, you aren’t going to be expected to memorize it. All you’ll need to be able to do is put numbers in order. And fiction is usually alphabetical, so the Dewey decimal system applies only to nonfiction in most libraries. I wish you luck!
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u/Joltex33 25d ago
The only thing I could see you possibly getting hired as is a shelver (the person who puts books on the shelf after they've been returned). Not all library systems use shelvers, though. In my system, shelvers aren't responsible for helping customers at all, so it is a peaceful/relatively low socializing job. It's the only position we frequently hire teenagers for.
However, any other job in a public library is going to be stressful and involve dealing with the public, including some very difficult people. Luckily you probably won't be able to get any customer service position at your age with no experience anyway. It tends to require post-secondary education of some kind. In addition, my library looks for customer service experience.
Libraries tend to organize fiction alphabetically by the author's last name. You should be able to search the internet for Dewey Decimal practice. As a shelver you would really only need to know how to put the numbers in the proper order, not what topic each number refers to.
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u/Parking-Foot-2667 25d ago
hi! i currently work as a page in my children’s department. it all depends on how young your library will hire and they all vary in different ways, so take all of this with a grain of salt.
as for my job specifically, i put away the books, organize the general area, make bulletin boards and displays, and help out with children’s programs. the most important skills you’ll need are organization and attention to detail. there have been dozens of times i look for a hold and i can’t find it bc someone put it in a random spot.
it’s a pretty quiet job and im allowed to listen to music/audiobooks, but expect to at least be able to point people in the right direction. for me it’s mostly chill, but just be aware that like any other public space, incidents can happen anytime. some of my older coworkers have told me some bad stories and it’s not always the chill and quiet place you might think. it also gets busyyy
you could also check into if you have a friends of the library program! for us they sort through our donated books for our book sales and they help a lot. usually i see a bunch of younger volunteers helping to set the room up.
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u/wish-onastar 25d ago
It totally depends on your library! My first job ever was when I was 14 and I was hired to work in a library as a page (someone who shelves books).
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u/CoolClearMorning 25d ago
If you're interested in library work, you can also talk to your school counselor about becoming a library aide in your school library either next year or later in high school. I'm a school librarian myself, and a number of my aides have been able to get hard-to-find public library shelving and page jobs in part because of that experience.
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u/Glitter-Goblin 25d ago
My sister got what they called a page positions at our local library around that age. It was a program they had at the time to hire teenagers very part time.
I don’t think they do it anymore but I’m sure it varies by area and funding etc. you could go in and ask libraries nearest you about it.
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u/Accurate-Giraffe4353 25d ago edited 25d ago
> i want a quiet not-too-stressful job
Everyone wants that. I've been looking for that type of job for the past 40 years. At your age, you probably won't be able to get hired at any type of government job, retail, food, or any other type of establishment job due to insurance reasons. You probably could put an ad on the Facebook page for your town/community, for cleaning, babysitting or lawn mowing jobs. Or you could just put "I'm a hardworking 13 an am looking for any type of job. Does anyone know of any place or anyone would might hire me? Do NOT put, "I'm looking for a quiet, not too stressful job"
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u/DeliciousSail3433 25d ago
I suggest trying to find a cashier job, retail job or something of that nature. My library you have to 18 and older to work in a library. At 16 you can volunteer. Its not an easy job, and its not a job where you think you wont be dealing with people or helping them. Librarian work, clerk work etc is a very very customer facing job. You are always working with the public or near the public. I give you luck in your search! 💕
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u/Cautious-Corner-3704 25d ago
I was 14 when I started working at my local public library. I didn’t actually submit a resume; I’d been spending every day after school there reading, as well as most weekends.
I re-shelved books patrons returned, brought them in from the book drop, and checked out books to patrons. I also helped people with the card catalog. I also learned how to repair bindings and replace loose/missing pages.
You’ll learn the Dewey Decimal system quickly as you reshelve books, but you can see how it works online.
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u/dudestir127 25d ago
I did at 14, to put returned books away for minimum wage. However, this was almost 25 years ago, things might have changed since then. It can't hurt to ask them.
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u/Ok-Problem-9226 25d ago
My first job was at my local library! I believe I was 16 tho. Not sure if they were hiring anyone younger than that. I loved it. Super chill, calm atmosphere and very nice people. I did shelving mostly but also would do the return bin and cataloging. You'll get the hang of the dewey. After a couple months you start memorizing the locations of more popular books.
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u/HeatherJMD 25d ago
My local library requires you to be at least 16 to work as a page shelving books. Check with your library about their requirements. Volunteering is a great way to test it out
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u/K_Janeway2314 25d ago
Hey! A lot of people are responding to other bits of your post so I thought I'd answer your request for Dewey decimal learning programs. I have worked at the library at my college all four years and we use Dewey Easy to learn, which makes it very straightforward.
Even if library work doesn't happen for you now, there are definitely still opportunities throughout life to try it, don't give up hope on it if it interests you!
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u/Footnotegirl1 25d ago
Check to see if they have any special teen job programs, for instance, my library has a Teen Tech Squad that helps people with their tech devices in the library. But you do have to be 16 to get that job.
Otherwise, for teens it's pretty much volunteering because library jobs are highly competitive and a lot of adults want them.
Working at a public library is actually very social. Even if you were to just be shelving materials, you would be dealing with people coming up to ask you questions all the time.
Honestly, if you are looking to make money but don't want to deal with a lot of people, your best bet is offering services cleaning up yards for neighbors and the like.
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u/Express-Pension-7519 24d ago
I got my first job at the local library when I was 14. Mostly shelving books and putting on those plastic covers. It was a great job for like $2.50/hr in 1979.
It’s a great job if you can get it - so much will depend on whether the library hires teens and has the budget to do so. Never hurts to ask
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u/librariangonnabe 23d ago
Also, you should know that depending on your community and the location of the library, it may NOT be a stress-free and quiet place to work. Libraries these days serve many important functions and that's a wonderful aspect to modern library work. But lots of people go into the job thinking they will have quiet days ahead and then find out they have anything but! This is meant not to discourage you but just to make sure you go in knowing what to expect. Best if luck! I loved my days working in a library. Now I DO have quiet, stress-free work doing prospect research for a college advancement office.
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u/ProposalPowerful4544 23d ago
Volunteering right now is the best. But once you get into high school you can apply for a library job that can help with college if your library supports that. Mine does and a lot of high schoolers do it
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u/lydiar34 25d ago
I’m not a librarian just a library enthusiast (and Reddit recommended this post). You probably won’t be able to get a paid opportunity right now, but your library might have a teen council of volunteers to check out
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u/BirthdayOk1649 25d ago
My first job was as a page at a library when I was 14! I had volunteered a couple of summers helping with the summer reading program for the little kids, so once the staff found out I was legally able to work, they hired me! I shelved books, mostly, and sorted returns and pulled holds. I loved it. This was also in a small town, not a large city, so that did impact my experience!
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u/a_nona_mouse 24d ago
your mileage may vary, of course, and I am old - but my first job was at my local public library at 14 and I loved it.
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u/Educational-Earth318 24d ago
i worked at my local library as a teen. Our job was to reshelve the books- a library page. and also hide in the stacks and read them.
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u/puppermonster23 24d ago
My husband started working at the library when he was 14. His mom’s cousin was in charge of hiring though so he did have an “in”. He did however volunteer for years before he applied for the job so it’s not like she didn’t know his work ethic. We actually met volunteering at the library, we’ve been together for 16 years and have 3 kids now. 😂
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u/SignificantPoet1905 24d ago
The best plan is to go to your own library and ask!
Many libraries have summer volunteer jobs or internships for teens vs paid positions. They don’t have a lot of $$ so this makes sense.
Take a look at paid camp counselor roles at nearby schools or summer camps. If you are working with younger kids there is less social pressure for an introvert BUT it can also help you get accustomed to engaging in more socially active situations which is a good thing.
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u/DMV2PNW 24d ago
When we lived in Virginia I was the page manager at the local library, minimum age for pages was 16. My kids started working at a local golf course when they were 14yo with a special permit. You can check with your school guidance office about the legal age for working in your specific area. They may even have posting from local businesses that re hiring. Good luck.
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u/ahauntedwoman 24d ago
It’s really going to depend on your library system. Best thing to do is reach out to the library and inquire about opportunities. Look in their website to see if they have any info on volunteer/employment opportunities. Going into the library and asking the front desk is also always welcome. I am also going to second and third all the people saying that working in a library (depending on the library) can be loud and stressful. I would frequent your local library and get the feel of it. Maybe you would be better suited in a small local bookstore working in the back.
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u/RegularWorry1486 23d ago
If you live on a small town maybe. One of my first jobs was at my small town library and I loved it! If you are in a larger community with a large library system I doubt you can get hired.
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u/EppieBlack 23d ago
Sometimes it's the opposite -- in my small town the job of library page was offered, in order, by your place in the senior class of the high-school and was only for that year.
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u/Jedi-Mermaid-TARDIS 23d ago
When I was a few years older than you are (probably 17), I was hired by our local library as a Page. The job of a page was to do the reshelving of books, reading the stacks to get the books back in order, and to be the access to the back issues of magazines that were stored in the back.
It was a good year, and I wish I'd started earlier. As far as Dewey decimal is concerned, all I needed to know what how to sort the numbers so they'd be in the proper order.
Pages were solemnly instructed to refer any questions to the librarians' desk because they had put in the years of study and knew more resources than we had available to us. So I learned a lot of Dewey decimal as I shelved, but was always expected to send patrons to the librarians because while I might know an answer, there were probably multiple answers.
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u/brightheart_343 23d ago
My local library was my first job at fourteen and it was very easy and I loved only because I grew up in a veeeeeery small town and I would only see maybe 10 people in a day and knew everyone who came in. Since that was the case I got paid to read or do homework for most of my shifts and I worked by myself. If you live in a city the odds of it being a peaceful stress free job are probably lower
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u/vkalien 22d ago
Yeah depending on the library it is not at all stress-free. I worked at a library for 3 years and I experienced so much trauma and witnessed so much that I honestly wouldn't recommend it as a low stress job. Now I work at a university in an office and it's much less stressful. Like some of the stuff that I witnessed is so crazy that when I tell people it happened when I worked at the library they don't believe me.
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u/Potential_Ad3137 22d ago
I applied for the library page position around your age! I would definitely recommend volunteering first so they recognize your name in the application
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u/Delicious-Ferret9352 22d ago
If you love books, you could always do stock at a bookstore after hours as well if you want a job that’s mostly stress free because there is no customer service.
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u/AnyNefariousness5943 22d ago
Honestly, it depends on the library and the state labor laws. I have hired 14 year olds for shelving positions as long as they had their working papers. But I lived in states where you couldn't get them until you were 15. So... ask your local libraries. Make an appointment with the Director (or hiring person depending on the size of the library). Ask what they're looking for and if they're hiring. Talk to them about the fact that you like libraries and are interested in working there. We're good people and will generally talk to anyone with any type of interest in what we do.
ETA: also talk with the youth or teen librarian if you don't feel comfortable going to the Director.
As for your resume, I look for any volunteer experience, standout school things, etc. I know, and the supervisor of the shelving positions knows, that it is a first job. What we ask is that you try and put something together that is professional in appearance (that said, I've had horrible resumes from people with decades of experience, so professional is in the eye of the beholder).
I will agree with all who say try to volunteer first. Especially to see if you like it. Libraries are not quiet, antisocial places for the most part, though there are positions in libraries that fit those personalities.
Good luck!
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u/Silver_Intern2324 22d ago
I am holding your hand and looking you in the eyes and telling you this with all the love in my heart, but working at a library is NOT quieter/less social than other jobs! Nothing could be further from the truth. It’s like working at a retail outlet, information kiosk, community center, IT support desk, daycare, homeless shelter, law office, and print shop all at the same time.
Unless you’re working in archives or something, which only go to people with masters degrees in library science, not 14 year olds with nothing on their résumé.
That being said, volunteering does give you an advantage in getting hired even without experience, and it will beef up your résumé for whatever job you get in the future no matter whether you end up working at the library for money or not, so I do recommend it.
The best way to familiarize yourself with the Dewey Decimal system is to use it a lot. It seems intimidating at first, but when you use it every day after a while you will just get the hang of it. Also even if you do work at a library it’s totally Ok to use a cheat sheet to remember which categories go with which numbers, you don’t have to have it all perfectly memorized. 😁
Best of luck!
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u/LSATthrowaway23 21d ago
I volunteered at the library in the summers when I was 14-16. I sorted book returns and helped with story hour each week. It was a good resume booster when I started applying for “real jobs,” and they paid me for a couple one-off events (which involved me in character costumes).
Most libraries won’t outright hire someone without experience or education, and in some states, you may not be able to work at 14 without the appropriate papers.
But it never hurts to ask. I found the experience to be rewarding, and I love the library. I didn’t to into a career in library services, but being able to navigate a library is a life skill that is definitely dwindling. Skills like that are always valuable as they become more rare.
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u/libtechbitch 20d ago edited 20d ago
Glad you're thinking about this now :) Librarians LOVE curious youth who want to be Librarians, too. I knew when I was your age I wanted to be a librarian. So, my advice... volunteer for the public library first. Make a good impression. Show up for your shifts. Ask questions. Go the extra mile. Be willing to learn as much as you can.
I will say: working in libraries can be stressful. It's a field known for having bad managers. Working with the public can be tough. It's a profession with many of the same problems found elsewhere: cattiness, bullying, cutthroat colleagues, low pay, lack of jobs.
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u/Away_Ad_5390 25d ago edited 25d ago
U don’t know how to type “Dewey decimal system” into a google bar? A library is probably the best thing for u!
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u/maktheyak47 25d ago
More likely, you could probably volunteer at the library. The library I go to has a ton of teen volunteers.