How to write an excellent librarian resume

Librarians serve many essential purposes within a library system, from providing outstanding guest services to organizing books and processing late fees. To win a job as a librarian, you need an excellently-written resume that highlights your work experience, educational credentials, and skills.

In this guide, we cover five key steps for writing a resume as a librarian. Keep reading to learn all about how to:

• Properly format your resume as a librarian
• Write a compelling resume summary as a librarian
• Select the best librarian skills to include on your resume
• Describe your work experience as a librarian effectively
• List the correct information about your education as a librarian

Library Assistant Resume Example

Librarian Resume Sample

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1. Properly format your resume as a librarian

Formatting your resume properly is your first step when beginning the resume writing process.

When it comes to formatting your resume, that depends on the information you want to emphasize most. 

For instance, if you have several years of work experience as a librarian, you should use a reverse-chronological resume that places the primary focus on work history. On the other hand, if this is your first job as a librarian, you may want to use a functional resume that places emphasis on your education, skills, and unpaid experience.

If you are somewhere in the middle and require a resume that shares the focus more evenly between sections, you may want to opt for a hybrid resume that mixes the formats of the above two.

Regardless of which format you decide on, you should always start your resume with a good-looking header that includes your professional name and contact information.

2. Write a compelling resume summary as a librarian

Once your header is in place, you can then write a resume summary.

Some people will write their summary first, while others will wait until they have filled in all the sections of their resume before writing the summary to get a better idea of what they should mention in said summary. Either way, a summary should go directly beneath a header, placed above the other sections.

In this summary, key details to jot down can include:

• Your total years of experience
• Specialized areas of expertise
• Your goals as a job applicant

Why is this Correct?

This summary covers just about everything an employer needs to know at first glance — how many years of experience the applicant has, the specialized expertise they possess, and what type of position and opportunities they are seeking.

3. Select the best librarian skills to include on your resume

When writing a librarian resume, it is wise to include both technical and interpersonal skills.

Your technical skills can often be included in a list format within a dedicated “Skills” section. Meanwhile, your interpersonal skills are generally more effective when used as descriptors within the “Work Experience” section of your resume.

Including both technical and interpersonal skills on your librarian resume shows an employer that you have a diversified skillset with many different strengths.

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4. Describe your work experience as a librarian effectively

Next up, it’s time to start describing your past work experiences as a librarian.

To make a work experience entry as effective as possible, it needs to include specific and quantifiable details that show the employer you bring real value to the table as a job applicant.

5. List the correct information about your education as a librarian

The last detail to ensure you have listed correctly on your librarian resume is your education.

Unless you are using a functional resume — which will include more information on your educational experiences, such as internships or assistantships — your education section will be one of the smallest you create.

The most important details to ensure you include are your highest level of education, where you completed your education, and when you graduated.

You may also list any special certifications you have in your education section, though you should only include those that are highly relevant to the position.