← UK Occupations
🇬🇧 UKSOC 4135· Administrative Occupations

Library clerks and assistants

Library clerks and assistants classify, sort and file publications, documents, audio-visual and computerised material in libraries and offices.

Archives assistant (library)Information assistant (library)Learning resource assistantLibrary assistantLibrary clerkLibrary supervisor
£18,659
median salary
£12,615 – £24,085
24,600
currently employed
31,857
projected 2035
Declining
5 tasks scored3 AI Automates1 AI Assists1 Human-Led

Task Bundle Breakdown

How AI interacts with this occupation's task bundle

60%
20%
20%
60%
AI automates
20%
AI assists
20%
Human-led

Task-by-Task Breakdown

Every task scored individually — sorted highest to lowest AI exposure

78

sorts, catalogues and maintains library records

AI Automates

AI-powered library management systems like Ex Libris Alma can automatically sort, catalogue and maintain records using metadata extraction and machine learning classification.

78

issues library material and records date of issue/ due date for return

AI Automates

Self-checkout kiosks and RFID-based library management systems already automate issuing, date-stamping and return tracking with minimal human input.

78

classifies, labels and indexes new books

AI Automates

AI cataloguing tools like OCLC's automated metadata services can classify, suggest Dewey Decimal numbers, generate labels and index new books by scanning covers and extracting bibliographic data.

44

locates and retrieves material on request for borrowers

AI Assists

AI search tools can suggest locations and retrieve digital materials instantly, but physical retrieval from shelves still requires human presence and navigation.

11

performs simple repairs on old books

Human-Led

Book repair requires manual dexterity, physical handling of fragile materials and tactile judgment that current AI and robotics cannot practically replicate.

ROI Calculator

Library clerks and assistants

21.4hrs
saved per week
1,026hrs
per year ≈ 27.4 weeks
£10,636
salary-equivalent capacity freed per year

This is not a pay rise — it's 1,026 hours of productive capacity that AI could return to you, valued at your current rate.

£14,927
value at risk — 80% of role exposed to AI

The portion of your current salary tied to tasks AI can automate or augment. Not a prediction of job loss — a signal of where your role is changing fastest.

How is this calculated?▾

Task weights — each task is weighted by its O*NET frequency rating. Where frequency data is absent, equal weighting is applied.

AI time reduction — tasks scored as "AI Automates" assume 80% time saving; "AI Assists" assumes 40%; "Human-Led" assumes 5%.

Salary equivalent — annual hours saved × (salary ÷ 1,800 working hours/year).

Value at risk — salary × share of role time in AI-automate or AI-assist tasks.

Figures are indicative estimates for planning purposes, not guarantees of productivity gain or job loss risk.