Will library technicians be replaced by AI?
Updated
Library technicians score 53 of 100 for AI exposure. The largest share of their task time, 47%, is work AI speeds up while they stay in charge. AI can take over 26% outright, and 27% stays with people.
- 26% AI can do it
- 47% AI helps
- 27% Needs a person
High exposure
Higher than 81% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 31 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 10 of them today, speeds up 13 and leaves 8 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Enter and update patrons' records on computers. Patron record entry is structured data work, easily automated. | 80% AI can do it |
| Send out notices about lost or overdue books. Overdue and lost notices are templated letters AI drafts easily. | 80% AI can do it |
| Compile data and create statistical reports on library usage. Usage statistics come from system data; report generation is automatable. | 75% AI can do it |
| Retrieve information from central databases for storage in a library's computer. Pulling records from central databases is routine digital retrieval. | 75% AI can do it |
| Compile and maintain records relating to circulation, materials, and equipment. Circulation and inventory records are structured data AI handles well. | 70% AI can do it |
| Verify bibliographical data for materials, including author, title, publisher, publication date, and edition. Checking author, title, and edition against catalogs is mostly lookup. | 70% AI can do it |
| Compose explanatory summaries of contents of books and other reference materials. Summarizing book contents is a core strength of language models. | 70% AI can do it |
| Compile bibliographies and prepare abstracts on subjects of interest to particular organizations or groups. Compiling bibliographies and abstracts is strong AI work, needs review. | 70% AI can do it |
| Order all print and non-print library materials, checking prices, figuring costs, preparing order slips, and making payments. Price checks, order slips and payments are mostly digital workflow. | 65% AI can do it |
| Claim missing issues of periodicals and journals. Claim letters to publishers are templated; tracking is digital. | 65% AI can do it |
Show the other 21 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Conduct reference searches, using printed materials and in-house and online databases. AI speeds database searches, but results need librarian checking. | 60% AI helps |
| Review subject matter of materials to be classified and select classification numbers and headings according to classification systems. Classification suggestions are AI friendly, but cataloguers must approve. | 60% AI helps |
| Process interlibrary loans for patrons. Request forms and tracking are digital; coordinating lenders needs staff. | 60% AI helps |
| Answer routine telephone or in-person reference inquiries, referring patrons to librarians for further assistance, when necessary. Routine questions suit AI answers; staff handle in person. | 55% AI helps |
| Process print and non-print library materials to prepare them for inclusion in library collections. Labeling and metadata entry automate; physical processing stays manual. | 45% AI helps |
| Design posters and special displays to promote use of library facilities or specific reading programs at libraries. AI can draft poster designs; physical display setup stays manual. | 45% AI helps |
| Reserve, circulate, renew, and discharge books and other materials. Counter checkout needs physical items; renewals are automatable. | 40% AI helps |
| Help patrons find and use library resources, such as reference materials, audio-visual equipment, computers, and other electronic resources and provide technical assistance when needed. Locating resources is partly digital; hands on help stays human. | 40% AI helps |
| Provide assistance to teachers and students by locating materials and helping to complete special projects. Searching for materials is AI aided; staff guide students personally. | 40% AI helps |
| Collect fines and respond to complaints about fines. Fine records automate; complaint handling needs human judgement and empathy. | 35% AI helps |
| Issue identification cards to borrowers. Card issuance needs ID checks; data entry is simple. | 30% AI helps |
| Train other staff, volunteers, or student assistants and schedule and supervise their work. Training and supervising people relies on human leadership and accountability. | 25% AI helps |
| Plan and conduct children's programs, community outreach programs, and other specialized programs, such as library tours. Planning gets AI help; running live children's programs stays human. | 25% AI helps |
| Maintain and troubleshoot problems with library equipment, including computers, photocopiers, and audio-visual equipment. Troubleshooting gets AI guidance, but hands on repairs stay human. | 20% Needs a person |
| Catalogue and sort books and other print and non-print materials according to procedure and return them to shelves, files, or other designated storage areas. Shelving and physical sorting require a person in the stacks. | 15% Needs a person |
| Organize and maintain periodicals and reference materials. Shelving periodicals and reference works is hands on physical work. | 15% Needs a person |
| Operate and maintain audio-visual equipment, such as projectors, tape recorders, and videocassette recorders. Hands on equipment setup and repair stays with people. | 15% Needs a person |
| Check for damaged library materials, such as books or audio-visual equipment, and provide replacements or make repairs. Spotting damage and doing repairs is hands on physical work. | 10% Needs a person |
| Sort and deliver library mail and packages. Moving mail and packages between sites is physical work. | 10% Needs a person |
| Deliver and retrieve items throughout the library by hand or using pushcart. Moving items manually or cart is physical work. | 8% Needs a person |
| Take actions to halt disruption of library activities by problem patrons. Confronting disruptive patrons needs live judgement and personal safety. | 8% Needs a person |
How library technicians compare
All occupations (923)
Educational instruction and library (62)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $44,580 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 68,690 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- -6.4% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Shelve and sort materials in the stacks by procedure
- Repair damaged books and audio-visual equipment manually
- Verify bibliographic data in library catalogs and databases
- Build usage reports in Microsoft Excel for librarians
- Maintain circulation and patron records in Microsoft Access
Safer roles nearby
5 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about library technicians and AI
Will AI replace library technicians?
Partly. About 4 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly entering patron records and sending overdue and lost notices. Shelving, repairs, and handling disruptive patrons stay with people because they need hands and live judgement in the building.
Which tasks are AI taking from library technicians?
Patron record entry, overdue notices, and usage reports are taken over first, each with an exposure score of 75 to 80. Those tasks are structured data work drawn from circulation systems, so AI can generate them from existing records. Verifying author, title, and edition, exposure 70, is mostly catalog lookup.
Which tasks stay with library technicians?
Delivering items by cart, handling problem patrons, and repairing damaged books score 8 to 10 on exposure. Shelving and organizing periodicals and reference works, exposure 15, needs a person in the stacks to find, handle, and place physical items.
How can library technicians stay valuable?
Stay responsible for shelving, repair, and floor work that needs a body in the building. Check usage reports in Microsoft Excel before librarians rely on them. Use Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Access to catch errors in patron and circulation records that automated entries leave behind.
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