Librarian Interview Questions & Answers

Librarians help people find information and conduct research for personal and professional use.

Interviewers look for candidates that demonstrate excellent skills such as:

• Communication skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Organizational skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Reading skills
• Initiative taking skills

In this blog, we discuss commonly asked interview questions during job interviews for Librarian positions. We also discuss the qualities that interviewers look for in successful candidates. In other words, we’re here to help you out!

Also, read more about frequently asked job interview questions here and check our job interview preparation checklist.

Skills Interviewers Look For In Successful Candidates

Below we discuss the skills you can highlight in your answers to demonstrate that you’re qualified for the job.

Communication skills

Why interviewers are interested in your communication skills:

Librarians and library media specialists need to be able to explain ideas and information in ways that patrons understand.

Learn more about communication interview questions and how to answer them!

Initiative

Why interviewers are interested in your initiative-taking skills:

New information, technology, and resources constantly change librarians’ and library media specialists’ duties. Workers must be able and willing to continually update their knowledge of these changes to be effective at their jobs.

Interpersonal skills

Why interviewers are interested in your interpersonal skills:

Librarians and library media specialists must be able to work both as part of a team and with the public or with researchers.

Organizational skills

Why interviewers are interested in your organizational skills:

Librarians and library media specialists help patrons research topics efficiently. They should be able to direct the logical use of resources, databases, and other materials.

Learn more about organizational interview questions and how to answer them!

Problem-solving skills

Why interviewers are interested in your problem-solving skills:

These workers need to be able to identify a problem, figure out where to find information to solve the problem and draw conclusions based on the information found.

Learn more about problem-solving interview questions and how to answer them!

Reading skills

Why interviewers are interested in your reading skills:

Librarians and library media specialists must be excellent readers. Those working in special libraries are expected to read the latest literature in their field of specialization.

(source: bls.gov)

Librarian Job Interview Questions & Answers

During a job interview, the hiring manager wants to discuss several things. Think of your:

• Employment history
• Skills and abilities
• Accomplishments
• Job qualifications
• Educational background
• Career goals
• Personality

Below you find a list of commonly asked interview questions.

Examples Of General Librarian Interview Questions

1. Tell me about yourself.
2. How would you describe yourself?
3. Why do you want to work here?
4. What interests you about this position?
5. Walk me through your resume.
6. What motivates you?
7. Why are you leaving your current job?
8. Describe your work ethic.
9. What is your greatest strength?
10. How does your experience qualify you for this job?
11. What is your greatest weakness?
12. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
13. Tell me about a challenging work situation and how you overcame it.
14. What are your expectations for this position?
15. What are your career goals?
16. Why should we hire you?
17. What did you like most about your last position?
18. What did you like least about your last position?
19. How do you handle stress?
20. What is your greatest accomplishment?

Learn how to answer these common job interview questions!

Examples Of Specific Librarian Behavioral Interview Questions

Learn more about answering behavioral interview questions by using the STAR interview technique.

1. How do you think a librarian can make a positive impact on their community?
2. How would you rate your problem-solving skills? Can you give me an example of a time you successfully used these skills in a situation?
3. Tell me about a rewarding teamwork experience working as a librarian.
4. Give me an example of a time you provided excellent customer service. What does customer service mean to you in a librarian position?
5. Tell me about a time you successfully managed and resolved a challenging situation.
6. How would you go about helping a college student conduct research?
7. In your opinion, what are essential skills for a librarian to succeed in their work? Why do you think those qualities are important?
8. What kind of librarian tasks are you able to perform well? Are there any tasks that you would like to improve? How do you plan on improving them in the future?
9. What do you consider the most significant development in the field we work in? In what way will those developments impact the future of the librarian profession?
10. Can you describe how you plan, organize, and prioritize your work on a daily basis?

Learn more about questions to ask the interviewer during your job interview.