Tips for library assistant interviews.

Do you have any tips to help prepare for an upcoming library assistant interview?

Are there common interview questions that come up again and again?

interview question for library assistance.

Also if a parent of a student came to you with a problem about the book they had checked out, deeming it unappropiate etc, how would you respond to that parent.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I told interviewer I saw myself with an MLS degree. I found out later that she was the Library Director library but not actually a Librarian. She might have felt threatened to have a Library Assistant who would eventually have more education than she did and possibly taking her job.
Why should we hire you?
While an appreciation of books and authors is a plus, I found that customer service skills are more desirable than the love of books. I've worked with people in this field who hate reading. It makes no sense to me. In addition to expressing your appreciation for reading, emphasize those customer service skills necessary for the job. It looks like a sleepy, simple job to the public, but you'd be surprised how many people will be demanding, rude, and self-entitled.
What are the three top skills needed for this job?
1-Customer Service 2-Book/author knowledge 3-Organization skills
What is your biggest weakness?
This is a standard interview question in any field. I have used "I can always use more computer skills" and then emphasize those I have. Don't say "chocolate."
How would you go about doing research?
If you are new to this field and don't know some of the secret librarian search engines, mention those you used in High School or college. You should have had to do research in both. Be careful not to do the research for the patron.
If recommending a book to a reader, how would you go about doing so?
I ask the patron what kind of books they like. If they say "Mystery," I direct them to that section to browse.
I also look up similar authors or direct them to Amazon.com to type in an author they like. Amazon will list similar authors.
I never suggest a title. It's too risky to do so. The patron might come back complaining that there was something offensive in the book or that they hated it. Give them the tools to decide for themselves.

Sandra in Vught, Netherlands said: Also if a parent of a student came to you with a problem about the book they had checked out, deeming it unappropiate etc, how would you respond to that parent.

You would be an assistant, so direct them to the person in charge.

gabbyfemale in Knoxville, Tennessee said: You would be an assistant, so direct them to the person in charge.

Refer to the collection development policy and use it to explain to them why that book is in the library. Then tell them that they can fill out a form requesting the item be removed from the collection and explain to them what they can expect from this process.