Welcome to the Library Support Staff Resource Center! This website was created under the direction of the Office for Human Resource Development & Recruitment (HRDR) and is designed to provide resources of interest for library support staff, paraprofessionals, and those interested in library work. If you have suggestions about resources that you would like to see included, contact Beatrice Calvin at bcalvin@ala.org.
If you would like to learn general information about "library support staff," please visit the ALA Overview of Library Support Staff page.
Thanks to the work of the ALA Emerging Leaders 2015 Team F members and their member guide, Jennifer Kutzik, for their research and work to revise and revitalize this resource center. The team members included Tiffany K. Chow, Rebecka Embry and Valarie Kingsland. We are very appreciative of their hard work and commitment.
Education & Training
Are you currently working in a library or are you interested in working in a library? This webpage provides general information on library training resources, library competencies, library certification programs, library degree programs, and financial assistance. For more in-depth information regarding library programs and certification programs, please consider reviewing other sections of this website.
Certification Information by State
Some states in the U.S. may have its own set of rules and regulations for library support staff members. The Certification Information by State page provides links to information regarding statutes mandated by each state. Please use this information as a general guide as laws, regulations, and/or statutes may change sporadically.
Library Certificate and Degree Programs
This page provides a list of links to institutions that offer Certificate, Associate, Bachelor, and Master Degrees. The institutions that offer any sort of library degree are sorted by individual states, Puerto Rico, and Canada. Please note that this list may not be comprehensive as institutions may add or remove programs at any time.
Colleague Connection
Are you looking for ways to connect with other paraprofessionals in your area? This page consists of national, regional, and state associations that library paraprofessionals may be interested in joining.
Other Resources