Behind the Stacks: All About Library Aides By Zoe Elrod, Internal Communications Coordinator
Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at your library? While librarians manage big-picture projects, library aides also keep everything running smoothly.
What Do Library Aides Do? Library aides typically assist guests, shelve books, process materials and maintain an organized library. Their duties include: • • • •
Helping guests find materials and services. Sorting, shelving and organizing resources. Checking out and in materials, handling fines and managing accounts. Supporting library displays and setting up rooms.
Aides also assist with technology and promote library programs, ensuring smooth daily operations. Jim Nimmo has proudly served as a Library Aide for 31 years, a testament to his dedication and passion for the role. He enjoys many aspects of his job, but he especially emphasizes the library’s welcoming environment. While library aides are responsible for sorting and shelving books, he emphasized that guests should never hesitate to take a book off the shelf to browse. Guests are encouraged to explore freely, leaving 14
info magazine · Metropolitan Library System · January 2025
"Library aides put 'deranged' books back in order." - Jim Nimmo books on the reshelving cart or at the side of the shelf for employees to put back, fostering a space for discovery and exploration. Nimmo enjoys the orderliness of his job—returning items to their proper places—and finds satisfaction in helping make the library a welcoming space. He values the library as an open space for rest and reflection and takes pride in fostering an inviting atmosphere where people from all backgrounds can gather, read and connect. His goal is to ensure every guest’s experience is peaceful and enriching. "Sometimes being at the library is the best part of their day,” Nimmo said, reflecting on the meaning for many library guests. “They get some quiet and peace, and that's the best we can do for them as a public library. The library offers a place of respite.” Thank a library aide today — they keep our libraries running!